Daily Republican., 1882-08-22
TUESDAY. AUGUST 81, 1889.
nclaware,s Unjust stewards.

litiCal Chessboar d OF the StateI VIC u
not hear a word or see movement II
favor of reform in the State Govern
ment. Being in possession OF the Stat
for more than a quarter of a century
the Democrats have entwined them
selves around every office and hav'
posted sentinels to forewarn them of ap
proaching danger. So they but fill tn
offices, reforms may 60 to the winds
But a day of reckoning has come a
last, and the people are asking of thei
servants an account of their steward
ship. What have these servants t.
render? They took the helm of thu
State government when there was not
q cent of debt against the State. What
is it now? One million and five
hundred thousand dollars in debt. The
same proportion would make a debt o.
$45, 10000 for Pennsylvania or $5l, 900,
900 for New York. While great reforms
have been the order Of the day in other
States, in Delaware the party in power
has slumbered and slept, and now
when the people want an account rem
dered, what State effects are there ?
To use a scriptural phrase, there are
nothing but leaves to show. The at
tempt to crush out the patriotic feeling
of the State, while enemies were trying
to subvert and break up the govern
ment, is the darkest blot against the
party called Democratic during the
dark days of the civil war. But the
charge is true. The party did try to
smother the love for the old flag, else
why did Democratic Legislature for
bid the raising of the National flag upon
the State house, when it was in session ?
Why did the party refuse to equip regi-
ments for the Union army? Why did
it refuse to give even crust of bread
or a cup of cold water to the hungry
widows, wives and children of Union
Soldiers? These things are all past
say these same old Bourbon servants,
whose lazy limbs never move respon-
sive to a single note of reform. They
are, it is true, numbered with the past,
but they are bard to forget by those
who lived through those troublous
times. EThe Statute books and the jour
mails of Legislature will for generations
like the ghost of Banquo, be brought as
witnesses against them.
But leaving the past to take care of
itself, blotting out the disloyal acts of
the Democratic party and drawing a
veil across the black and charred rec
mains of an unparalleled venal sub
serviency, which we'll nigh drew our
State into rebellion, what have these
Democratic servants to offer to the peo.
pie as recommendation that they
should be retained in power? They
have had twenty-five years of uninter-
rupted control, and what is the record
In the great light of the nineteenth
century, when the tocsin of reform is
sounding throughout the land, when
the great battle for the rights Of man
is being fought out, when civilization
is conquering savage age, and when
the crescent is bowling to the cross,
what advancement has been made in
Delaware under Democratic rule ? Let
the servants be arraigned before the
bar of public opinion and made to an
Rwer. What has been done to educate
the children of the State? Answer ser
wants You have improved the schools
for white children have you /? But
your little par5imonious souls have not
taken the 5000 black children of the
State into consideration, and you have
permitted them, so far as you were
conc 81 ned, to grow up in ignorance and
vice, until Delaware stands with her
head hanging in shame as the only
State in the Union that has not a well
devised school system for her colored
children. Let found wanting be writ
ten upon the brazen brow of Democra.
cy, 30 far as education is concerned.
But answer still farther, Democratic
servants Have you done all in your
power to enable the people to exercise
the rights of citizenship? Afraid were
you that the Democratic party would
not be successful and so you passed
laws which led to the disfranchisement
of at least one fourth of the people that
were opposed to you? Let the iniqui
tous assessment laws more fully answer
this question.
One more ipterrogatory. Why are
$4,000 citizens of New Castle County 30
disfranchised that they have no voice
whatever in the Legislature? Oh yes
Because you were afraid that if the peO
pie were represented according to popu.
iation, another party would come into
power, the Democracy would lose the
Offices and Mr. Bayard would not be
returned to his seat in the United States
Senate. Therefore they are kept dis.
franchised.
Well, the people propose to take the
matter in hand now aud they propose
to employ new servants that will place
Delaware where she ought to be, with
her head proudly erect, marching in
the van of the progressive States Of the
Union, as she led the van guard of the
States that first signed the Constitution
Delaware in the Revolution, true al
tried steel 10 liberty, and first to take
the risk in establishing our government