Evening journal., 1901-11-22
GOVERNOR KEEPS
His OWN COUNSEL
Will Not Say When Voters
Assistants Will be Named
Democrats Of the State Are Exercised
Greatly Because Of Executives
Reticence on Subject
SPECIAL to the Evening Journal.


Dover. Nov. 22-lt has been tosse,
about the waves OF rumor that Cover
nor Hum intends TO appoint soon thi
voters assistants, which he Is require,
to do under the new voters assistants
law enacted at the last Legislature.
Undoubtedly the Governor will ap
lpolnt these officials sometime befor,
the time fixed by the law. but jus
when this "mOmentous event" will oc
cur no one seems 10 know.
The law reads as follows:
Section T. That ON or before tn,
l0th day Of October i'm each and ever,
year in which general election Is herd
in this State. it shall be the duty of the
Governor TO select. appoint and com.
mission an honest and capable man
from each of the two principa. poliu.
cal parties in each and every election
district in this State, including the
districts in the city Of Wilmington.
who shall be known as voters assist
ants
"rhe County Committees of the two
principal political parties. which. at
the general election next preceding.
cast The highest number OF votes, re-
spectively. In such county. shall, each
submit to the Governor the rames of
three men for such appointment. and
from said names the Governor shall
select one to represent each party. but
I'm no case no name, or names, ds. or
are submitted by either or both. the
ScYernor shall then make such ap-
polntment or appointments as be may
see lt."
IL wiz be seen that the time for ap-
pointmemt is not later than the 10th Of
October. 1902, and as early before that
time rs the Governor shall deem ad-
visable, for the law reads ION or be-
fore the 10th day Of October i'm each
and every year in which a general
election Is held in this State" The
general construction placed upon the
law is THAT THE earliest time that the
Governor can appoint is January J..
1902. The plain construction given by
many who ought to know is that the
Governor may appoint before October
10. il the political parties hand the
names of their men into him before
that time. but iIhat If they do not
hand In the names on or before the
10th of October. the Governor must APP
point ON THAT day, neither earier nor
rater. "an honest and capable man
from each of the two political parties
in eadh and every election district In
this State" and the law further reads
"but in case no name or names. is
or. are submitted by either or both, the
Governor shall then make such appoint
ments as he may see flt
IL is generally construed that be-
cause of the fact THAT no day is set
forth I'm the law on which the pOliti-
cal parties must hand in their list OF
rrmes. and the cny time set forth in
tho bin for their appointments is Oc-
tober 10. THAT the Governor cannot ap-
point before that date il the political
parties do not Inland in the list OF
names.
Whatever constructions are placed
upon this law. the reports are that
Chairman Willard Salisbury, of the
Democratic party, on behalf of that
party has written a letter to the Gov
ernor requesting him to state the date
upon which lie wished the Democratic
party to hand i'm It's list of names, and
/ it is further stated that he intimateC
/ that the Democratic party did no
wish to be caught mapping on this law
! It. is reported further that the Gov
ernor refused to either state any timi
or to give Mr. Salisbury any infor
nation whatsoever. in relation to th
question, and intimated in q letter o
reply that Mr. Saulsbury's letter wa
impertinent.
Whether Mr. Saulsbury's letter wa
impertinent no one is able to judge
not having seen IL. but the general be
lief among the Democrats is that tn
Governors action rs only a blind 70
some further action. unseen and I'm
known.
It. is known that the Democrats ar
fearful that the Governor will appoin
the voters assistants without waitin
D to receive their list of names, but tn
Democrats say that if the Governo
takes such action they would take tn
whole matter before the Superio
. Court at once In order that the la1
could receive its proper construction
and the legality or illegality of tn
appointments could be passed upon.
: The Governor refuses absolutely &
set the time and his close political ad
visers are silent on the subject. Jus
Ia what the future holds in store no on
r. knows
j The SMYRNA Call. which is a stron
7 Democratic organ, states the positio
held by the Democratic party on tn
Governors action in refusing to Civ
to them the date requested.
II may be, perhaps, which we yer
much doubt. that Governor Hun
, thinks the subject concerns him alon,
We are not posted upon this poin
e but we are very reliably posted o.
I the point that citizens of this Stat,
who have any regard for the homes
!. expression of the States electoral,
consider 1t very much Of their bus
ness as to how and when these assist
ants are to be named and divided Il
and as to Just whom they shall be.