Daily Republican., 1879-07-15
A NOTE.
A weak Defence.

she 'sRoDublican" In that DaOer.
A Weak Defence.
The Gazette" in its weak deteno
Of Mr.. Bayard, says that he "did la
Dor with his party to place his State il
its present enviabls position befors th
country" Well then there is no dit
ference between us, for that Is jus
what we charged him with, though W.
deny that the position is an enviabl'
one. We charged Senator Bayard with
never having raised his voice to correct
= single abuse in his own State, and
our neighbor not only says the same
but does more, he labored with the
Democrats to create those very abuses
complained of. This is an acknow ledg
ment from the "Gazette unasked for,
and certainly not expected. What is
the enviabls position Of Senator Bay.
ards PARTY in Delaware 1t is coun.
tenapcing system of representation
which dsfranchises one-fourth the peo.
pie Of the State for the sake Of keeping
itself in power. Had New Castle county
representation in the Legislature equal
in proportion to population to the TIVE
lower countie, neither Senator Bay
ard nor Senator Salisbury would
have an unbrok-n line of success
sion in tho Senate Of the United
States. New Castle county with rs, 900
Of . population elects ten members Of
the Legislature, while the remaining
$1,000 population Of the State elects
twenty members. 1t is plain to be seen
that had New Castle county the same
relative proportionate representation
with Kent and Sussex, the odds would
be with New Castle, and as the latter
county has gone Republican as often
as Democratic during and since the war,
there would bs about half the time a
Republican legislature, and Republi-
can Senators would have sometimes
been elected. Just here a little illus
tration by figures would not be amiss,
and careful observance by careful
readers will show that these figures At
least do not lie. The aggregate popu-
lat!on Of Kent and Sussex counties is in
round numbers about $4,000 and as
We have already stated those $4,000
elect twenty members of the Legislature.
Divide $4,000 bv the twenty members
and we have $3.50 as the basis,ot repre-
sentatlon for each member. Now
then, W: will 60 a little piece
farther an apply the same basis of
representation to New Castle County
and then We will see where this almost
wholesal. disfranchisement comes in
at. The latter county it is believed
now has population Of $4,000, but for
the sake of coming within undisputed
limits we willsay $4,000. This $1,000
Of a population only elects ten members
Of the Legislature, which makes the
basis Of representation to each member
$500 compared with $3.50 for Kent and
Sussex. In jooular sense it takes 2
and 1880 men in New Castle to make
one man in Kent and Sussex. Carrying
out the illustration little farther, on
the basis of $3.50 for single represent
tative, New Castle County with her
population of $4,000 would have
twenty-three members and fraction of
$50 over instead Of ten as at present.
We hops We have been sufficiently ex-
plicit in this demonstration to show
our readers plainly that more than
half the people of New Castle County
are totally disfranohised. 1t is this
injustice which We said Mr.. Bayard had
never moved finger nor uttered word
in favor Of having removed. What
spectacle.
One of the foremost stat tssmen of the
age "feted and flatterei," for his liber-
atty, representing county where over
one half the people have no voice in
the government of the State! Had New
Castle county her rights equal with the
two lower counties, she would elect
majority of the Legislature and that
majority would at times be adverse to
eleoting Mr.. Bayard to the Senate. 1t
is this great Injustice more than any.
other that Mr.. Rayard has never at
tempted to remove. lie is satisfied
to maintain his seat in the Senate Of
the United States though he does 80
by an iniqlitous system Of representa-
tion that tramples the sacred rights of
10000 of his constituents Immediately
around his own home into the dust,
When hes. things are considered, We
do not wonder that the people Of Della
ware are rsstive under the CALLING yoke
of such glaring oppression which is
crushing the political manhood out of
them; and that they are seriously ask
ing themselves the question: "Have
We a Republican form of Government ?'
THE RISE in the price of ice is sup