Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-02-15

what the legislature VIII not do.
Six weeks. of the time of the Legisla-
ture have expired and scarcely any leg
islalation Of harm or benefit to the State
has been passed yet. Live stock laws,
divorce, ditch and road bills have been
the only things which appear to have
engrossed the minds of our Legislative
SOlons, and if we had no more egis-
lation on those subjects for twenty
years to come, the State would not
suffer from it. There is some legisla-
ton much needed, but it is remarkable
to See how slow our chosen law makers
are to find it out. Corporation acts, d.
vorces, stock laws, road and ditch laws
are all provided for before the courts
and need never come before the Lrgis
lature. We're it not for these there
would be 10 occasion for a longer ses-
Sio.I than six weeks in which to look
after the financial interests of the state
ano straighten up some crooked stat
utes. 1t is remarkable however that
the Legislation most needed has
not been touched yet during
the present session. Mr.. Dean,
to be sure, with his characteristic per-
tinacity has made push in the direc-
tion Of reform in the Levy Court of
New Castle county, aud he has also
tried to pull aside the curtain that the
people might see how uuch the emolu.
ments of the county officers we're, but
he has been met with such persistent
opposition that he is completely shelved
20 far a. biz influence goes, and his lit
tic reform bills have been we'll nigh
choked to death, His bill to reform the
Levy Court Of his own county has some
little vitality left in it yet, but if it
ever gets through it will be but a sick
ly bantling compared with what it
ought to be-, and with what Mr.. Dean
desired it to be. The real quest ons of
reform in the State have thus far been
severely left alone. New Castle county
has much more than half the popula-
ton OF the State, and only one-third
the representation, and yet not soil
Ay move has been made TO re.
dress this wrong, either by a di-
rect increase of representation or by a
division of the county, though we are
opposed the latter. Then there is the
Judiciary life tenure for office, which
is not up to the spirit of the age and
should be abolished. The people are
as competent to eject good Judges as
the Governor is to appoint them, and
II term of years was fixed for the office,
the people would not be compelled to
keep judge they did not want, and
II he proved a good one he could be
re elected. Then there are the coun-
~ offices, every one of which.should be
made elective officers by the people who
II they are competent to elect Sheriff
and Coroner, are just as competent
to elect Recorder, a Prothonotary,
Clerk Of the Peace and other appointed
officers. True these changes must be
made by a constitutional amendment,
but some movement might be made to-
wards calling State constitutional con-
ventiOn, but not a solitary word has
been uttered about it SO far as the pro-
ceedings OF the Legislature show. Then q
again there are the partzan disfran- !
chisng assessment laws, and the law d
providing for the collection of taxes ?
which knowing honest Democrats ad-
nit were passed to disfranchise Repub Il
Leans, and which have not only re-
duced the vote of the State from q, 600 a
down to 5000, but which are cheating Il
the State out of at least So 900 a year II
Of taxes. Kent county is the only one b
one Of the three that has published C
the amount of her errors and deln- 0
quent tax payers, and in that county q
Alone the amount is $1,000 in round
numbers. Sussex We cOun. as equal to 4.
that, and We would be safe in doubling r.
New Castle, which would make $l2, 600 >,
n the State, but $4,000 we will allow :,
10 Offset deaths and removals from
he State, which would still leave ;,
s. 900, that under an honest law and
honest collectors could and would be
collected. AS it is, generally, men that l
'nly pay poll tax amounting to about -,
20 cents on an average. This would =,
show a disfranchisemen of 1000 vot-
'rs in the State. These laws, which =,
would be worthy of the attention of the ),
are left severely alone also. >,
The repeal Of these obnoxious partisan ..
avs which only cheat the State out of
axes and the people out of votes, and
he passage of fair, Just and equit s,
Ible law providing more for the collec- CO
.ioI Of taxes than for DISTINGUISHING r.
would be of more real SER hi
ice to the State than all the divorce, to
took, road and ditch laws, with which D.