Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-03-30
TIE TRUE NATURE OF THE EQUAL REP
RFsENTATION ISSUE

In discussing the proposition to equitahly
re-Apportion the members Of the Legislature,
some OF the disputAnts totally fAil to compre-
hend the true character OF the issue. The Ga
zs4e Il one OF these. It talks about what several
.fnauentiAl gentlemen in Kent and Sussex, are
willing o. New Castle County shall have and
believes that some moderate concession would
satisfy the city OF Wilmington, which. in its
OPINION, does not desire Representation Ae-
coraing to Population"
Now the demand for Equal Representation
proceeds from, and is Of necessity, caused by.
an essential principle Of popular government.
1t is not subject to, or influenced by, the good
humor or bad. Of any influential gentlemen"
or unknown infant, whether the same be resi-
dent in Kent County, or in China. It is & mat
tar settled without any regard TO any person or
persons and which is based upon = settled fixed,
stsrnAl principle. We do not need to inform the
G lzete, or any other confused logician that gov
enments have only those Just powers which
come through expressed consent of the govern
ed, and that, all sane, mature, law abiding citi-
zens must be equally represented in the law
making bodies, which in pursuance Of the ex-
pressed consent, set for the whole people. This
and none need to be instructed in it.
This principle requires that all the peop le
should stand equ al in their relation to the Gov
eminent; that one should have no stronger con-
troll, through his right Of suffrage, than another
and that, in whatever degree one citizen is rep
resented in the Legislature, all others should be
represented to precisely the same degree
more, no less.
This is equality of rights 1t is justice. It is
Democracy. 1t is Republican Government
Now, in Delaware, it so happens that more
than half the people reside North Of DucA
Creek stream emptying into the Delaware Bay,
just North of Tadpole Neck. These people are
entitled to their proper equality Of voice in max
ing the State laws. Their right is not the pro-
per subject Of bargain, or compromise, or ar
rangement. They are entitled to it, and to
nothing more or less. Any different degree OF
right given them is wrongly given Their equal
ty with all others is the only possible proper
arrangement.
The rights of people, of citizens, of individ
uals, seem to be confounded, in this perpetual
intolerable blathsrskite about Counties 1t il
not New Castle County that has rights ol
wrongs, and it is not for Kent or Sussex Countie,
to say anything about granting or redressing
them. 1t is question severe and simple, ,wheth
er each man Of more than half the people o
the State, shall have but half voice in til,
State government, or whether he shall have
whole voice Whether these citizens live it
Brandywine Hundred, or in Dagsborough, the,
are equal of right, aad should be equal in fact.
1t is folly, therefore, to maunder about som
form Of compromise-to propose to give tn
people North of Duck Creek part of justice
and withhold portion. This sort Of talk ma
do for those who fatten on the existing STAT
abuses, and desire to retain so much of thei
ill-used usurpations is posi- BILE, but it is no
worth while for reasoning, Intelligent people t.
waste time in such prattle. There is sount
principle Of free government to be re-establish-
ed-there is measure of justice 10 be done Il
sixty-three thousand five hundred people-aud
no substitute for either can be considered