Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-12-31
The District system Of Representation.

[Fr0m the Milford News and AdvertIser-Repub !
The COMMERCIAL must remember that with
increased representation for the most populous
county, must come the District system. The
people Of Kent aud Sussex are, or should be-
willing to cooperate in Just system OF repre-
sentation, but they are not willing that New
Castle county shall have many Representa-
tives and Senators AZ both Kent and Sussex for
this is what representation according to popu-
lation" meRns-and at the same time leave the
power in the hands Of the City OF Wilmington to
elect the whole Of them, as would be the case
under the present county system. Wilmington
city, with representation according to popula-
ton on the present county system, would be
able to carry half the members Of the Legisla-
ture and thereby have an overwhelming prepon-
derance in the legislation OF the State. But il
her representatives were elected on the District
system the votes would be cast for the repre-
sentAtives from that District alone, and the rep
resentative would be the creature of the Dis
trict alone and not OF the county as at present
Under such system the interests of the rural
Districts of New CASTLE county would be as much
identified with those OF Kent and Sussex, as
those of the latter are with each other, and the
City would never be able to dominate the State
as she might do under the present county sys-
tenn. 4. Already we see the rural Districts OF that
county Jealous Of the dominating influence of
the city, and the city politicians, and under a
District system in which the representative is
elected by the vote of his own District, and rep
Tesents specially the interests of his District,
no harm can come to Kent and Sussex from the
reform SO much desired and 30 hotly pressed by
the people Of the city OF Wilmington.
Ierom the wilmington Gazette-Frlghtened Dem
ocratc,l
While we do not see the need OF a Uonstitu-
tional Convention in this State, and believe no
adequate good would result from one we believe
legislation in the direction of more equal repre-
sentation is desired and demanded by the great
mass OF the people OF this county. And il a
change is to be made in this direction we prefer
that Il should be done by the Democratic party.
During the last campaign the Radicals took
Equal Representation al platform, and we do
not see that they thereby drove any of their
voters TO our ranks. On the contrary they ac-
tually carried the county OF Sussex for their
Sherin and made heavy gain on the rest of
their ticket, while their gain in Kent was also
tremendous. Another such election might re-
duce the Democratic majorities 30 low that the
scale could be made to turn either way by very
small faction of dssenters at a nomination con-
vention or election.
Under the circumstances we think the Demo-
Gratis should consider well whether it would not
be better to take up this question, and turn it to
their advantage while they have the power.
Under the district system the Democrats Of
New Castle county would have carried several
Representatives and possibly senator at the
last election. As the matter rests they elected
none.
II the Democrats in the Legislature could
unite upon plan for distrctng the State, we
think they might secure to their party the con-
troll of the Legislature for good man years to
come.