Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-01-03
" this a Republican Form OF Govern
mentr

Hon. Francis Thomas, N. c. from the
4th District of Maryland, proposes to intro
duce a bill by which the General Govern
ment shall be enabled to carry out, in the
case of his Own State, the constitutional
guarantee that each State shall have Re-
publican form of Government. The situa-
ton of affairs in Maryland is deplorably
bad one. The control of the Legislature is
| in the hands of less than one-third of the
people, and secured there by old and anti
auated provisions of the State Constitution.
The case there is simply this: the Sta'e
Senate consists of twenty-four members,
three from the city of Baltimore, and one
from each of the counties, regardless Of the
population they may have. The result is
that the six counties on the Eastern Shore,
excluding Cecil and Somerset, and the seven
small counties of Anne Arundel, Calvert,
Charles, Howard, Montgomery, ST.. Georges
and st. Marys, elect thirteen Senators and
: have full control of the Maryland Sta,.
Senate, and shape the legislation for the
whole State. And yet these thirteen coun
ties have only 2i7, 3ss people out of tota
in all Maryland of 6s7,o4a. Or, taking tn
number of whites acne, which is the basi
for all representation in Maryland, thes
: counties have only lii,l9s, out of 5l5,9ls
II Now that cannot be a Republic where, c
" those o"tually eafrdnrhiscd, power is
N distributed that two voters in one localit
D have more authority than five in anothe
er We are perfectly well aware how diticu
er it is to draw the line indicating what is u r
u public and what Is not, for in Ancient Ron
III where large portion Of the people we
IL slaves, the form Of government was doui
&c less republican. But we presume no
rs will contend that when, among those W
arc actual voters, power is SO conferred Il
+ one Of them, regardless of any qualifcati
except the accidental locality of his re
an depce, has three times the weight OF
,as neighbor in making the laws that gov'
es- both, that such q Government is Rep
nd lic If ii be so what absurdity, what
the congruous oligarchy, is not Republic
'ell But how Is it in Delaware If things
ry. out of joint in our neighbor State how
lily in our own? The exhibit is even wol
t in Both branches of the Legislature are ii
an equally by the three counties. Thus X
nue. a, d Sussex elect fourteen members of
hen lower House, and six members of the up
ign while New Castle county elects only SC
3D.. of the former and three of the latter. !
r of net Kent and .Susse1 counties hare
so A, 2s4 ,chite people, Whitc Men Co
ived has 1885,
tors. Less than one-half the white peopl
3 to Delaware elect two-thirds the Legisla'
pay Because a man happens TO live in one
been of the State he is given twice the pow
Con. framing the laws that he would possess
Nurse lived in another locality. His wealth
bled. education, or any other qualification
arks. this one of residence. makes no diitei
now whatever.
man Now, we have taken the figures OF
Since then everybody knows the popul
Ne of of New Castle county has increased
untry more rapidly than that of Kent and Su
that and even if the whole number OF pc
gress. regardless of color, be taken as basi
want Northern County should have more
from half the Legislature, instead OF only
duties third Of IL.
arti- We query again, soberly and serious
them Is THIS REPUBLICAN FORM OF 10
II la MRsT7 and for ourselves, we empha'
b silk answer no
IN pay What then:
drink We answer with question, -sha
IS and Delaware, like Maryland, go to the n
,e the al Constitution and ask that It's noble
'oduce guaranteeing to every state "a ~
can form of Government" be enforce'