Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-03-04
A SHABBY ,SHUFFLER.

The. Gazette pretends to answer our
queries concerning Equal Representation
but altogether fails to toe the mark. On the
5th of February, we addressed it four or
five plain questions, all of which, save one,
admitted of Yes or No answer. As it
persistently remained ''mum," we urged it
to reply and on Friday, last, it pretends to.
Now mark we said, in our article Of Feb
ruary 5til,- before putting our questions =
s'We are in favor of equal representation
of the people, according to their numbers
in the Levy Court, and in the Legislature
This is plain, isn't itp Yet the Gazette
to-day charges that -
s'The COMMERCIAL does not sustain repre-
sentation according to population when APP
piled alone to Wilmington or New Castle
county, and yet makes great pretensions OF
favoring the principle with regard to the
right OF this county to such representation
in the Legislature"
Our questions were as follows:--
l. care you in favor of equal representa-
tion of the people, according to their num-
bers, in the Levy Court and Legislature ?"
g." Will you petition for bill-as you
did for the one the Legislature killed-to ap'
portion the Levy Court according to the
population of the different hundreds ?"
8. "Ought not the Sd street and 1lth
street bridges to have been built? ?"
4. "You say, Wilmington ought to have
larger representation; do you mean, by
that, more members Of the Legislature II
not, why not2"
And here we print-though we can i'll af-
ford space--all tho answer the Gazette
makes a.
"Whenever the Democratic Party o
Delaware in State convention shall proclaim
itself in favor of dividing the State into Leg
islative districts and adopting the District
system with representation according tt
population we shall sustain it. We canno
see that anything could be lost by the adop
tion of such system now and believe thai
mence the work. We have yetto hear th,
first Democrat say he was opposed to hav
ing portion Of the opponents OF his part,
in any deliberative body"
TSome abuse of the "Radicals," being nj
answer whatever to the question, is her
omitted.
"We can see no good and sufficient reasol
why our State should not be divided into dis
tricts. and our counties subdivided into Lev,
Court Districts. These districts should nomi
nate and elect their representatives. Th
Legislative bodies are too small. Wisdor
and sound policy we believe dictate q
enlargement.
We would carry the same system to ou
city. We have now .JfUe wards. We shoul
have nine or ten. Each would then be O
large as the wards were when the city wa
first chartered. Such change would Civ
weight to our city abroad: whould tend
exhibit its growth and prosperity more fully
We have but one branch of Council. Mo.
cities have First and Second branch. W
would not propose the erection of anothe
Branch but we would increase the numb,
of the Council to 10 or 81, by giving tw
members to each ward, and electing th
President of the Council for the city at lare
by general ticket This ought to he done no
-and the sooner 1t is done the better it wi
be for the people. We would legslate 4
man out Of office; but let.the people have a
opportunity to rid themselves of their o|
jectionable servants by a free ballot"
Now this is but shabby dodging. "Whe
ever the Democratic Party goes for Equ
Representation, the Gszstte will Isn't th
smartf How soon will they,do you think
Does that answer the plain question, "a
you In favor of Equal Representation
Again 1t does not say whether ii will pet
tion the Legislature, as 1t did for its sham
full ''political job" the defunct Levy Cor
scheme. Again it says nothing in reply
query third, nor query fourth. In short,
shuffies, and lodges, AS Sam Townse
truly says, it is better calculated for M
night consultations, and secret wire-pullir
thxn fur any dhsSs, StrxtghtSfn SfnBtwrd ausit
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