Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-09
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 1918
Political Camounage.

We can recall no more conspicuous
evidence Of what may justly be called
political camoutiagc' than the editorial
efforts of tho Morning News 70 make 1t
appear that the verdict Of the voters Of
Delaware, at Tuesdays election, was a
cordial lndorscmVlt OF the New DIS
pcnsation Of the Republican party contro'
election of 1916 AZ that election the old
Republican Organization was beaten, by
reason OF the revolt of the New DIS
pcnsation. which set UP independent can
didatcs against the candidates of the old
Organization, and thereby defeated them
Now II is claimed ny the advocates Of
the New DlSpcnsation that the results Of
last Tuesdays election justified their open
bolt against the Republican party at the
election Of 1916, and left the boilers
organization rs the real representatives
of Republican sentiment in Delaware in
this wears campaign Also, the absurd
claim is advanced that the verdict Of tho
Delaware voters on Tuesday last was a
substantial vindication Of the hoters ut
the 1916 election.
But how ridiculous Is this claim, in view
Of the returns Of the election. In Whining
ton and rural New Castle county the
Democrats made large gains Here was
the territory in which II was naturally
expected that the New Dispcnsation
would make its great gains But instead,
it was overwhelmingly defeated. There
Is no evsding this conclusion The figures
of the election returns tell the story
And how about Kent and Sussex
counties, where the influence Of the New
Dispensation was lightest, and whore the
results Of corruption funds were
most apparent Ii was announced in adj
vance hat the New Dispensation would
not give dollar for tile purchase Of votes.
But was any such assurance gwen in
behalf OF the old Organization?
Not for a minute. 1t was announced in
advance that the Republican National
Committee had contributed SOS 900 for
campaign expenses in Delaware. Every
body knows where this corruption fund
was spent Il was spent ny agents of the
old Organization for the purchase Of
votes, and the results were attested by
the reduced Democratic majority in Kent
county, and the largely increased Re
publican majority III Sussex county.
Now, put two and two together, and
what i the result In New Castle county,
where the New Dispcnsation was in CON
troll, the Republicans lost heavily. In
Kent and Sussex counties, where the old
Organization was in control, the Repub-
licans gained heavily
And that Is what was really meant by
the Did Organization IN the election work
this year. 1t meant TO knock out the
New Dispensahon, and show by the
election results that il was still in the fight
And this it did by the showing in Kent
and Sussex counties by lis solid blows
due to vote-buying. Of course-and by the
absolute failure of the New Dispensation
to make good showing IN It's strongholds,
the city Of Wilmington and rural New
Castle county.
And, with a fair consideration OF the
results of the election, how can ii be other
wise considered than that the old Organl-
zation has knocked the life out of the
New Dispensation. and is now in full
control of the party organization for the
next campaign?