Smyrna times., 1903-04-15
DELEGATION OF REGULARS
ADDRESS GOVERNOR HUM
FORM A DELEGATION AND ASK EXECUTIVE
TO SIGN VOTERS ASSISTANT REPEALER.
Meet 10 the State House at Dover Thursday.
Theo. F. Clark Presides and Number of
Addresses We're Made.

chants and draymen, invaded the state |
House at Dover Thursday and urged |
Governor HUM to sign the bill re-
pesllng the voters assistant law. A
committee of 100 Wilmingtonians,t twice
as many New Castle Countians, and
interested Dover spectators composed
the delegation, which took possession
of the House of Representatives and
there awaited the Governor, who was
greeted with applause.
Theodore F. Clark, former Speaker
of the House, and later leader of the
Regular Republicans, introduced the
speakers. Clark in his opening speech
declared the Governor could not pos
sibly see anything the Voters Assis-
tant law which savored of Republican
ism, and its repeal would be step to-
ward reuniting the party in Delaware
in one fold. Colonel Benjamin Nields
next attacked the law as iniquitous
and a blot on the name of the State.
The Voters Assista mt law. he said,
stood for bribery, corruption and vice
at the polls in it's ugliest forms.
The two arguments against the vot-
ers' assistant law are: First, Senator
Corners argument on the floor of the
Senate of the State; second, the argu-
nent presented in the Union Repub-
lican press In the Senate of this
State, when the repeal of the voters
assistant law was under consideration,
Senator Connor, who had received one
vote for the United States Senate,
states openly why the voters assistant
law should not be repealed.
The Union Republican press claims
that the voters assistant law enables
the Union Republican party to have
one Of that party stationed within the
room where the election is being held
that if the law was repealed it might
have no one of that party present in
the room. The answer to that claim is
two-fold. Under the law the duties
of the voters assistant are, that he
shall, when requested by any voter.
assist such voter to mark, alter, change,
scratch or fold his ballot in the pres
ence of the voter and of the other
assistant. These are his only duties.
He has no right or power to supervise
how a vote shall be receive or how it
shall be counted He has no right to
assist the election officers or to inter
fere in the slightest manner in the
holding of the election. The next
claim is not true-that is, that if the
law was repealed it would have no one
of that party present in the room. The
Union Republican party would have
and has had more than a majority of
the election officers in this State.
In Keut county there are nineteen
election districts There are, therefore,
nineteen inspectors and thirty eight
judges. The inspectors are elected by
the people. The judges are named by
the political parties and the inspector
appoints the persons named by the re
spective parties. In 1900 there wer'
ten Union Republicans and min,
Democratic inspectors elected anC
about twelve Union Republican Judge
appointed. In 1902 there were clever
Union Republican and seven Demo
cratic inspectors elected and about tn
same number of Union Republican
Judges appointed, so that in Ken
county there was more than majOrit
of election officers Union Republican
in those years.
In Sussex county there are also nine
teen election districts and in 1902 ther
were fourteen Union Republican in
spectors and five Democrats elected
and fourteen Union Republican Judge
were appointed. Therefore in both G
these counties the Union Republican
held the majority of the electio
officers.
In the city of Wilmington wher
there are eighty-fve election districts
th : election officers in 1902 appointe
eightyfve inspectors, one-half
whom were Democrats and the 9th,
half Republicans. OF the Republica
half more than majority were Unic
Republicans. Therefore, there can |
no excuse or justification in keepin
upon the statute books this law whiC
is confessedly there for the purpos'
Of bribery and corruption at the poll
Secretary A. r. Saylor, of the Ce
trail Labor Union, of Wilmingto
Evan W. Gallagher, of the Americs
Federation of Lapor, and w. J. FL
mer of the Pullman shops in Wilmin
ton, were introduced in turn, and {
tackled the law as against fairness
ballot. They declared the workin
men of the State, particularly uni
labor, was against it, because tn
demanded free vote.