Evening journal., 1903-04-09
= rominent Citizens From
City and County Board
Special Train for he
State Capital
Governor HUM This Af
ternoon Met Delegation
in State House and Lis
tened to Arguments
Benjamin NieIds Delivers
Speech Giving Reasons
for Repeating Voters
Assistant Law

Citizens from all parts Of the State
are comforting with Governor HUM in
the House OF Representatives at Dover
this afternoon. and are urging him to
sign the Voters Assistant Repeater,
which was passed at the recent session
of the General Assembly
What the Governor will do with the
bill is unknown. hut in the face of
such proof that the great majority Of
citizens favor it, it is hard to see how
he can serve the people and refuse to
sign it.
The Wilmington delegation left
French street station on a special train
shortly after IL o'clock. When it left
Wilmington there were about 100 rep
resentative citizens on hand. and but
for a rumor which had been spread to
the effect that the Governor had made
up his mind not to sign tn bill, many
others from the rural. districts would
have taken the trip. The delegation was
made up of both Republican and Demo
Gratis. There were lawyers, business
men, physicians, ministers and work
ingmen, and everyone seemed to be
thoroughly in earnest in the efforts
TO have the repeater made a law. A
numbe of prominent Addicks men who
were evidently under the impression
that the affair WAS going to be fizzle,
4 were at the station, but left with long
faces on seeing such a large and rep
\ resentative delegation.
Big Crowds in Dover
The train stopped at various stations
i on the way down, and many others
\ Joined the party. When the Whining
5 ton special reached Dover the Kent
and Sussex delegations had already ar
i rived. These large delegations attract
4 ed much attention. The majority Of
3 the party walked up town and formed
a line that reached nearly from the
depot to the State House.
Governor HUM met the delegation as
arranged shortly after 1 o'clock. Ad-
dresses were made by Benjamin Nields,
William S. HiIes, Thomas f. Bayard,
Jobn q. Gray and others. Evan G.
Gallagher made short address on be
half of the Central Labor League,
which represents nearly the entire Ia
Dor vote Of the city.
Colonel Nields' Address.
Colonel Nields in his address said:
W. come to appeal to you, Governor
rn,nn. 10 sign the repeal to the voters
assistant act. We ask this on behalf OF
our STATE and its people to save them
from the reproach and humiliation now
beinr heaped upon them by the news
papers and journals throughout the coun-
try.
Delaware.
Delaware. as you know, Is one of the
Oldest Republican States Of this country
nd with the sister States It has hereto
fore held prominent place among them
In our national and international affairs
Delaware has always been called upon &c
take an active and prominent part
Personal Liberty.
Our forefathers who founded the thir'
teen original States felt and knew whai
It was to live under a government not o.
the people nor for the people. They hac
felt the oppression and tyranny of rulers
not chosen by the people. They brought
forth a new nation dedicated to hbert,
and equanty and the story Of their Ions
struggle and suffering for individual free
dom form some Of the most inspiring
pages in history.
Under the system Of government estaD
ished by them individual liberty and free
dom are alone maintained and preserved
by the ballot. The purity of the State
he uprightness Of its officers and the ad
ninistration of the affairs of the State de
S pend wholly upon the purity Of the bad
OF.
Bribery.
Bribery at our elections has becom
bDen and notorious. Unless 1t is stoppe'
free government cannot exist here an'
ne State as a republic must cease. Whei
is possible to purchase the votes of
State the government of the state mus
iecessarily pass into the hands Of the mai
pr men who are the purchasers; all tn
Dfhcers Of the State, from the judiciar,
own, may therefore become subject 1
*; he will and control Of the man who ha
he most money and is willing TO spend
n purchasing the political power of tn
state.
IL is no answer that because vote-buy
ng has been practiced in the State 70
ears that IL has therefore become excus
bic, nor because one party does 1t. there
ore the other party is justified in doin
= {. Crime has been practised in this Stat