Evening journal., 1912-09-13

declaration in favor Of taking all fees from public
officials and peng them to attend to their official
duties personally and not entrust them to their
deputies The truth is that the fee system in Delaware
was built up by the Democrats and that, when the
Democrats were in power most of the work Of the
Democratic officials was performed by deputies and
clerks and little Of by the Democratic officials them
selves. To the Republicans belong ehcredit Of hav
ing brought order and economy into the public service
IN State.
We would ask Delaware voters what they think Of
Democratic declarations in favor of good roads and
the reclamation of the marshes and swamps in
State All the progress in good roads building that
has been made in Delaware has been by the Republic
and in the face of Democratic protest The Re-
publicans have been trying for years TO make
thing good out of a Democratic road system that had
become a public scandal In all instances the Demo
cratic politicians have done everything they could to
block progress in that direction
Democratic machine criticism of the administration
Of Governor Pennewill will not injure the standing
of that administration in any way, as the people of
the State know full well that Governor Pennewill
has given to them good, clean and able administra-
ton He has performed his duties at all times with
single to the public interest and is deserving
of hearty commendation by Democrats we'll Re-
publicans. AS the Board Of Pardons is part Of the
executive machinery, it be well in passing to
state that the Democratic criticism of that board is
wholly undeserved, and that in instance has a
pardon been granted in which the circumstances did
not to warrant It.
II makes one laugh to read plank in a Democratic
platform in Delaware promising lower freight rates
70 the people in general the farmers in part-
cular' That is old stock Democratic stun that is
covered with moss. There is not instance record
in State in which either the people in general
the farmers in particular have obtained lower
result of official unofficial action by the Demo-
cratic organization.
The planks favoring the initiative and referendum,
direct primaries smplhcation Of legal practice and
procedure and the strict enforcement of the excise
laws are mere vote-catchng devices There is nothing
in the past history of the Delaware Democracy that
goes to show that it favors any OF those things. As
for the suggestion that the Attorney General be en-
powered to rate the Interstate
Commerce Commission in behalf of Delaware shippers
why do not the Democrats go ahead and do it without
waiting for the election? They have the Attorney
General and the doors of the Interstate Commerce
Commission wide open Has there been an in
stance in the last four years which the Democratic
Attorney General has manifested any particular in
terest in the Delaware shippers? there has been
the Democratic convention grevously in failing
to call it to public attention
In short the convention did only one wise thing
Ihat was In deciding not pledge itself to the enact
ment of Jim Grow" law in our State How that
streak of political wisdom found its way into the con
vention is beyond our comprehension