Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-11-17
rne Levy Cou,lmen'. Term Again

remained In the Board ana performed
the duties OF the o&ee. The same paper
intimates that Mr.. Fsbiger Is not &c
hungry fer Office as to push for seat
in the court until the time named, AND
then further suggests that some legis
lstive act should bs passed succinctly
defining the beginning and the ending
Of the term Of Levy Courtnan. The
Gazette did not however claim that Mr.
Lsckey bad q right to retain his seat in
the Levy Court until February, but
merely that nothing being said about II
he continued on % member becauss
nobody thought the matter Of sufficient
importance to object to 1t. Though
more definite legislation on the question
Of the beginning and ending Of the
term of q member Of the Levy Court
could do no harm, any person Of ordi-
nary intelligence can easily understand
the law as 1t reads and as published in
the REPUBLICAN on Monday.
A paragraph in Section 2, Chapter
VIII, Revised Code provides that the
members Of the Levy Court elected at
the general election shall hold Their
office four years. This would be ratb er
vague and ambiguous were it not for
other qualifying clauses in the same
session. Thus it provides that where
= vacancy occurs tbs Governor nay ap.
p int a person to fill the vacancy until
chs next election, and in computing the
term the period from one general cleo
tion to tie next shall be reckoned two
years. Tie same section also makes
provision that when tie in the vote
occurs and the Governor Is called pom
TO appoint one, the term shall only be
until the next general election.
In the whole chapter referring to the
election and duties Of the Levy Court
mot word is said Of them holding over
uut'l the regular meeting in February,
and neither does the Gazets as We
understand II. claim that the term eK-
tends beyond the general election. 1t
merely in tances the fact that Mr..
Lackey served on until February, and
Of course the inference Ia that Messrs.
CsrsWsll, Lodge, Husbands, Silver and
Wilson should be allowed to serve on
until February. Under ordinary DIR.
oumstances We presume there would be
NO objection. In 1872 there was not
10 much importance attached 10 the
Office as there is now. 1t ia only Of late
years that Levy Court Commissioners
have imposed objections to citizens
getting ass essed, and it is only since
the time Mr.. Fsbiger was sfore q men,
Der that they have struck at the cleo.
tive franchise and used their power to
prevent a full and fair assessment.
Had they not done this not a word Of
objection We presume would ever nave
been heard against the gentlemen
named for holding on to their Offices
until the February term. Bat with
the experience Of the past year before
them, with the knowledge, that they
allowed over 400 Illegally ass essed
names to remain upon the assessment
notwithstanding the fact that their
own attorney in q similar Gaze decided
that they could and should bs stricken
from the assessment; in view of the
fact that they treated with contempt q
respectful petition from the leading
business men Of Wilmington to have 6
full, fair and legal assessment; in view
of the fact that drunksrds, FOUNDERS,
repeaters, ignorant street sweeps, bal
lot box suffers and ex-blockade run.
ners were appointed to hold elections;
and in view Of the further fact that the
most unblushing and shameful partisan
discrimination has been shown in the
selection Of jurors from the city of vii
mington, an indignant people demand
that these men who are clearly holding
on to their Offices Illegally shall retire,
and let the newly elected members
take their lawful places. II is true
shat this would make NO change 10
the partisan aspect Of the Board, but
then 1t will be a satisfaction 20 the
people TO SEQ the members Of the court
elected by them fiji the places to which
they were elected. This the President
of tho court Of course can prevent by
not calling a meeting OF the court until
before Februsry. This is his business
1.-The shoulders that responsibility he
and his party will have to beM it, but
it shsuId BE- distinctly understood that
every dollar paid to any of the retiring
members Of the court between the
election snd the February term fol
committee work vii! be- that much
mon"y Illegally drawn from the county.