Evening journal., 1912-10-25

JOURNAL;
sir:-Our whole country IS very
much exercised and torn up on the
question OF recall OF Judges and Of
judgment. It is for Delaware. in gen
eral. because the whole State Is under
the jurisdiction of our Judges and for
New Castle County, in particular, TO
sit up and take note of all~that is to
be learned from discussion and educa-
ton on this tenet Of the Progressive
platform. because right here within
our own memory occurred one of the
most outrageous instances of assent
ing to and compromising Of the poll
tical folonies of the Democratic Party
OF Delaware, by the Judges of our
State.
Lest It be forgotten, this is to re-
mind an Delawaroans. that in the
canvass of the vote Of the November
election of 1896, right in our Whining
ton Court House there was uncovered
and acknowledged by the Democratic
party because it couldn't be denied,
brazen and dastardly, open and
public, conspiracy to steal an cleo
ton and defeat the will of the people
as expressed at the election just held.
The attempt was evidently by con-
spiraCy and under orders and abet-
mcnt Of the leaders of the Democratic
party, as il was participated in by so
large number Of the Democratic in
spectors Of the election, from so many
various and scattered districts. egged
on and defended by Democratic lead
crs and lawyers and was. specifically
5 10 falsify the return sheets so as to
count In James b. Toman for Sheriff,
and to count out William r. Finn,
actually elected sheriff by a plurality
OF Republican votes.
To this day the record shows that
William r, Finn was elected Sheriff
by plurality Of only 1S2 votes while
the other Republican county Office
candidates were shown to have plu-
ralities averaging over 1000 votes,
showing how nearly the conspiracy
was worked to success when by public
demand and oNasperation they were
forced to relnquish their dastardiy
steal
The mass of Democrats Of the hon
ost thinking body OF their party would
not stand for such a steal, repudiated
ihe effort OF the party leaders and
with Republicans, demanded and COM
polled the Democratic leaders to drop
Tie whole scheme right where they
stood
William r. Flinn had been report
ed. by figures from all the districts
or the county Immediately after cleo
ton. to have had 1903 plurality which
ly alterations in return sheets made
between Tuesday. election day, and
the following Thursday. return day,
I'm various aud many districts,
was cut down TO iS2 plurality, as at
terward acknowledged by Democratic
inspectors by pleading guilty and
paying fines
Tho rcturn-lalsifying- counting
cat conspiracy was only f0iled and
defeated by an uprising of popular
feeling and power that ecailed hun
dreds of independent. honest-mnd-
ed citizens. of all parties 20 the Court
House M protest, and that quietly
called-tllc members of the State Mill
tia 10 the Armory TO be in readiness
to Quell the for-a-timc. looked-for
outbreak and riot and bloodshed.
The steal was defeated Just before
drop II right there and the figures of
the count were never further inves-
tieated and corrected
The public and William r. Finn
we're entitled TO know just what hon
est plurality he had received but they
never knew, and won't until the
Great books are found to display all
the vilianics of the Democratic
party of Delaware and it's leaders.
Then came one of the greatest
blots on the judicial history of Della
ware. 10 was currently and openly
understood that the Democratic
Judges Of our courts then were con-
suited as 10 cleaning up the dirty
edisgraceful situation as quietly and
quickly as possible without anybody
suffering unnecessarily severe or dis
commoding punishment The out
come clearly and distinctly seemed
TO prove that before the accused
Democratic criminals had beer
brought to the bar of justice, the
Judges OF our State Courts had con-
suited on their case II surely was
indicated that an astounding before
trial-agreement had been made that
If the Democratic criminal inspec-
tors who falsi6ed the returns would