Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-01-07
Governor watson's Plea for the Protection
OF the Ballot
Governor watson's messageis an in


Governor watson's Plea for the Protection
OF the Ballot.
Governor watson's messageis an in
teresting State paper. 1t shows that
the financial condition Of the State is
good, and it makes some excellent
recommendations In the latter line
h the Governor recognizes grave in
Justice imposed upon the people OF
Wilmington in the law requiring the
City Council to pay the salaries of the
State detectives, and he urgently asks
the Legislature to impose this cost
upon the State, where it properly
belongs.
But the browning feature Of the
message is its concluding section.
which deals with the subject of pure
elections. The Governor lsaves no
doubt as to his attitude upon this i'm
portant subject He is in favor Of
reform that will be sweeping in its
scope and effective in it's operations,
so that the elections in Delaware may
be free from the slightest faint of cor
ruption.
The treatment Of thus subject by
Governor Watson has aroused an
interest that il not confined to Della
ware. The Philadelphia Ledger, printed
in State and in a city where fraud
and corruption at elections have run
rampant for years. makes this COM
ment upon the Governors strong
arrangement:
This Thought that inevitably sug-
gests itself in this connection is. what
have the prosecuting officers and others.
charged with the administration of
the criminal laws of Delaware. been
doing in past years TO check the
bribery which the Governor says has
doubtless existed for many years! The
State of Delaware has attained "bad
eminenceh as the seat of vide spread
political corruption, but ii is not re-.
called that the criminal side Of the
courts OF that State have been particu-
larly busy in rairoading to prison
those Who give or take brihes. IL is
we'll enough. OF course, for the Cover
nor to throw around the elective
franchise new safeguards and to insist
upon tho importance of rescuing the
State from the clutch of corruptionats,
'bul thc IibpDStu nBN laws,
are which intended to make bribery
and other forms of political rascality
more difficult. are firmly, continuously
and heroically executed. reform will
not materialize in Delaware.
One of the reasons why bribery, long
practised in Delaware, has grown tc
such proportions as to require precise
treatment in the Governors message, il
that the comparatively limited
extent to which it has been INDUCED
in in the past, has been "winked at, .
TO use Governor Watson's own ex
pressiye phrase. The crime OF bribsr,
is not of yesterday in Delaware. III i
had been promptly punished from tim,
to time, as many crimes of much les
magnitude are punished in Delaware
tnsre would be no call for further leg
islation, which may also slumber il
the statute books unexecuted. 1t ma,
be safely presumed that the crime O
bribery is already severely punishable
id Delaware, as ii is in every Ameri
can State. so far as the letter of the Law
is concerned. What is needed in ever,
commonwealth is the prompt, stern ami
unyielding enforcement of existing
law, and, when it becomes apparen
that existing law in action in tn
courts is inadequate to meet the ney
l. +,
ueNicee - 'ne iih''na'' 'ot there
. in1 gt ia"s enaoaeu. t.--.-
crininsI code. If m one car t,a fou =" ~ !
start the machinery OF the law, Elab
crate provision is &c be found every
where for the suppression, OF all phase
y crllle' iheie arg Weil pau olhciai
, mnu 80 saptnso 49, ~ ''ato proceee'
initiated. when w.ll fni,nded susnic;n
OF crime exists. Ii ought NOT tn h
necessary 10 organize society to assis
10 the execution OF 1he laws IN any {
oui ionE .ss'"uitan.. o'ates' pnt III
thatir ronnioanr" If tbosa XII
charged with the execution of the Law
makes the organization of such
society desirable IN some communities
~ snoula ue Souieoo!'s BUSINESS
hr;n,;ng bribers hefnro ~ ' a'o
Once before the tribunals il is NOT
be- doubted that sufficient law can /
found to secure convictions, provide
lurles ,n L.t ~ nave not nee
surface ;nairat;on ara sps'o NJ fa,,,, ohi ~
inply busy in the trial of brihers II
ibe-gi7er and the bribe- taker, fl