Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-02

| IL, the CAUCUS elected choice for that
nomination. Every man participating
| in that caucus was, therefore, bougd
by every precedent and right Of rarity
| custom and usage to accept and sup
port the action of the caucus, and yet,
in the convention, the 10 members OF
the Wilmington delegation, being those
| controlled by the Republican machine,
bolted the action of the caucus, and
thereby prevented the city Of Whining.
ton from getting the nomination, and a
Congressman. Such action is destruo-
tive, discouraging and disheartening,
and is condemned by those who believe
in fair play and fair treatment in
politics. 1t is to prevent the repetition
OF such political crimes that an organi-
zation and party unity is needed in
this city. Man hunting must be
| stopped and political asssssins must be
pulled down from positions uf leader
| ship in our party. | am sure the Re-
| publicans of Wilmington have not for
gotten the unjusiified and unfair fight
made in the Seventh ward last August
| by Thomas s. Lewis and his fellow
| members of tho Republican machine to
defeat me at the delegate election. 1t
was man -huntiug expedition, pure
and simple, and made because l do not
bear the stamp of the machine. make
mention OF this matter merely to show
what any man, who does and will not
wear the machines collar, may expect,
II he aspires to any Office, or seeks any
nomination. The only crime | am
guilty of is that am and have been
standing up for the rights of the Re
publican voters as against the usurpa-
tion of their political rights by ring,
composed OF few unfair, unreasonable
and selfish men,
% had nothing to do with the orgaui.
zation OF the citizens committee. 1t
was formed, / understand, for the pur-
pose of trying to make the Republican
nominations fair and honest. The need
OF such an organization reflects great
discredit upon the machine and the
methods it has employed in the past to
nominate its candidates. While not
q member of the citizens commit
and having no connection with it, am
In hearty sympathy with the movement
and trust to some extent at least the
objects for which it was formed may
be carried out.
1.-THE machine says it is an assump-
ton OF authority on my part for me
and my friends to interfere with the
regular order OF affaiis' at the coming
nomination. Thus il would seem that
the machine has become 40 bold and
arrogant that it considers any opposi.
tion on the part OF the voters to plans
aud schsmes of the, ring as being an
assumption Of their own aud exclusive
rights.
1.-The Republican voters of the city of
Wilmington are entitled to and should
form their own organization, such a
one as to be truly representative in its
character. The plan have been ad.
pocating for years, and will continue
to advocate until 1t ie adopted is as
follows: The Republican voters OF each
and every one of the 65 districts in the
city are to elect every year a district
committeeman. The several districts
committeeman will form ward com.
mittee, and the chairman of which
will be member Of the city Republican
Executive Oc mmittee, which will be
composed of IL members, one from each
ward. The executive committee will
elect its own chairman, and the affairs
|, OF the party are to be controlled entirely
by that committee. The chairman Of
ward committee will be instructed
by his committee what to do in the ex.
eoutive committee, and, whenever he
fails or refuses to carry out the instruc-
tions of the ward committee, or is con-
trelled by outside influence, he is then
subject to immediate removal, and
another chairman of the ward commit
tee elected, who will also take lis place
on the executive committee. The rules
of such an organization would require
that anyone, in order to get an appoint
ment, must have the endorsement OF the
committeeman of his district, and that
endorsement would be given upon the
recommendation of majority of the
Republican voters of that district. If
the district committeeman should not,
in any case, respect the petition and
wishes of the Republican voters ia his
district, the voters would have their
remedy at the next annual election by
deposing him and putting more trust
worthy man in his place. Such an OIL
ganization as this would be representa-
tive in it's character, and would give
every member of the party his right to
have some influence and weight IN the
management of his partys affairs. 1t
would also guarantee to every Republi-
can who might aspire to an appointive
office, that If he IS known to be
worthy, deserving and capable man to
the voters of his district and can get
their endorsement, he would probably
receive the appointment he desires. AS
it is now, few men hold secret meet
ipgs and select their favorites for the
appointive offices, and neither the vot-
ers nor the present SO called committee
men have anything whatever to do with
it. AS rule, all such offices are given
to men who have bean guilty of COM
mitting political frauds, and who in
most cases could not get the endorse
ment of perhaps dozen men in the
district in which they live. Such
system, | submit, is wrong and most
pernioious, and is robbing the voters
of the rights they themselves, or their
elected representatives, should have. 1t
is such an organization as / have out
lined that j hope to see establ ished in
this city, and. il an organization of
that kind is TO the advantage of one
man more than another, fail to see il.
1t simply gives every one fair and
equal chance in every political contest,
whether the office be elective or APP
pointivs, and it lie against this fair
chance to be given to all the voters, a
restoration to them of thsir rights and
privileges, that the present Republican
machine is 50 strongly fighting"