Middletown transcript., 1872-04-20
~ ~ AaiaiIsssa nsss.v;rs.

~ :. 1Ss twNm oUrs nov nte11 70 take N kta0iy
slsrit the csitlclsas cfsh press upon his peculiar
views o. representation. Now, Mr.. Editor,
think you do me an Injustice. The only ohiec-
tte1 70 yuur eOnimsuss inycur pos,~r or March ID.
- wtga you aesunsed. = yca ttsl 3 diesase 70
ne % Nhat sut,lect ts wslse, sal said sl,onld
ATTACK the shuaes " she gcuesal government.
,.s Su = ws'sSIs 70 e Al ,s er'iesm yos ass
me to chccss ~ owe subject When you at
tempt as you Md IN the paper referred 10, TO say
upon what subject shall write, then I shalt take
issue with you ON that point only. Any person
not thesoughly acquainted with me, on reading
your comncnts In tile paper Of March 10, would
My was nrsec'ing my duty a. Democrat to-
ward the abuses prHcsised by the general govern
useWt whicA think NO ssan whe hWcws me
would harbor such an idea for single moment
u have failed, or neglected any such duty II IL
| only because did not know IL, and II ron. Mr.
Editor, will poin, on. n single instance Of such
neglect shall be mach pleased and try In the
future to make honorable amends for such neg
lctt.
Yoa say "Mr. Dean makes the very common
mistake Of surpcsing that population 10 the only
basis Of Legislative representation" | believe
population Is the only just correct method OF mr.
ranging legislative representation if TINT legisa.
ton IL TO be made fer .c benefit Of th. people Of
the State. lfyou want your legislation for the
landed interest, then base your representation
"
then take the number Of such animals Ia your
State. Now, Mr.. Editor, must go back 10 what
sou tall ''thc common mistake that population 10
the only basis oi representation, and STE what
you objections 10 my theory are. You IN,
''thc fnnd owners are supposed 10 be more fixed
and stable and have a more permanent stake In
the welfare of the State llan the man who has
none. . . II Is also supposed the permanent
landholdcr is more enlightened citizen, Ms a
general rule. than the fugitive, floating dcnz-ns
OF the large cities" Now take II for granted iha,
aii you say is correct, lat the same time there
may bc some doubt ot its corrertncssl that the
rich !andholdcr Is the only object iha, is worthy
OF legislative consideration, 10 which oijcc, III
toto, your theory reminds inc Of one OF the n
vowed principles OF some leading Wings OF New
England, when was hoy THAT the true ,hco-
ry OF legislation WIS for the government 10 take
care Of the rich and ,ha, the rich would Mke care
Of the poor You say take the population OF
Wilmington, for instance, there are many per.
sons In that and ever. city, wiihou, substance
unsettled uncducncd, and reckless, very man,
OF whom ARE negroes with scarcely any stake in
society at all. Now il the landed niisiocrac,
are the only parties who are worthy Of consider
alton rs ~ basis Of representation, who are we to
look 10 defend the country from foreign invasion
or revolution at home Mere the class which
you represent rs the basis Of representation the
only ones that defended our country against
England in the war OF 1912, or who planted the
stars aud stripes over the Halls of the Mon.rsu-
mas, or defended our institutions during the late
civil war; Did no, iha, vcry class you refer 10
as being without substance, unsettled, uuedu-
Gated ard reckless, form very large proportion
Of the armies referred 10 above and are not such
defenders OF the country worthy 10 he taken into
account MS u basis for forming legislative repre-
scniaiiun Does not the class dcs,ribcd as heing
IN Wilmington and other cities consume large
proportion OF the imports Of our country, and in
that way do they not contribute toward the support
OF the general government DO they not AS a
gcneral thing form large proportion Of onr ls-
boring classes, and as such are they not both
a useful aud deserving class OF citizens. worthy
TO be taken into account IN forming n hasis OF
Representations What would our landed or
moncd inicrrs, hc worth without this very class
OF citizens whom yon attempt 10 To sigmaiyr hy
saying They are without Substance. unsettled
unedncaied and reckless You say MIR Dean
Is Thoroughbred Democrat, and considers one
man ms good MS another whether he has brains OF
or whether he has neither" Now. Mr. Editor,
rs have not yet received any appointment ns
judge 10 decide the amount OF brains or culture
or 10 draw the lines of icnlafkaivn between the
citizens OF our State, take II .or granted thu, all
shall have equal political rights, In regard TO
representation. | do agree 10 all YOU say ntosc,
that all should have equal political rights. let
them have much or little brains, or bc of high or
low culture, and would like you TO point dl, an,
part OF our govcrnmcn, that makes difference
10 man on account of the amount OF brains he
is possessed iaso the amount vi brains tarcord-
ing 10 your own and your French philosophers
theory Il man mus, have haze before lie can he
taken Into account as forming u basis Of repre-
sensaiion. II Is true all that want Is that men
who are recognized a. such by our laws shall he
the basis Of rcprcscnison, and shall not be par
,icular " strongly ''rooicd 10 the soil or not ]
have no, found as you say, that the lanaheldcr
is more intelligent than the citizens Of our large
cities. To make such AN assertion is nm insult to
the citizens OF our cities. Why man must bc
siiema,ized as demagoruc because he is willing
to conccdc 10 every other man the sainc political
rights that he asks for himself cannot under
stand. do no, claim TO be the leader of any
one, much lcss the leader Of n rabhlc. Gentle
man do not make use of such innucndocs. In
regard to either increasing or rcducia.. the num-
her Of legislators, ] have never expressed an
opinion, aud am no, particular whether the num-
Der be made more or less. so that all are equally
represented. In regard to the ability Of the men
sent 10 the icgslsie for the people " the citizens
Of the State do not attend 10 their own business
and see that good men ARE sent, they will have To
bear the burihen of bad legislation /, is no fault
OF the sysien Of representation whether 1, he ae-
cording To population, or by each county having
an equal number OF legislators. Would II be too
much trouble for the people of Delaware TO
change their representation every ten years. as Is
done in other States, aEl is done by lhs general
government You say ''as a class, people Of the
rural districts should weigh In Importance Ms one
TO n hundred Of the floating and upcuiiurcd we
have mentioned above The citizens OF VIII
miugton can express their owr opinion on this
last quotation Inspect. WV. DEAN.
Mr.. Dean is in error in saying that we
assumed to dictate to him on what subject
to write. We did suggest to him the pro-
prie.y Of attacking the abuses Of the Gen.
cral Government. but suggestion. we
apprchend. 10 very different thing from
dicistion. II these terms have been con.
founded by Mr.. Dean; II they arc the
same 10 his vocabulary; II his fault, aud
not ours. Al commonly received they
hare = different meaning. Our offence,
then, which 80 rufled tho feathers Of Mr..
Dean, was simply the pardonsblc ono Of
-.Is.~ a. L.. .~1.s.L l. L.