The sun., 1898-06-28
UNION REPUBLICANS
Turned Down by the Department Of
Elections in the Matter
of Registrars.

Oh 1okssSTAHe'
The Department OF Elections OF this
city has entirely ignored the Union Re-
publicans in the appointment OF regis,
trars and assistants and yesterday Chair
man Downey received large package
containing their lists. Accompanying it
was the following letter: .a
WILMINGTON, Del, June n, lS9S.
Stephen Downey, Chairman OF the First
District Committee Of the Union Re-
publican Party Of the State Of Della
ware.
Dear Sir: BY the unanimous vote ofthe
Department OF Elections for the city OF
Wilmington, | herewith most respect
fully return to your committee its certi-
ficate OF recommendation for .registr..tion
officers.
In doing so respectfully call your at
tention to the provisions of subsection
4, OF section 3, OF the act entitled AN
Act Creating Department Of Elections
for the City of Wilmington" passed at
Dover May 30, 1898, and approved June
l, 1898, which is as follows:
"They shall inthe month OF June in
each year general election is held, ap-
point for each election district in he city
Of Wilmington three capable persons,
who shall be voters and residents in the
election district, for which they shall be
appointed, who shall be the registration
officers of the election district for which
they are appointed; one Of whom shall
be designated as registrar, and the
other two assistant registrars and not
more than two OF them shall be Of the
same political faith, provided, that the
total number OF registration officers in
eech representative district shall be
divided as equally as possible between
the two leading political parties as the
same shall be determined npon by the
Department of Elections at the time OF
making the appointments. And, fur
ther, for each appointment accredited to
any political party under this section,
the city executive committee OF such
political party shall furnish the Depart
ment of Elections on or before the first
day of June of the year in which said ap-
pointment is to be made, a list OF three
names of properly qualified persons,
from which lists the Department Of
Elections shall make its appointments. "
You will observe by the above and
foregoing that the language of the statute
is ''the two leading political parties" 1t
is manifest therefore that the Depart
ment of Elections aforesaid can receive
the certificates of but two political
parties. In determining which political
party is entitled to recognition, this de-
pariment is bound by the provisions OF
section 5, of chapter 1906, volume 20,
Laws of Delaware, page 402 which are
as follows, to wit: Ssect Nh 5. That
whenever in the laws Of this State re.
lating to general or special elections the
words principal political parties now
occur, or words equivalent thereto, or
so designating parties shall be used, the
same shall be taken to designate, and are
hereby declared to designate the Demo-
cratic party and the Republican party"
By the provisions OF the last mentioned
statute, the General Assembly have
placed a construction upon the words
principal political parties" and have
declared them to refer to TIE Democratic
party and the Republican party. This
construction is further declared to apply
to words equivalent thereto" meaning
words equivalent to the words principal
political parties" You will not doubt
but that the words "Ieading political
parties are equivalent to the words
principal political pa,ties,' then it
must follow from the language OF your
certificate, which is as follows, to wit:
"Be it remembered that we, Stephen
Downey, chairman OF the First District
Committee of the Union Republican
party of the State of Delaware, and
Howard Z. Stats, secretary of said com
. mittee, etc" that the political party of
which you are the official representative
does not come within the legal recogni-
ton OF the said Department OF Elections.
The certificate recognized by this de-
partment must, by force Of law, be the
certificate received from Horace Il.
knowes. chairman OF the Republican
First District Committee of thu city OF
Wilmington, which said committee ap-
p,ars by bis certificate to have 'cXclu.
sive control and management of the al
fairs and concerns of the Republican
party in said city"
Very respectful ly,
/ THOMAS G. DouD,
President OF the Department of Elections