Middletown transcript., 1896-04-11
REPUBLICAN OPPORTUNITY.

REPUBLICAN OPPORTUNITY.
eff the Republican Party of Dela
ware were united this year, it woul
carry every thing in this State" sal
shrewd and prominent Democrat thi
week, one who knows the difference
and the weaknesses within the Demo
cratic ranks. And the gentleman i
right, but the pleasing part, the latte
part of his statement, is marred will
the introduction which begins with al
''if," and a big elf" it is. Two thing
have combined for years to defeat tht
Republican Party in Delaware:
1.-The manipulation of the assess
ment and collection laws by the Demo
Gratis, depriving hundreds of Republj'
cans Of their votes and putting the bal
lot in the hands of hundreds of Demo
Gratis not legally entitled.
2-The differences within the Repub
lican ranks, the animosities of leaders,
the maintaining of factional lines.
Either of these causes alone could not
have defeated the party for. the past
thirty years. It could not stand
against them both, hence the situation
to-day.
But the party this year has the op-
portunity of its existence. Never
since there has been a Republican
Party in the State has its opportunity
been so great. In the first place the
bone and sinew of the country, the
American mechanic and artisan, is
waiting with ill-concealed impatence
to cast his ballot for return to Re-
publican rule at Washington at both
ends of the avenue. This means
many votes to the party, not in the
city of Wilmington alone but through
out the State. With united party it
of itself would elect the State ticket
and majority of the General Assem-
] bly,. 1t will be shame, nay crime,
if the opportunity is thrown away.
In the second place the people have
the first opportunity for forty years to
elect delegates to Constitutional
Convention. They recognize the fact
that they owe this privilege to the Re-
publican Party which has forced the
fight along this line for years while
the Democratic Party, as party or
ganization and though its leaders, has
opposed a Convention and defeated
convention and amendments to the
constitution to which it was solemnly
pledged in its State Conventions. This
condition would bring to the Republi-
can Party support not only for the Re-
publican nominees as delegates to the
Convention but for the whole ticket
from the progressive Democrats. They
recognize that their party leaders hav-
ing postponed convention as long as
possible, now hope to defeat changes
by the manipulation Of delegates. They |
want the court house fees continued,
possibly increased, and the governor to |
continue the appointment of them
selves TO these fat official positions. |
Nothing strange about that but many
Democrats see through the game and
they would stop it by voting the Re-
publican ticket we're they invited by
united party.
Many others are sick and tired of
the disgusting assessment laws, the
abomiable collection laws, the disfran-
cl.ising tax receipt and registration
laws. Good laws in the hands of hon.
est men, but one rascal among dozen
other honest officials can manipulate
and cheat the tax payer and the voter,
30 that hundreds of men would vote
for change if the Republican Party
offered a refuge by united front.
will the Republicans embrace their
opportunityp 1t is to be hoped they
may. just at the present lime the
Democratic press is making great to
do because resolution offered by
Sussex county member Of the State
Central Committee at the meeting
held last Monday was not adopted.
The resolution provided:
"That the committee selecting the
urinary election officers make as a
Dart of the board of election repre-
of the minority in all hum
dreds and wards, where there is but
ona voting place, and where there are
more than one voting place, the repre-
sentation shall be equal. Each side to
aelect its own officers, and in case of
failnre to do this the act in relation to
holding primary elections shall govern" I
1t will be seen that the resolution I
was out Of place, it not being the prov 9
Ince of the State Committee to make I
.ules for the primary elections, this '
matter having always been done ly
he County Committee. So far as We q
now only the Democratic papers are t
,aying anything to say in way Of crit
cism. and their sole object is to stir G
10 strife. That is part Of their busi- n
Iees, The Euery Evening has done the