Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1879-02-20

! indr ptndrnce TO introduce real reform
measures has I've come the target OF
rdicule for his fellow members. and
when he speaks for the people OF the
State it is but the signal for a general
attack on any measure he advocates, no
matter how beneficial. The people OF
the State have called for relief from the
| old i-udal laws, which, instead OF being
as they were once equitable and
beneficial, but which ar. now not
only Inconsistent, but oppressive,
and az the political hastings that relief
was promised but drunk with the
madness of partisan success, Every
promise ha. been broken, and the petit
tions Of the people for reform have 50
far been contemptuously buried in the
depths OF the committee room or lost in
the mysterious pigeon holes of the State
House. In the case OF individuals, it
sometimes happens that att"r an i'll
sp-nt life the approach of evening re-
calls the evil doer to his better thoughts,
and they not unfrequently signalize
their exit by trying to win back the
good opinions of their contemporaries.
We have waited for til. latter days of
this Legislature, family hoping that
the prospect Of approaching dissolution
might induce it to redeem itself and
pass out of power with some degree of
credit a. the faithful guardians Of the
people, but SO far We hav. waited in
vain, and the present inspires Us with
no hattering hope of the future.
Scanning the past seven weeks retro
spectively, we look in vain for that
wise legislation which should stand as
a monument to the wisdom of our law :
makers. Instead of l-gislating upon
the broad questions Of equitable repre-
sentation an elective judiciary pro-
tecting the people in the rights of
citizenship; reform in the assess
ment laws and the laws providing
for the collection of taxes aiding in
needed county reforms, and an honest
collection and payment of taxes; and
doing something that would be OF some
benefit to the moral welfare of tn.
State; we find nothing but the blackrn-
cd trunks Of divorce cases, in the face
of the declaration of Whatsoever God
hath joined together let not man put
asundsr;"a road here and their straight
tened and new one laid out; ditch
bank made higher or an old one demol.
iShed, and some school district fenced
in to keep the cows out. So far these
are the gnarlsd and stunted offshoots
Of seven weeks OF our Legislative term.
As in the past, IS, 900 people with ten
representatives are to be ruled for an
indefinite time by IS, 600 with twenty
representatives; our courts are still to
be held by Judges with life tenure Of
Office. Our county Offices except Sheriff
and Coroner, are still to be filled with
men Of the Governors selection but
who the people do not want. The sys-
TEN OF Acknowledgement inagurated
some six or eight years, ago which has re-
duced the vote of the State from e, 600
down to 1900, is to 60 on until real
estate owners only will be made to
pay all the taxes, and be in con-
sequence entitled to do all the voting.
| Counties are still t. be allowed to be
come defaulters to the State. and tax
collectors defaulters to the county, and
no Investigation Is to be allowed. All
these measures which are crying aloud
for redress, are to be given the 90 by,
and the Legislature is to 20 on IN its
usual way tearing asunder family ties,
erecting and levelIing ditch banks and
fencing in school districts. 1t is a his.
torical saying, that "Nerc lIldlrd while
Rome was burning and if this is true
the Rome of past centuries has is cOun
terpart in Delaware, with the LegisIa
ture as its fiddlng Nero. This state OF
affairs cannot always continue even in
, Delaware. The needed reforms which
the Legislature is 50 contemptuously
, thrustiug aside will be accomplished i
, not by the party now dominant, by
, another which will be most sure to / ist
up and seize the reins Of government,
, and We are only surprised that tn,
: present Legislature is drtrrring It
another the golden opportunity it la
p had OF rearing a monument of wise leg
, isIatiou which should forever live IN th'
. hearts of the people.
t Tue "Gazette" filings up it, hat ano
? iniulge5 in all kinds Of childish antic,
hrcause it says the negro vote Of Ches
ter was cast for the Democrats on Tues
? day, A six year old 10y with a penny
kite could not be better pleased, bu
we notice that the "Hazette' still
3hrieks for the white mans party il
) Delaware, and will keep on shriekin!
for it until it needs the colCred vote
r and then it will as easily make the ne