Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-01-28

general, special or municipal elections or of |
primary elections, conventions Or meetings |
held for the nomination of candidates to be
voted for at general, special or municipal
elections.
Edward G. Bradford,
Paris Y. Carlisle, Jr.,
i. w. Cooper,
Isaac X. Wright,
Robert W. Dasey.
Mr.. Spruancs then resumed argument
where it left oil yesterday:
II feel very much indebted to the
committee for tho patience and atten-
tion it gave me yesterday, and pro-
pose to resume this morning, hoping
that / may not fall into repetition.
sometimes regret that this convention
bad not met at some Other tins than
Just after the close of a heated political
campaign. when wholesale charges of
bribery, corruption and Justification of
election returns fill the newspapers.
trust that we may be able to weigh all
the facts so that we may be able to
render judgment satisfactory TO our
selves and the people Suppose you
should make by law single jury of
II men to try all the cases which would
come before our courts in single
year. Why, it would be almost i'm.
pooeipio " 'noeo n'Nh ~ ".o' oouauno
tney "oulu ne constantly iniportun9u
ana approacnea ny NOR tflenus IN
some states tnere are EXPRESS constitu
tionai PROVISIONS preventing !uuees
from uealins win iacts. ~ Is tne
general euatou 10 isave tne ueter'
terday alluded to the Importance OF
persons criminally accused being
brought face to face with the wit.
nessetl; Aireauy utAeh or niosN
atnenumehls nave "oen "nefeu W
section 2. and perhaps u Woulu ne wen
ana Array experts 10 supply ihiofnia-
ton TO the court OF errors an appeals.
IL Is not unusual TOR CONSTITUTIONS 10
enumerata crimes ana recoaneno TO
the legislature punlsnmenfs therefor.
Mehpers Oh congress take an oatn 10
supporg tne constitution oei"fe tney
take tnelr seats Mr.. CHAIRMAN, IL y
ihsisteu Gpat We are surrounueu ~
great evils-that We must remeuy an
the evils enomeraieu W secti9n OF tnis
act. IL 10 true tnat as 10 oii'icai auu
| otner onences over when the pubic
nina Ia In state OF asitation, con
| Viction Is always attenaeu Win more
or less uiiilcuity. One OF the nrst
cases heiped 10 Try many years ago
was an indictment Tor murder at Deia.
| ware oollese; several young nleh were
arrested and all but one was aus,
| charged on wits Of habeas corpus, ana
he was put on iriai. Inc evioehc9
was to my MIND clear and conclusive as
to his quit, but so intense was puphc
feeling that conviction was absolutely
impossible, and the young man was
acquitted. But, Mr. chairman, are
we to throw away this great bulwafk OF
our liberty because IN some instances
justice miscarriesf You should not
attempt TO create hctitious crimes py
statutory provisions whicn the pupiic
cannot or VIII not recognize. 20 you
tell me that the pubic mind Is SO
debauched that wholesale prloery can
not be punishedE Ii sucn thlLg were
true l should want monarchy,
despotism. But convictions can DC
secured. true, the convictions nave
been few, but that ID because OF corrupt
bargains made by the opposite political
parties by which prosecution has been
abandoned.
Mr.. Bradford-W what ! SAID did not
involve any Official deroliction on fho
part OF the attorney general. l simply
say that members OF one political parry
ahstained from pushing bribery cases
in view OF like action by the opposite
party.
Mr.. Spruance-Just SO. but Where,
pray, is the remedy Tor that? Ihere
is absolutely nome. an getting
along in years. and have not the vlgor
l had 20 years ago, but II l were az,
torney general OF this state l would
stake my honor and reputation as
lawyer that could bring about q con-
viction under the laws against bribery
as they now are. rake these NOW
Castle county cases for INSTANCE. There
might be mistriai IN tho hrst case,
in the second, or even in the third
also; but suppose out OF the whole
batch you secure only one conviction.
Why, every man accussd-the whole
batch-would go down on their hunkers
and plead for mercy. Vote buying IL
u secret act have heard some times
that il is quite notorious. In our par,
of the world nobody ever admits thai
he sells his vote or buys that o.
another. Some of the gentlemen from
other parts of the State can possibly
tell more on this point than l can. IL
, the portion OF Delaware where l i've
, man would no moro admit selling hi'
,, vote than he would inform you O
robbing his neighbor's hen roost
, Necessity bas always been a tyrant'l
plea, and whether under despot o.