Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-10-19
CAN AND OUGHT TO Be UNITED.
District Attorney Byrne's Comment
on the Republican Party.


Any Attempt to Unite II by a Corrupt Par
gatn IN Advance 70 Give a Senatorship to
MIR. Add,oks VIII be Indignantly Krpn-
dated by All VIII" Carry Conscience Into
the Discharge of Their Pubic Duties.
United States District Attorney Will
liam Michael Byrne has addressed the
following letter 10 the editor of tho
Middletown Transcript:
Dear Sir: / desire to continue sub
scriber for your paper, and would be
pleased to have you send me a copy at
my office address here, No. 901 Market
street, Wilmington. Del.
1 have read with great satisfaction
the recent utteranees in your paper on
the prospective political crisis In Della
ware.
There is no avenue of information as
valuable for the people as press when
ii is vigilant, fearless and incorruptible; |
and every man who .oyes the honor of
Delaware must read with acclaim the |
denunciations of political debauchery |
aud the demands for political rectitude |
SO forcefully appearing in your columns. |
1t is to the credit of the Republican |
party of the nation, and every part of
it, that it has for a long time enjoyed |
success through the suffrage of tho
people; bat what is Of vastly grentor
Importance is the fact that the party
has deserved the success which honors
it. gt
Success can exist without honor and
without justification. Who would have
the hardihood to defend those oras of
| Democratic success in Delaware when
by IN interruptions ACKNOWLEDGMENT
of vast numbers of voters by ubiquitous
tax laws that party was enabled tc en-
trench itself in power? They did not
receive their credentials from the whole
people. Eor their own selfish ends
| they narrowed the number Of voters and
| the management of public affairs was
entrusted to them by the voice of only
q part of the people selected by them
| selves with a view of securing power.
| This violated the fundamental prinoi.
| pies of popular government which de-
rives its vlgor from the untrammelled
and unrestricted expression of views ON
| public questions by the whole body of
electors No honorable Democrat JUS
titles the power of political party
founded On an electorate dishonesty
diminished. Some Democrats might
deny that their pai ty ever dishonesty
diminished the electorate OF Delaware
by the manipulation of vicious tax
laws, cut they will not deny the evil
of excluding a part of the people from
the right Of franchise or of putting in
the hands of an interested few the
power properly belonging to the many.
But tax laws are not the only means
of assaulting the honesty of the elector-
ate.
The theory of popular government
aud of manhood suffrage demands that
every mans vote shall be equal in the
determination of public matters. If my
neighbor can corrupt hundred voters
so that he practically approaches the
polls with hundred and ono votes as
against my one, what greater assault
can be made on the very foundation
principles of popular government? Is
there any considerable number of men
in Delaware ready to pursue this in
iquitous course and seek to clean their
hands by the cry sit is the only way
to win, F." it is the only way to beat
the DemocratsP"
yield to no man in desire to beat
! the Democratic PARTY in Delaware and
elsewhere. yield to no man in do.
sire to promote Republican success in
! Delaware and in the nation, because
bost securities for the prosperity of our
, people at home and the honor of our
nation abroad. President Mckinley in
his superb management of our public
affairs has SO exalted the standards OF
: the Republican party as to arouse for
it the enthusiastic support OF all
!, patriots; and sincerely hope that old
: Delaware will BIO found standing with
honor shoulder to shoulder with her
sister States in the columns porting
the President.
This greatly desired end must not,
however, be attained by contemplate
: and corrupt means. II a valorous fight
t has been maintained for decade IN
. Delaware againsta vaunted and shame.
9 less policy of corruption, should the
4 voters of Delaware now supinely SCI
) their political honors devoured by 9
leopard with sEots unchanged? Shal
4 we now condone what for decade We
|. have condemned?
!, 1t is not impossible to unite the Re
r rublicans of Delaware. The principle!
OF the Republican party honestly ex
pounded offered tombstone to solv,
the problem. The principles aud tradi
tions of that party from the time o
n Lincoln are SO plain that he who run.
l. may read. On these principles the Re
}, publicans of Delaware can and should
n unite. The victory then resutin.
% would be q victory for the time-honoret
o Republican party. That victory will
/, be signal and permanent if we unite oil
IS the principles of the party of Lincoll
d and Mckinley; at most the result vii
l. BIZ but temporary makeshift if tn
le fight is waged under the party of Ad
10 dicks The hour does not demand tina
10 the colors of the Republican part
10 should be struck to foe existing 70
le ends not promotive of the general GOO
10 of the party, but avowedly aiming a
TO tho political advancement OF singh
j. individual. This state and the countr
can probably survive the failure Of tn
political aspirations of Mr.. Addicks
II he cannot come to the support of til
of Republican party out Of love for il
NJ honest principles, he ought not to b
m received by that party when no come
= demanding price for his support.
To repeat, the party can and ought to b
r united, but any attempt to unite it b
&c a corrupt bargain in advance to give
10 senatorship to Addicks will be 'india
&c nantly repudiated by all who carry cor
" science into the discharge of thei
public duties.
Very sincerely yours,
i. William Michael Byrne.
u ih Wilmington, Del. Oct. 18th, 1899.