Middletown transcript., 1902-11-15
WAS NOT AN ISSUE

kSSAASAO~ II
He said when he was with Wings,
thew did little else than abuse
Democrats; and when he was
with Democrats, they, with like
vehemence, insisted that the doc
trine of total depravity was man.
fest in the example Of the nat
ural and innate wickedness of all
Wings. And he concluded, that
If character was to be estimated
by what each said of the other,
then the only way to escape the
penitentiary here, and eternal
damnation hereafter, was to be
neither Whig nor Democrat.
He who denounces parties, as
such, displays great ignorance,
if not the traits of a fool. A pop
ular government, like our own,
cannot be run without parties.
Public sentiment can neither be
crystalized nor expressed, ex-
cept through organized agencies.
In these days party lines have
become very much frayed out,
and. men wear party insignia
far more loosely than Of yore.
This fact was notably manifest in
the late election in this State.
Districts normally strongly Re
publican, returned Democrats to
the Legislature. In Blackbird
Hundred where the normal Demo
crat majority is ever a hundred,
the dominant party had forced
on it a candidate outrageouslyun-
fit for the legislature, and the
district sends Samuel Derickson,
Republican to the General As
sembly, recognizing in him that
degree Of honor and integrity
which is necessary in a law
maker. Two years ago; through
and by the votes Of q few too con-
fiding Republicans, St. Georges
Hundred sent James T. Shall
cross to the Legislature. When
that body was asked by the best
people Of the great body of New
Castle County, to permit them
under the provisions of the Con-
stitution, tovoteupon the question
of 1ocal option" the specious
plea of that gentleman was that
"the question was not made an
issue in the campaign"
Well, this time it became an
issue. Mr.. Shallcross became
the candidate Of his party for
reelection, as against Leonard
v. Aspril, Jr., on the other side.
When the advocates of Mr..
Shallcross, Gncluding the can
didate himself) talked with Union
Republicans, they said "don't
you vote for Aspril, for he will
never vote for Addicks. When
they talked with Regular Repub-
licans they said "don't you vote
for Aspril, for we have heard
him say he would vote for Ad-
dicks. When they talked with
temperance men they said "don't
you vote for Aspril, for he won't
vote for local option, and when
they talked with the liquor men
they said "don't you vote for
Aspril, for he will vote for local
option.
You see, these were foxy argu-
ments, but the exigency was
great. On the face of the Regis
tration the majority for AspriPs
party was about thirty; it must
be overcome by any means at
hand. The whiskey jug and
Doodle was the instruments So
licited. Hitherto st. Georges
Hundred has had immunity from
extreme corruption in her elec-
tions, but this time the flood
gates were opened. Every sa-
loon in the hundred was an ally.
The most fragrant attempts
were made to bribe the colored
voters of Middletown, but be it
said to their eternal credit not
one of them yielded. But not
so in Odessa. Thus the devilish
work was successful. We know
the men and the places in and
about Odessa where theinfamous
deals and jobs were set up the
night before the election, but
they did not get quite enough.
The Democratic party has in it a
saving remnant, and it was that
element among them in west st.
Georges Hundred that put upon
these infamous practices the
seal of their disapproval But
whereas the white mans party?