Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-01-20
WILMINGTON. DEL.
Mondav Afternoon. January 40.
TIE c0UHTY BUILDINGs REFoRM-FAcTs
AND OoMM0N sEEBk-HOr AN APPEAL TO
BAD YELLING.

TIE c0UHTY BUILDINGS REF0RH-FAcrt
AND OoMMON sEEBk-HOr AN APPEAL TC
BAD FEELING.
InaAming a jealousy against the thirty-hvt
thousand citizens OF New Castle county whe
choose to live in Wilmington, among the thirty
three Thousand who choose to live in the otliei
parts of the county, is the plan to be pursued il
seems, for the defeat Of the County Buildings
reform, just as trick almost identical in char
acter ia attempted to stab the Equal Represen-
tation movement. Two correspondents from
New Castle-they do not, we know. represent
the average truthfnlness of that town-make
h lste to write to the Deldi0dredn, forsaking the
Asld for argument among the people Of tbs
county, who alone are Interested, and seeking to
possess the attention Of the Legislature and OBJ
tain pre-judgment, before the case ever reaches
that body. This is smart but it is not creditable.
even IL the statements thus hurried to Dover
we're accurate and fair, while, as they abound in
every sort OF fraud, concealment and distortion,
the dishonesty Of the job is swollen to still
greater proportions The members OF the Leg
islature, like sensible men, and fair judges, will
consider the matter, we presume, when 1t duly
comes to their attention, and not decide upon it,
sooner.
Not much better than the letters referred to is
al article In the Middletown Transcript. Its
temper, if not its purpose is that Of one writing
to injure the people Of Wilmington. II COM
mences by stgmatzing the city as great
would-be Maelstrom," and contemptuou.ly al
Indies 70 the business men in our Board Of Trade
"a number Of whom we perceive, are exten-
sive advertisers in the Transcript as ''the
solons and SAncho Panzas" who have "scheme'
and "a little game
This we say, is in ill taste, and without the
least Justification. 1t can only do harm. 1t
cannot do good. The provision Of fit accommo-
dItion for the Courts and Record Offices OF the
County is plain question, of interest to all the
people Of the County, and to be decided upon
the basis of facts, and sound judgment, alone.
Any appeals to prejudice or passion, and all
methods of discussion cslculAted to create bad
blood among the people are discreditable. dis
honorable, aud bad.
As to argument the Transcript says it seems
not to have occurred to the Board Of Trade that
there is anybody in New Castle county outside
of Wilmington And yet the speakers at the
meetings Of the Board Of Trade, and before the
City Council, as their fully reported remarks left
the 7rdnscriptno opportunity not to know, recog-
nizsd and considered the wants Of all the peo-
pie Of the County, in Wilmington, and in the
other Hundreds. II was shown that the latter
were interested, and deeply 80, on the side Of
the proposed change. But the liberality OF the
City, IN offering lot of ground worth $50 OOO.,
to O,OOO, and offering to pay half the cost of
new County Building, (the whole c'st cst-
mated at $lOO, ,0O0.,) is snesred at. 1t Is intl-
mated that we need new city offices. So We do ;
and it may be proposed to devote part OF new
building to their use. But suppose this to be
Hsnfrs, and pay fS Their share III S Of
taxation towards the remaining $4,000. ex-
pense, besides And this the Transcript terms
monkey t. .ck"-that is making a cats paw of
tie County. With much greater approach to
tuth the assertion may be reversed in it's sp-
plcation.
But 1t is urged that the remedy for the pres
ent Inconvenience and wrong is division of the
County. The advocates of this latter PROPOSE
tion insist upon it, now that the disfranchised
people are asking for equal rights, and when the
lange OF the County Seat is mooted, as a solu-
ton OF both questions. But it must be admitted
TN 1t ls hardly fair to either to join the two
lual Representation GENES to Judgment before
e two lower counties; the location OF our county
seat, they will certainly leave to the choice OF
the people of New Castle County alone, il they
- ascertain what that preference is.
Moreover, it will require an amendment to the
Constitution to divide New Castle County, or Ell
Ter Of the other counties. Itcannot be practica-
bly, effected by an Act Of the Legislature. This
Is the opinion Of all our legal minds and is plain
irom consideration OF the Judiciary system of
le State, entirely established in the Constitu-
tion on the basis of the three existing counties
and providing for no alteration. The erection
OF new county, without an Amendment to the
Constitution, would put it in most awkward
position, in regard to it's courts.
Again. it may be fair question for the peo-
pie OF the lower hundreds to consider, whether
it will be better for them to pay their share of
taxation toward half the cost Of County Build
in5s at Wilmington-say one fifth OF s5O,OOO
and be taxed only for moderate part OF the
'cessary county expenses, than to pay the
W wlole cost for themselves of new buildings for
their new conuty, and support from their pock-
cts the whole expense of supporting set of
c'unty machinery. Which will be bettor? II,
however, they prefer the latter; il they choose
above all else, to divide, will they be in auy
worse situation to secure their desire, with the
Seat here, than while it is at New Castle
Let US consider the question calmly and fairly
We insult no one, and we ask equal courtesy
from those who may hold views different from
those here expressed.