Evening journal., 1908-10-17

year repealed II. The repeal by thai
body ought to recommend the law 10
all good citizens. The ballot law was
not changed or modified to simplify ir
and make voting easy The old and
deliberately adopted complex system
still remained: but the trend Of poll
tics showed clearly that the power to
appoint Voters Assistants was pass
ins from Democratic control. ana
realizing the vicious intent of the law
in their making any use Of IT. Demo
Gratis repealed it 10 avoid the effect Of
justly ANTICIPATED reprisals from Re.
Dublicans whom the Democrats had so
grossly wronged.
Plainly Democratic opposition 10 the
Voters Assistant Law has no political
virtue behind It, The attempt 10 drag
the name of Mr.. Addicks into the pres
ent political discussion has no better
basis. Because he was a Republican
everything he did was evil in the juds-
ment Of a partisan Democracy. BY
the same rule The infinitely better gov.
ernment Republicans have given tho
State Is. i'm Democratic judgment
voiced by the Democratic paper. a
fraud and ? failure For a partisan
purpose II makes the truth appear a
lie. and that under protense of inde..
pendenco in politics.
In Delaware The mis-called Demo.
cratic policies are avowedly arrayed
against the basic and vital principles
of equal free citizenship, and just gov.
ernment All the laws Of the state
enacted by the Democratic party and
affecting the use Of the ballot attest
the truth Of that statement Atrocious
as these laws were in intent. they wers
stll worse in administration literally
Republicans had no rights that Demo
crats were bound to respect. Law
making was the same as law breaking
justified. however atrocious. If the
effect was to wrong Republicans and
boost Democrats into office. 1t waA
not until this vicious system began to
react on its authors that the Demo
cratic party began its alleged efforts
at ballot reform. The primary cleo.
ton law was an effort Of the politically
htNNHA remnant Nl iidl party at otF 70
defense. The delinauent tax law under
Democratic administration had re
ducei the Republican vote to a hope.
less minority and given the state over
to the control of a politically lawless
Democratic minority through its CON
troll of that partvs primary elections
II was to meet this evil and partially
correct it that the government of this
CITY was turned over to the commissions
that now manage its executive affairs
The Rhoads- DouRherty combine was
too rank for the decent Democratic
political stomach and t was spewed
eut The effort at the ballot reform.
began in an attempt to get only absc.
lutelv uniform and clean ballots in the
ballot boxes. tear. a finger print OF
even a fly speck. was a blemish that
excluded it from the count that is il
the blemish was on q Republicans
ballot. That this system gave rise to
absurd contests goes without saying
That they were always decided against
the Republican contestant also goes
without the saving. The make-believc
sentiment for political reform that con-
sisted is merely shaking the dust out
of the ballot boxes. i'm nicely adjusting
the size of the ballots and keeping then,
/ screened from the flies. did not right "A
/ political wrong. or in The least degree
liberalize the laws or administration or
the worst governed State in the union
That the Republicans fought desperate
/ ly against such tyranny. and without
I particular regard for the means EN-
ploved is TO their credit. Had they
! dore otherwise they would have de.
served all they were enduring. They
We're fighting to save their State from
a tyranny that was destroying it just
/ as surely as the rebels of the South
We're trying to destroy the union during
the Civil War-they were fighting for
political liberty. for at least d
semblance Of Justice in the aamiris-
tiation Of law regulating the right Of
suffrage
In their desperate fight the Re.
publicans obeyed the laws made to op.
press them bv robbins hem % their
/ ballots They met the prohibitive pro.
I visions Of the odious delinquent tax
law; they obeyed the provisions Of the
! Australian ballot law. and of the
Voters Assistant Law. and won &
/ lawful and bloodless revolution. In
/ Roitlng back therefore TO tho con-
sideration OF the Voters Assistan. Law
IL must be remembered that it is the
law that the Democrats enacted TO en-.
able their voters to comply with
the onerous provisions Of the
Australian ballot law. ana that the
law demanding that enabling act is
still i'm force: II the intent was n good
one when II was first enacted-if il
enabled the voters who otherwise
might have lost thei- votes TO cast a
I ballot that must be cOunted-it is a
good law now for the same purpose.
II must he remembered. too. that the
| objection TO this law has always been
/ factional and partisan. entirely senti-
mental. and that none of it's violent op,
ponents have ever submitted convinc-
| ing proof Of their charges to COM
petent tribunal: no Voters Assistant
has ever been charged With violating
/ tho law or been hale1 before a couri
! for abusing its privileges. These ar,
the facts OF tho case so far as st re.
lates 20 the opposition Of this law
There is. however another view Of The
matter that is worth considering. With
a law. as with an individual. fruit is
the proof of character. The opposition
20 this law charges that it enables IN,
! a. al