Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-12-05
As TO Voters AasIatants.

AZ to Voters Assistants.
In an interview he'd between Governor
Hunn and representatives OF the Demo
cratic party, the governor gave assnr-
snce that he would not appoint thu
voters assistants for the general election
Of 1902 until the 10th of September,
before which date be will be furnished
with lisIs by the Democratic committees
of the respective counties, from which
lisTs he will make the selections OF
Democratic voters assistants.
By this act Governor Hum scathingly
rebukes those conscienceless leaders of
the Union Republican party who had
openly boosted that the governor was
going TO stultify himself and insult the
honest sentiment Of the State by lend
ing himself to disreputsble scheme to
turn the Democratic voters assistants
into gang OF criminal vote buyers in
the interest OF the Union Republican
party. They had the schems all pre-
pared, and they impudently assumed
that the governor would make himself
a party to it without word of protest.
This was the scheme: The law says
that the governor shall appoint tho
voters assistants ION or before the 10th
of October" in the year OF a general
election. This authorizes him to make
the appointments at any time after the
expiration OF the 3lst Of December.
Therefore, the Union Republicans pro
rosed that he should appoint them on
the LIST of January next. As it was i'm
probable that the Democratic lists
would be 10 hand at that time, he could
then make the selections himself and
tho scheme comprised such selections
on his part as would prove willing
agents of the Union Reprbl car leaders
in the purchase OF votes, and 10 seeing
that the voters who sold their suffrage
carried out their bargains at the polls
In the event that the Democrats became
cognizHnt of the scheme and submitted
their lists to the governor by the lst of
January, the p: sssssion Of the Lists, it
was held, would give the Union Re-
publicans ample tins to carefully study
them and 10 lay their plans for corrupt.
ing as many Democratic voters ASSISTANTS
as possible to the crooked woih of the
Union Republican PARTY.
This scheme seemed SO plausible to
.he Union Republicans and they we're
30 certain that Governor Hum would
lend himself to it without hesitation,
that they openly boosted Of what was
to be done. The Democratic managers
being thus forewarnel, would have
had their lists ready by the LIST Of Janu.
AIRY had it been necessary. hut decided
to first have a consultation with
Governor Hum, as they did not he
lieve for an instant that he would
make himself party to the despicable
programme that the Addicks Republi-
can leaders, with such audacious
etfrontery, had prepared for him.
That their confidence was justified ia
not at all surprising to those tho know
Governor Hum. When the subject was
laid before him, he informed the rs.
representatives. Of the Democratic party
that they could have until the 10th Of
September to submit their lists to him.
This will give him month in which
to make the selections, which have to
be announced by the 10th of Octuber.
The law providing for voters as
sistants is piece OF pernicious partisan
legislation, designed to open the way
to a corruption Of suffrage In the in
interest OF the Union Republican party.
Its passage was secured by corrupt
deal. and the manner in which 1t has
been misprinted in the pamphlet laws
looks like delibeiats attempt to nulify
the penalty it provides for violations.
On top OF this cams the scheme to make
1t still further an engine OF corruption
through the connivance Of the gov
ernof, and the amazing assumption on
the part sof it's hackers that the gov
erncr would assist them 10 this part
Of the entire disreputable scheme
Evidently thess corrupt aud schem.
ing Union Republican leaders did not
know Governor Hum when they SO
confidently assumed that ne would do
their bidding, no matter what con-
temptible task they might set before
him.