Evening journal., 1918-11-09
WAS INSPECTOR OF
HIS own ELECTION
Joshua R. Bishop, Kent
County Republican. Has
Unusual Distinction
SECOND INSPECTOR
UNABLE TO SERVE
Special to The Evening Journal.

DOVER, DEL, Nov. IA singular
thing in connection with Tuesdays
election In Kent county, occurred in
lhe Second Election district of Fifth
representative district, one Of the Dover
districts. in which the inspector OF the
election Of that district, Joshua r.
bishop, was also the candidate on the
Republican ticket this year for inspec-
Ter, was elected by a large majority.
Mr.. Bishop was actually the inspector
"a his own election. The party cVi-
iently overlooked the matter and as no
objection was made, Mr.. Bishop served
on Tuesday last without challenge
from either side. There has arisen,
however, a question among attorneys
here as to the right Of Mr.. Bishop to
serve.
Another incident never before known
20 exist in Kent county, was that OF
the appointment or commissioning OF a
person to act as inspector Of a district
when the regularly elected inspector OF
.SO years ago was sick and unable 10
serve in that capacity. such was the
rase In the First Election district OF
The Second Representative district at
Lelpsc. The inspector elected two
years ago was Clarence G. Rawley,
lDem.). lie was taken sick about two
weeks ago with the influenza and was
seriously IN several days before the
election and was unable to even be
about on election day. W. Z. Cole,
(Rep) OF Leipsic, was commissioned by
the governor TO hold the election.
Tho EanavnH E1aaFfon I 1tNa Revised
Code i7is. Section %, reads as follows
IF at the time for holding the gen
eral election there shall be no inspector
or other officer authorized by law 10
hold the election Of any election dis
trlct, or II outside Of the city OF VIII
uington, he shall be absent from the
place Of election at half past eight
o'clock. or in the city OF Wilmington
he shall be absent from the place OF
election at : o'clock Of the forenoon
Of the day OF the election. the registrar
OF the said election district. who shall
be present with his register and book
Of registered voters for said district, or
In the event OF the registrars absence.
.he alternate registrar OF said election
district Of said election district, who
may be present with a register and
book OF registered voters Of said cleo
iiOn district, shall serve as the inspec-
tor Of said election district. and per-
form all the duties required Of him as
such Inspector"
According 70 the above section. the
registrar OF the First Election district,
who was Andrew w Harper also "a
Republican, should have held the cleo
tion or served as inspector, as he ap-
peared at the election rooms as re-
qulred by the law so 10 do and thought
he was to hold the election until in
formed by Mr. Cole that he had a COM
mission TO hold the election.
Another provision in the general cleo !
tiOn laws prior TO the above section. |
authorizes the governor TO appoint an !
inspector in case OF a vacancy and Il I
is supposed that the appointment OF
Mr.. Cole was made, according 70 that !
provision which Is as follows:
i7i6. Section lin case Of any va
cany among said inspectors by death. /
resignation. removal out Of the hun
dred or election district, refusal TO |
serve, or otherwise, the governor shall /
appoint some qualified voter Of the
election district in which such vacancy
occurs, TO be inspector thereof, who
shall have all the powers and perform
all the duties given TO and imposed
upon inspectors Of election. II from
any cause such vacancy exists at the
time Of holding said general election.
the provisions Of Section % OF chapter
60 shall apply"
The latter clause Of the above para
graph refers TO the first section, Revised
Code i7is. Section %.
From the returns as ascertained from
tle Second Election district OF the Sec
Ond Representative district. including
Dover, ST. Jones Neck and part Of the
district north Of Dover, the
Democrats made considerably increased
gains at Tuesdays election. But few
years back this Dover district was nor
inally Republican anywhere from 20 10
% majority. This majority has stead
fly been decreased. Two years ago in
this district. the Republican candldats
for the Legislature defeated the Demo-
cratic candidate by three majority
while the Democratic candidate in the
entire Representative district defeated
the Republican candidate by II major
fly. This year the Democratic candi-
date, Garrett Dewitt Paradee. defeated
his Republican opponent. John w.
Caulk, in the Second Election district,
by ~ majority and in the entire Repre-
sentative district by 46 votes. There
was but one instance this year that
Republican defeated Democrat in the
election district, that being Thomas V.
Keith (Rep.) candidate for register n
he received ls7 votes while
his opponent, Mark w. Cole, Dem.).
received 40, or II majority.