Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-03-24
A Constitutional Convention Need

The Constitution OF Delaware !,
amending in more respects than In PR via
ing for increased representation and there
fore Mr.. Bates proposition to provide for
calling n Constitutional Convention should
have been accepted A Constitutional Con
yention would be more likely to deal in
liberal 'pirit with the quest on Of representa-
ton than II Legislature elected under the
strict surveillanc and practices of partisan
rules There woud have been 50 many 9TH
er questions Of Importance to meet and settle
upon Il liberal and aincable basis the Dues
ton Of representation would also have been
treated in the same liberal manner. Con
stitutiOnal Convention would have had the
power u revise the whole COnstitution-iu
fact, TO have presented an entirely new Con
stitutiOn. hut ii would sail have remained
with the people to say whether they would
accept it or rcJec. 1t. The knowledge that it
would have u be submitted 10 the popular
suiiraxes would have Insured i liberal con
ccssIon entirely forcign to Legislative bo-
dies.
Considering the urgent need ct Constitu.
tlonui reform wnicA should only he obtained
through State Convention. the people
will hardly be disposed 10 excuse the present
Legslltu for 1t; calling Convention -
Amongst the needed reforms j. Judiciary
reform. This question has been before the
Legislature often during the present se,.
sion and still nothing dclnite has been
agreed upon Next to representation a re-
modelling Of the .ILli"iary system of the
State Is most needed. AMI this can be done
best by IA Convention, The rople are not
clothed with the same power they have III
almost every Other STATE Of the Euion. They
are only permitted ia the choice " their
County officers to vote for Sheriff and Curo-
ner, and the Levy curt, the latter being the
same us County Commissioners, ia other
States-in New jersey they are called the
Board Of frecho!d"rs why the people
shoald be entrusted with the election Of these
officers. and ne prohibited from electing n
PrOthUn0tary, Il Recorder Of Deeds. Req.
ter OF "ltl., "A Clerk uf the Peace, II Clerk ct
the Orphans Court. County Treasurer.
Trustees of the Poor. and II County Auditor
Is SON thing We cannot fairly understand |,
looks 10 rcasonAhi" mlnds that the people
themselves are ~ ",.''hIr "l saying who
shall be their Count officers q, = Governor
who does not hAG" l.Ir Ippli, at, for thrs
offices and Whose Only s"urcc ut Attenuation
in regard to them is through the ppittriun-
who run the respective plrtr-. A tvnstitu-
ti0nal Convention !, HresleL 10 consider this
subject. 1t II too big for partisan Lcgt,Ta
ture to grasp. A Convention could calmly
take into consideration thu div sion of the
State q. the Counties INTO Legislative dis
triets There wuuLd =" II" Governor To- inter
pose his objection On the gro lud that The DIS,
trict system waS too ADVANCED. \ stat"
court elective hS districts q" ululrr in
sLead Ofhy Countic'. a. tpr,,. 1T. and n
would also he liberal enough 60 run.idrr the
question Of education II all II, proper bear
ins| upon the whole people "t the state. ON
~ a State Convention can cOu,IIrrHN these
changes ~ they should be. WI, then not
call "nc : instead 81 the poor .iu,r >hrlyri-
ed and starred r"DC'--laH mad" by an Ia.
tensely partisan 1t. stature, Of four rcprr,cn-
tative>. why not LEI III" people .nto the ulI
lbert. OF self government" Vet a State
Convention be called that WI ua orA the
old Constitution. that the old tcbrL. and
dead wool may BE- removed ant replaced
with sound live tilhhcr'