Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-02-26
For the Delaware Republican.

DEMooRAcY.-The party in Delaware claim
ing to be the Democratic Party by the popular
vote at the November Election came into pow
er. 1t was asserted that the leading measure
of the Democratic party, should they triumph,
would be the Repeal Of the Prohibtory Law
on tho alledged ground that said law was anti
Democratic
We propose briefly to examine this question
with ref ference to its want of democratic fea-
lures. Webster defines democratic govern
ment to be 'ta government which extends equal
rights to all classes Of tho people," Ii this be
true the converse is equally true to with
hold all classes of the people from doing wrong.
The Prohibtory Law then was strictly dem
ocratic one as it put call classes of the people"
upon an equal footing, by prohibiting all from
selling intoxicating drinks as beverage. Now
what does this sage democratic Legislature
propose to give us instead oftotal prohibitions
which we shall esteem as more democratic r
The License system. Webster defines License
to mean sSpcrlnit by grant ofauthority." To
whom then is tho license to be given or grant
ed Is it ''to all classes" which would be
strictly democratic measured Not so. But
to a licensed, or privileged few To the
man with or without moral character, provided
only that he has tiyo hundred dollars worth Of
property in actual trade, or is worth fifty dol
lars in cash whereby ho may bride the officers
| of government for a license. And this is mod
lern Democracy. Is this u sample Of democracy
rs described by the immortal Jackson when he
Bays ''the blessings OF government like the
ldews Of Heaven should descend like, upon
! the rich and the poori" l do not so learn
democracy, and should like to see the man who
will come out in the public paper and prove by
lhonest logic, that it is democratic to create
classes Of nobility, in the shape OF Landlords,
%or Hum aDObS, simply on the ground ofprup-
\ erty qualification.
/ Working man, poor but honest democrat will
| you suffer this mocking of your rights; will you
| longer suffer yourselves to be hoodwinked and
/ guided by tho catch word Of s'democracy,
when you see, simple and ignorant as you may
4 be, that the veriest scoundrel that ever slipt
/ foreign halter may come here with fifty dollar!
IN his pocket and enjoy a "priviledge" denied
| to you. Not only SO, but have the further priv
ilsgo of making paupers and criininalsior yot
to support or punish at his will. Is this the
kind Of democracy you voted for at the las
elcction2 II so you are the fit dupes OF knavel
and fools, and must suffer till you find out that
so far as the rum traffic is concerned, prohibi
4 ton is the only democratic Law we have eyei
n had on the subject.
4 Let me ask you to review the acts of YOU
Il representatives. what have they done They
have repealed the law 'tor tho suppression Of
incompetence" without having even the shad
Ow ofa substitute Why this indecent haste
Simply because they felt more interest in re.
leiying set of out law rumsellers from til,
punishment likely to be meted out to them by
n the Court for their contempt Of law and com
VI won decency, than they do in tho safety, NOR
atty and good order of community. Neve
XII was such spectacle presented to tho world a
exhibited by this same miss-called democratic
Legislature of Delaware. To see men claiming
: ito bethe representatives of the people assemble
, in solemn convention to repeal the law whic
s was granted to the citizens on the largest ant
v most respectable petition ever presentedto tn
/ Legislature Of the State without any remon
. IFtrance-without having ever been fairly en-
Z forced, simply to relieve from the punishment
i 10 justly merited few law breaking rumsel
lers Truly we have fallen upon strange times
. The names Of this repeal legislature will 6
/ down to posterity, with no enviable notoriet
and be remcmbered only as the party willing t
i saddle burdens aud crime upon communit
that indicators might escape soul yult de
4 cipi, decipiatur," | would say to every hon
a est democrat, which in plain English means
/ Idf he will not DO advised, let him take til
: consequence"
WORKING DEMOCRAT