The daily gazette., 1875-02-16
Letter from s. Townsend, Esq.
For The Gazette.

1
Mr.. EDITOR y have not overlooked
your editorials and reasoning on increas
ed representation for this county fin,
/ that you only want increased represen
tation in Wilmington alone, by u mer.
Legislative enactment. The day We me-
at Dover on the representation project
as stated in a former communication
none of you Wilmington men who hav,
been clamoring so loudly for increased
representation attended that meeting
and only one man from Wilmington, a.
/ stated, and he boarder. / have al
ways, and our people OF this Hundred
have been in favor of two counties-thC
six lower Hundreds to be one and the
four upper Hundreds to be another coun
ty. That day at Dover, after etpelline
all the Kent and Sussex members, very
much against my will, for they were the
grand arhiters who should have been
present and heard the arguments pre-
and con. SO they could have voted nn-
derstandingly when the proposition came
before the Legislature. After these msn
etired proposition was made to give
Wilmington three Representatives and
one sknator; | amended that by propos
ing to make two counties, each county to
have seven Representatives and three
Senators and full complement of Levy
Court Commissioners and other county
officers. The six lower Hundreds max
ing one county and the four upper Hun
dreds making tho new county. Mr.. Hol-
comb moved that Mill Creek Hundred be
included in the six lower Hundreds, and
l accepted it; not because liked it, but
to yield up something for peace and
quietness; and that left Chrisiiana. Viii
mington and BIandywine Hundreds for
the new county. Then the Gazette comes
out with the request that Christiana be
put IN the lower county, and says that
the county then would only have 4,e0O
votes and 1000 of them negro votes, and
that Wilmington would only have 800
negro votes, and that they could do
without the Levy Court. And John O.
Byrne in his last paper says he fayors
this project OF the 0dzette, and wants d
meeting called in Wilmington to urge
this scheme. When said meeting is
called, | desire an invitation to it, and
to speak for l want to beard the lions
in their den, Gentlemen, honesty in pol.
itics Is, as in everything else, the best
policy. 1t you can do without q Levy
Court in the new county why have you
run to Dover this session and had an
increase OF two overseera OF the poor
made and signed by the Speaker and
certified by the Secretary of State, and
presented to our Levy Court. now in
session. This proposition to put Chris.
tiana Hundred in the lower county was
only done to kill the project of division
OF the county, for not one man in hun
dred In the lower county would agree to
at; neither do they wish Mill Creek-un.
less large majority OF the people Of
Mill Greek desire it. AS to the state
ment of their being 1890 voters in lower
county, and 1000 Of that number negro
voters, do not believe it; end no meet
ing has authorized the GaSette to class
Chflstiana Hundred with the lower Hun
dreds. And as to there being only 800
negro voters in Wilmington and Brandy
wine. there has been great cry over Il
little negro wool. for the Wilmington
men have been laying all their defeats
to the negroes. hope, however, before
many years. States rights and the Con
stitutlons OF the several States will be
respected. Our Constitution does not
recognize negro voting, nor have we an
act Of the Delaware Legislature giving
negroes the right to vote therefore, me-
gro voting in Delaware lisa public suffer-
ance for the time being only. Now, Mr..
johnson and Mr.. O'Byrne, ii your calcu-
lations are only to get the legislative
enactment to increase the representation
IN Wilmington alone, and thereby in
crease your power in County and State
Conventions and diminish the power of
the rest OF the county, You may, for me,
wrestle on while longer with your 300
negroes, for think you may safely rest
assured that no member of the lever
Hundreds of New Castle county, or any
member OF the legislature from Kent or
Sussex county will place in danger the
rights OF their white citizens to add in
creased power to your 800 woolley- head
ed Wilmington negroes. You pretend
that you could not arrange in new
county Christiana and Brandywine Hun
dreds and the City of Wilmington for Il
Levy Court. What stuff 1t would give
the City OF Wilmington four Represen-
tatives and two Senators, and give Chris
tiana and Brandywine one Senator and
three Representatives each Ii the
Board of Levy Court was made nine, il
would give Wilmington five and Brandy.
vino and Christiana two each. Several
bridge tenders, and as many other offices
as you have mind to make and pay fo1
In your new county would be necessary
As you are making propositions for Will
mlngton, let me make one for Appoquin.
mink Hundred make our two districte
into two Hundreds; let our representa-.
tion in the legislature and Levy Court be
| the same as now; Poor House Board be
the same as now; but make these two
| hundreds into one separate and indie
pendent election districts, we voting for
no candidates fer the legislature or Levy
Court except our own, and no other part
OF the county having anything to dc
with nominating or voting for our can
didates; fQr we are heartily tired of car
| rying tho Republican dead weight of the
| other Hundreds on our backs, and thcr
have our rights cut down to increase
| Wilmington negro preponderance.
SAMUEL TOWNSEND.
Townsend, February LIS. 1879.