Daily Republican., 1879-07-22
A NOTE
Bayard and Representation


lsnce On tn. representative question,
and lab,rs hard to show that he was
perfectly justified in the course he has
pursued; and farther that it was very
little concern OF Mr.. Bayard's whether
10000 people were disfranchised or not
SO long as by this disfranchisement he
(Mr. B. y could hold his office in the
United States Senate. The defence our
neighbor has made only shows the
truth of our articles on the subject
more conspicuously. We said that
when our present constitution was
adopted, there was an equal population
in all the counties OF the State, and
consequently as there were three Sena-
tors and seven representatives appor-
toned to each county, representation
was equal according to population. The
'Gazette" agrees with US exactly on
this point, and its veteran editor being
cotenporaneous with the time when the
present constitution was adopted, has
given the public some interesting re-
miniscences of those times. Tho pres
ent constitution was adopted in 1882,
when as We have already said popula-
tion in the counties was equal. and the
State then being under Wing DONNA
tion, nothing else was thought Of but
representation according to popu-
latioa The Wings made no at,
tempt at that time to degrade and
disfranchise over one half the
people of New Castle County, but gave
them full repres. ntation according to
population. This is the way the mat
ter stood in 1882, and remained so until
as the "Hazefte'' tells US, twenty years
afterwards.
Wilmington City had in the mean
tim- bpgun to grow and expand herself
and at the end of 1852 it was found
that New Castle County was away ahead
of either of the two lower counties,
leading either probably about 1000 in
population. Even this little prepon-
derance iD .'opulation at that time in
New Castle county, (it being Democratic
and Kent and Sussex Whig) made thu
Democrats reslise and by agitatng the
question, by the aid of a POI tion of the
Wings Constitutional Convention was
called to remedy amongst other evils,
this one especially of what was even at
that day called by the Democrats un
equal representation. We are glad that
the editor of the "Gazette" is so well
posted on this matter, for as his infor-
nation has serve him good purpose,
it equally serves us better purpose,
nd so We will coufne ourselves entire
to the dates and incidents which
has use1, and which are in
he main correct. This convention
called in 1852 was composed of a ma
jority OF what were then known as
wings. This is correct. The "Gazette'
informs us that the Democrats at that
convention favored representative &C.
cording to population. This is also
true, or at least we do not dispute the
premises taken. We are farther told
by the "Gazett-" that the Democrats
advocated an amendment giving to
New Castle county four Senators and
twelve Rvpr- sentatives; to Kent Coun-
ty, four Senators and eight Representa-
tives; aud to Sussex County, -four Sena-
tors AMI nine representatives. This
was equitable just and fair, though we
do not see why New Castle County
should not have been allowed five Sen
ators inst-ad of four. This wise pro-
vision we are informed was opposed by
the wings and We do not doubt it, for
the Wings did some very foolish things,
but not half so foolish as the Democrats
are now doing. This amendment which
the Democrats so warmly espoused
though good one lacked the essential of
grauual increase Of representation &C.
cording to population without calling
constitutional convention every time
the inequality became too great to be
borne. We are further in formed that the
now venerable Jas. A. Bay yard was Dem
ocratc member of that convention; that
he used exhaustive arguments in favor
of incorporating in the constitution the
principle of representation according to
population, and that failing in his ef-
forts ae departed, shaking off the dust
Of his feet against convention that for
partisan ends, would rather disfrau-
chise 1000 people in New Castle County
than to yield their hold on the State.
1t seems however from what the "Ga.
zette says, that the amendment did
at last prevail in the convention, though
the Hon. James A. Bayarl had picked
up his hat and left, and then came the
contest before the people in the adop-
tion the new constitution; and to
show who were in favor Of ll| adoption
we quote the "Gazette's y wo''s
"As it gave New Casll, Coun an in
crease in representation and made the
county officers elective by the people,