The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-01-22

to obstruct and prevent the do
ing of what the majority of the people
Of the State or nation decides shall be
done. 1t would not be permissible for
the minority in the electoral college to
the election of a President clear
ly chosen by a vote of the people. In an
election the minority makes its appeal
to the people, and they having decided
against that minority, commands its sub
mission to that decision. Such Il decision
does not command the minority support
for the majority candidate or principle,
but respect for and obedience to the
will of the people as the supreme law
of the land, does involve acquiesence so
FAR as to prevent the undoing of what
the people did and commanded should be
done. Either this is true, or the idea
of supreme authority vested in the people
is an idle fiction.
In the recent election in this State
the dominant issue from start to finish,
was the election OF United States Sen
;tors. Every other interest involved in
the contest was in some way affected
By the purpose. The fight before the
National Committee at the Philadelphia
Convention was simply Il preliminary
effort TO affect the senatorial selection by
the legislature now in session. All the
proffers of negotiation between the lie
publican organizations, all the neGotia-
tions by which tickets were finally Sc
lccted for the Republicans to vote, were
made in view Of the Senatorial election.
Everybody i'll Delaware knew that;
everybody, whether they We're conscious
of il or not, voted upon the Senatorial
question, and voted knowing who the
candidates were and what they repre-
scented. Each candidate who accepted Il
nomination, who was voted for and
| elected, accepted the nomination and
holds the office to which he was elected,
and the result to be attained by the peo-
PIES decision. There can be no more
mistake about the decision Of the people
pn the Senatorial question than there is
ON the decision of the people in the guber
material and congressional elections. HI,
contest for neither of these offices was
no combination with Democrats to beat
those candidates, but there was such q
combination 10 affect the election OF
United States Senator. That issue was
never lost sight Of, and every possible
effort was made TO prevent the result
that was attained. What is that result
natioll--thc two legislative tickets in
tended to defeat the Union Republican
and the Regulars" on the Senatorial is
sue They elected Republican ma
jOrity in the State Assembly and elected
n Union Republican majority Of that Re
publican majority. In that result tn,
people just as clearly decided the Della
election Of governor and congressman
oi, that the people of the United State
decided the Presidential election. Their
wars no phase of that issue which, unde
Il proper regard for the basic principle,
y 4 government by the people, they die
not decide. They surely decided tina
tlp Dpmurrufi, H.. tniIIniit Il, AN, issn,,l,t,
should submit to the Republican ma
GRITTY. No one can deny that. The Dem
ocfats and the Regulars" having com
blncd Oh this Senatorial question, the
Regulars" helping the Democrats. botl
were beaten, and beaten on the Senator
al iSsuc-the people deciding that tie
Democratic minority should submit tc
the Republican majority and also that
the Republican minority should submit
to the Republican majority. That is rea
sonahly and undeniably true, US il i,
that the Republicans Of the United
States elected Il President and Vice
President when they elected Republi
can majority in the electoral college
The electors We're under obligations
which they could not disregard. They
wor" elected on clearly defined issue,
70 DIP Il certain thing, and every senti-
hrnt Of patriotism as citizens, and of
honor us men, compelled them to the
performance of thai duty.
|
The men who have been elected 10 the
Delaware Legislature were elected UNI
der like circumstances The issue was
"leaily defined. The contest was fierce.
The decision undcniablc. The Demo-
ratio effort 70 prevent the election Of
we Republican United States Senators
vas defeated. The Democratic and
Regular" Republican effort to defeat
III" election of J. Edward Addicks to the
hited States Senate was defeated by
ne same vote. In deciding that the
Democrats should not elect tic Senators
and that they ana their allies should not
defeat Mr. Addicks the people virtually
decided for his election.
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