Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-17

The committee on election of President,
Vico-President and Representative in
Congress Of the present House Of Repre-
nentatives Is now considering various
bills in reference 20 contributions 10
political committees, for election pur-
poses. and hearing testimony In relation
TO the subject.
One, OF the speakers before the com
mittee lat its session on March 18th was
Cen james II. Wilson OF this city, who
said:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen Of the
committee: ] came here entirely without
thought Of being called upon TO make
any remarks with reference to the pend
ing legislation in reference TO publicity,
hut We feel very deeply in Delaware on
this subject, and As I am here ! shall avail
myself Of the opportunity to say that We
have given our best help 70 the framing
Of this bill and the establishment OF a
public opinion that would back up this
bill.
Personally, / have felt that this bill
does not 20 far enough. My own con-
Viction ia that the deterrent influence Of
. man looking through the bars of a prison
will do a great deal more TO prevent the
perpetration Of crime in the noxt election
than the mere regulation of certain com
duct which leads to crime. And so /
have strenuously urged in meetings CON
nected with this bill that We should en-
large our theatre Of operations, that We
should mako IL also the purpose Of the
national organization which we represent
here 20 have bin Of a similar nature
enacted IN every State where a publicity
and corrupt practices act is not already
in force. and those bills, not limited, by
or in violation OF the Constitution OF tho
United States, should be made drastic
enough 20 accomplish the purpose
In our State. unfortunately, Il is not
the rich man that sells his vote; il is the
rich man that buys the vote. and it is the
poor man who walks up to the gentleman
who has tho money and takes all he can
get for his vote. Therefore il seems TO
us that the laws should be made as COM
prchonsive and drastic as possible, 80 that
ii a man be caught in the act, or two men
the man selling and the man purchasing
they shall both be severely dealt with
We have organised in Delaware within.
the last two weeks q State association
against bribery known as the Anti
bribery League Of Delaware. Our pur-
pose Is TO carry this home to every citi-
1cn. to organize the community so that
at every voting place, either for nomi-
nation OF for IN election, there shall be
somebody whose business il is 10 detect
and bring 20 justice the persons per-
petrating any crime against our election
laws. That there is a necessity for this,
as well AZ for this other matter of pub
licity, our own State gives as good proof
as It is possible TO find anywhere in the
United States
Our State amounts to but one Con-
grcssionsl district, and Yet IL is currently
reported and generally believed that one
man alone has put IN nearly as much as
81 900 600 at the last four general elections
for tho direct purchase of votes. And
while the laws OF the State arc very
strongly against the practice il so hap
pens that those who are engaged in it
have in one way or another managed to
control OF paralyze the hand of the law;
IL has done so for the great offenders up
TO the present time. So the disease is a
pretty deep one. / have no doubt every
one here knows il is deep and widespread.
/ was, a decade OF more ago, chairman
Of the Republican State Central Com
mittee for eight years. and know exactly
how the crime has grown. Originally Il
was not a general purchase of votes. In
our State IL had its principal cause in a
very drastic registration law, which re-
quired every voter TO put up sum OF
money considerably in excess of mere
poll tax. Under our old Constitution
and laws every voter for years in Della.
ware was estimated to be worth SO much
money and he was taxed on his assessed
value. A skilled laborer had a higher
value than the common laborer. The re.
uffIf fhuf IN al.
had to spend $4,000 and odd to qualil,
the vote for one election That county
] am glad TO say. is one in which bui
little money is spent for the purchase o
votes.
The registration fec has been reduced
10 81. But we find that this is as bac
in the lower part Of the State as In,
larger sum was in the upper part Of IN,
state. Consequently We are now agi
tating for the abolition OF all registration
ices
When ! was much younger and NOR,
cocksure. ] thought the qualifications o.
an elecior should be the holding of propert,
and certain amount Of education: ane
at the close OF the Civil War. when tn,
War Department took charge of elections
in the Southern Statesl wrote an elaborat,
report 70 the department, setting forth
AlN NlcNc. I am now cailhneu tnaf wal
wrong, and that the better public opinion
IN the States where the pressure comes
Is against any registration fee or property
qualification for the electorate | an
perfectly sure that IN our State tn,
abolition of the Registration laws woulC
be Of great advantage to us. There
fore. ! urged that our State association
should take up this matter as nearly 90
possible on the lines Of this bill. but z,
still further and frame law which woulC
be as nearly uniform as possible with Ia,
laws of the othor States.
IN my Judgment, you, gentlemen. hav,
had no more serious question presentoC
20 You as members Of Congress than IN,
one you have before you today, and unles,
you can in some way, by publicity. anc
would add punishment prohibit th,
use OF money in the elections. It will hlrr
out at no distant day that there will b,
only rich men IN public Office in IN,
United States, and that I should regret
Just AS much as Brother Gompers. foi
We sl know that AT the talent docs NOT
reside IN the men who have shown special
capacity ior gathering wealth