Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-03-13

interests OF the community are better
safeguarded by iuries drawn in this
manner and spoke of the high character
and ability of the United States Court
jurors as proof Of this assertion. He
said it is proposed TO present a similar
bill at the next session of the Legisla
ture and asked the members of the
grange to use their influence to have it
passed.
The one effective way of reforming
the government. he said, Is to elect
good men TO Office; that is to prevent
the reelection of officials who have
been false to their trust. "iHhat
method, think he said, twill he
employed in Wilmington next fall.
When man who has held office and
has been false to his trust comes up
for nomination we will start at the
beginning and say you shall not have
the Office. We will use our efforts to
counterfeit his efforts to secure the
nomination. 1t has been said that men
have spent 81, 500 to be elected members
of the Levy Court, which Office pays
only $500 year. When man spends
81, 800 for an $500 office there must he
one of two motives. If he is II wealthy
man he may seek the office for the
honor, but if he is not wealthy man
he must expect to get his money back. "
He did not consider it necessary that
a man should be Democrat or Re
publican to make faithful official.
The character and ability of It candi-
date should be his qualification. He
suggested that the moment man an
nounces himself for an Office all good
citizens should do what they could to
counterfeit his efforts and tell their
relatives and neighbors TO do likewise;
not promise to vote for man because
he appears to be a good fellow, but
wait until you learn whether he is the
right man for the place and will serve
the best interests of the uuhiic When
an honest man comes out for Office sup
port him. 1t is not necessary he said,
for the considerations which prompt q
man in voting for national and State
officers should not he the considerations
which prompt them in voting for city
and county officials. He pointed out
that the Levy Court has unlimited tax
power. Therefore, it does not make
any difference whether a member of
the Levy Court is Democrat OF Re
publican. Ii he is honest and has
ordinary business ability that is what
is required. In addition to being
honest he must have some business
ability, or he will not be qualified to
handle the affairs of county govern
ment. The same rule should apply
with respect to the city government,
A man who is elected to the Legis-
lature, to be competent to fill the
position, Mr. Kurt1 said, must have,
in addition to the foregoing qualifica-
tions, the ability and conviction to
pass Just laws. He should not be
bitter partisan. He should be actuated
by the best interests of the whole
people. He should he a man who will
guard the best interests of the com
munity, not a man who will vote away
the public rights and franchises. -
He said that in one legislative dis
trict in this city which is sure to send
Republican to the Legislature there
is man who has been member of
that body and has intimated that he
| desires reelection, but as soon as he
announces himself some of the people
Of his own party, having expressed
| themselves as being unfavorable to his
reelection, will do what they can to
counterfeit any influence be may have.
with the hope of defeating him at the
nomination. That, he held, is what
all good citizens should do where
people come up for office who are not
| desirable.
Even the politicians have begun to
realize that it is necessary to put up
men of character for office, and the
indications are that they will do so at
the coming nominations but if they
should not do so the people should not
hesitate to work in the direction of
defeating all undesirable aspirants for
Office
He did not believe in the necessity or
practicability of third party. All of
the reforms necessary can he started
| and carried to successful issue within
the lines of the two leading political
parties now existing. With the public
conscience awakened, as il now is, tho
voters of either party can demand and
party leaders shall only put good.
clean, honest and capable candidates
in nomination. As soon as AN unworthy
candidate announces his candidacy. let
the forces of good government 20 t.
work to prevent that man from securing
the nomination and if good citizens
will but apply small part Of their
time to prevent the nomination of un-
worthy candidates, the faithless public
servants and unworthy candidates can
find no place on their party ticket.
Mr.. kurtz said be was party man
and was believer in party work He
believed that the faithful should be
rewarded by the party that happens to
be successful, but this does not mean
that every unfit ward worker must he
rewarded because of some yeoman
service he may have done for his party.
He then took up the ballot law and
discussed it at length. He held that
the present law is detrimont, in view
of the fact, in his opinion, that it
operates against independent voting,
which prerogative, he believes, the
people are DESTROYS of exercising. lie
stated that many people vote d straight
party ticket because they are afraid
they will have their ballots thrown out
if they do otherwise. Some vote a
straight ticket because they do not
want to be considered as being in that
) class that will cut their ticket, whereas.
if they could take their ballot home
and prepare it there they could dc
whatever independent voting they
liked. Referring to the argument
which has been used in favor OF the
present ballot system, that il prevents
vote buying, he said he did not believe
such was lac case. He thought it did
not lessen the chance of vote buyine,
tIe would like to see the ballot law
change so that man can prepare his
ballot at home, place it in his vest
; pocket and take it TO the polls himself.
I'VE must look facts in the face, .
! he said, and treat them as conditions
not as theories. If we do that we car
solve the problems of government.
We are free to say and think what We
choose. We have right to say who
our public servants shall be, and wher