Daily Republican., 1882-06-23
The Decadence of Democracy.

The Decadence of Democracy.
The signs of the times indicate that
the Democrats will lose their hold of
the State of Delaware at the next cleo
ton. As they have so long held almost
undisputed sway in the State, there
must be some underlying cause for the
tiecadence of Democratic prosperity.
Where are we to find it? The causes
are to be found strung all along the
line of more than twenty years of
Democratic rule This takes us back
to the breaking out of the civil war of
the rebellion-back to the time when
the Legislature backed by the Demo.
cratic party refused to do anything to
strengthen the arm of the general gov
ernment in her struggle to preserve the
flag and the Nation. 1t should be with
feelings of shame that the Democracy
looks back to that period of semi
disloyalty. There are many yet living,
and who will live on for many years
yet to come, who bave, not forgotten
that a Democratic Legislature of a
State protesting to be loyal, refused to
hoist the National flag upon the State
House. 1t is not forgotten that con-
ference was held with rebel commits.
sioners from the South in reference to
Delaware casting in her lot with the
Southern Confederacy. 1t is not for.
gotten that Delaware before the war
clear Of debt was saddled with an
enormous debt to pay bounties to
drafted men 70 stay at home from war.
It is not forgotten that the State never
gave dollar to equip a regiment, to
support the wives and children of SOL
diers who were in the army and many
of whom had been killed. It is not
forgotten that Delaware under Demo.
cratic rule has never accepted the
amended Constitution of the United
States, nor has she by any act of the
Legislature abolished her slave code.
1t is remem bered with distinctive vivid
ness that every possible obstacle was
thrown in the way of enfranchising all
the people of the State according to the
provisions of the amended Constitu-
'Sion.
To counteract this spirit of, progress
'sive reform Democratic Legislatures
commenced tampering with the assess.
ment laws in order to keep the party
which elected them in power, since
which time that power has been held
only because one-fourth or more of the
Republicans of the State were disfran.
chised through the operations of in
iquitous and unjust assessment laws.
A further arraignment of the Demo-
cratic party is because it is unprogres-
'sive. 1t has persistently refused to
make any provision for the education
of colored people adequate to their
needs, and Delaware under Democratic
rule enjoys the distinction of being the
only State in the Union which has not
made a liberal provision for the educa-
tion CT her colored population. The
Democracy of Delaware, with strange
perversity of character, has persistent ,
ly refused to provide reformatory and ,
benevolent accommodations for the un. ,
fortunate ones Of the State. No blind, .
deaf and dumb asylums, no house of
correction, no MagGalen hospital, no
hospitable refuge for inebriates, no .
orphan asylums, nothing whatever in +
The line of benevolence and reform an. .
pears on the statute booke of Delaware
to mark the onward progress of the
lines. In the great desert of ,jails,
poor houses, gallows and whipping q
posts not an oasis of hope appears.
Bleak and desolate is the legislation of >
,he past. In addition to all this is the II
shame of $4,000 disfranchised n
citizens of New Castle County who r
lave no voice in the Legislature which O
makes the laws of the State, and what
Is worse still, the Democracy makes no
effort to right the CALLING wrong, be-
'ause if justice was done the party t.
would lose its hold Of the State. Is it t.
my wonder the Democracy is losing its c
lold upon the State? Is it any wonder n
he signs of the times indicate its over. c
'hrow? In that overthrow all pro. '
gressive citizens Of the State should \
DIN.
THE joke On the police by the IT, a
porters about that base ball match is IL
carried about far enough and in Justice 81
to the blue coats it should be stated and 81
We do state, that tie reporters got most n