Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-02-27
Time for Indrpenaenl nGen to Acl.

To he Editor Of he Commercial;
In view Of the coming elections you will ex-
cuse mo if ask permission for place in your
columns on the subject Of Democracy in Della
ware. Having until lately always espoused the
Democratic policy have done 10 for the last
few years OH State politics, in the hope that oui
Legislature would open its eyes to the glarng
oppression Of the laws of the State as regards
the working or poorer classes, and frame more
liberal ones, but l was sadly disappointed, as
the enactment OF our last Legislature proves.
Instead of passing an exemption law Ak other
States have done, they have gone from bad to
worse, and revived old and invalid claims, as if
Tor the purpose OF creating as much oppression
in as short time as it was possible for them to
do, and this on the representation of such man
as Con. D, with score Of doubtful sigma
lures on his petition.
Ii is no uncommon thing in our city, to see
poor woman who has no means Of support other
than she ekes out by her hard labor whom she
gets an opportunity, and which at the most is
not sufficient to satisfy tho cravings of hunger,
and without fuel to protect them from the Win
ters cold, and who il forced by grim necessity to
get living on any conditions. l say it is no
uncommon thing to see what few things she has
seized by an inexorable landlord and sold by
the constable to satisfy an arrear of rent-And
agAin-IIere is poor but honest man, with
family of five six small children, who all have
to live by his sole support, and whose wages
ranges from eight to fifteen dollars per week,
and who through sickness of himself or family
becomes involved in debt-what is the conae-
quonce-sue him before a justice, get judge
ment, and attach his wages in the hands of his
employer and then he is obliged to pay not only
his debt, but in addition the amount OF costs ex-
acted by a not over-scrupulous Justice and his
satellite the Constable
Now 1 appeal to the Democratic workingmen
Of Delaware, and particularly Of Wilmington, to
make a bold stand for laws that will protect
their families in the hour of misfortune.
That we have not such a law il our own fau 1t.
for it il advocated by the opposition journals of
this city, and no sane man now entertans ray
of hope from the Democracy. Therefore say
let every Democratic workingman cast aside
party that is determined on their oppression and
vote for the interests OF themselves, and partic-
ularly their families. Any change il better than
the present state of things therefore you run no
risk as it is impossible to make the law worse.
Our Democratic adopted citizens should need
no urging in this matter. They know,or at least
a great many of them know by experience in the
land they left, that it is an intolerable system
and by giving it their support here are not only
recreant TO themselves and families but also to
their fellow citizens who are endeavoring to
initiate a better state of things.
The worldngman who votes for a Democratic
candidate for the Legislature. deserves to expe-
rience the worst application of the present law.
But the advocates of the present laws exclaim
Why, it would be the worst thing that ever
be destroyed and it would open up system by
which rogues might cheat at will" This was the
cry in Pennsylvania at the time of the agitation Of
the exemption laws. But what were the facts
Have the poorer classes made any complaint OF
being injured by it 2 Have they petitioned the
Legislature for its repeal? Was credit more diff
cult to obtain Wer5 the people less honest
answer No. II has worked 80 well that the Leg
islature Of 1870 CRepublcan) passed a bill pro-
hibiting the waving of the claim to the exemp-
tion law.
We can have just such laws here as they have
in Pennsylvania all we want is united action.
Let those who have heretofore supported the
Democratic ticket oppose it, Notwithstanding
any promises they may now make, as their ac-
tions are the best cterion.)
As the party now stands, it certainly has moth
ing TO outweigh our interest in this matter, not
certainly Representative Biggs' action on the
school fund question, and as citizens OF New
Castle county, we certainly cannot bes attached
to our ratio Of representation that we need
rear change.
Vote then for your rights and let the oppres-
sors know that workingmen have some rights
that must be respected. B.