Evening journal., 1897-01-16
NO MERCY FOR BRIBERS
Cannot Escape Punishment BY
a Disagreeing Jury.
so THE CONVENTION WILL RULE

BETS, TOO. MUST NOT BE TOLER-
ATED-PENALTY RUNS FROM
500 TO $4,000, WITH IMPRISON-
MENT FROM SIX MONTHS TO
FIVE YEARS.
DOVER, Jan. 16.-The Constitutional
Convention continues it's good work
and again, in committee of the whole
yesterday sought to expel into obliv-
ion the defamers of the ballot who have
brought the state into such notorious
prominence.
In debating further on the report of
the Committee on Securing Purity Of
the Ballot, the convention. by an al
most unanimous vote, decided to adopt
section /, with few amendments. The
section approved now reads as fol-
lows:
Section L. Every person who shall
receive or accept, or offer to receive or
accept, or shall pay, transfer or deliver.
or offer to premise to pay, transfer or
deliver, CT shall contribute, or offer to
contribute, to another to be paid or
used, any money or other valuable
thing as a compensation, inducement or
A'N a. "a Iva AAAt EANAAAE VI WlluUUiulnR OF
in any manner influencing the giving
or Withholding a vote at any general
special or municipal election in this
state. or at any primary election. con
vention or meeting held for the pur-
pose Of nominating any candidate or
candidates TO be voted for at such gem
eral, special or municipal election. or
who shall make or become directly or
indirectly party to any bet or wager
depending upon the result Of any such.
or who shall by the use or promise of
money or other valuable thing. or
| otherwise cause any officer of election
or registration officer to violate his Of
fetal duty, or who shall by the use or
promise OF money or other valuable
thing influence any person to be regis
tered, or who, being an officer of cleo
tion or registration officer, shall know
ingly and wilfully violate his official
duty, shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanOr and shall be fined not less
than one hundred dollars nor more than
five thousand dollars, or shall be i'm
prisoned for a term not less than six
months nor more than five years. or
shall suffer both fine and Imprisonment
within said limits at the discretion of
the court, and, if male, shall further
for term of ten years next following
his sentence be incapable of voting at
any such election. No person, other
than the accused, shall in the prosecu-
ton for any otfense mentioned in this
section be permitted to withhold his
testimony on the ground that it may
criminate himself or subject him to
public infamy; but such testimony
shall not afterwards be used against
him in any judicial proceeding, except
for perjury in giving such testimony.
The remainder of the committees
report, which is being taken up seri-
atum' has not yet been adopted
DEAD AGAINST JURY TRIAL.
The second section of this report.
which was debated, but left over for
final action on Monday next, is remark
able IN that it provides for the trial of
election offenders by the court without
the intervention of either grand or petit
| juries.
Mr.. Bradford, the author of the sec
tion, spoke at length in its favor, show
ing by an examination of over 100 de-
cisions Of the courts of the United
States that trial without jury under
state system is in no sense a violation
OF the Constitution of the United
INe@e-'s ouAh OAANAQNA cDdlls nUNtNtIt
have the right to appeal to an upper
court, privilege which is now absent.
Mr.. Bradford, in the course of a very
eloquent speech, said that things had
come to such a pass in Delaware that
its citizens were ashamed to acknOwl-
edge their residence when away from
/ home. He also said that no man could
be convicted for an election offense in
/ Delaware because the jurors, belong
ing to different parties, invariably took
care TO acquit their partisan associates.
DR. Pratt said he was ready to vote
| for anything that promised relief from
the curse that was now resting on the
state. The newspapers almost daily
adverted to the disgrace of Della
ware" The cause for that must be re-
moved. Bribery must be wiped out.
/ Mr.. Spruances opposition was based
/ solely upon the fear that an innocent
man might be entangled by the meshes
of statute that was not too clear. He
/ did not wish to be deprived of his right
to give his boy, for example. the money
to register with. Mr.. Biggs hoped
there would be no registration fee. He
wanted a poll tax levied and collected,
! but he wanted the tax system, the col
! lection of money for public purposes
absolutely divorced from voting. Reg
istering and voting should be free. He
proposed to vote against a registration
! fee
so will l." came from all over the
room.
The convention then adjourned until
1890 Monday morning, when the above
section will be taken up and probably
passed.
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