Daily Republican., 1883-11-28
Mr.. Bay ard M d His Legi"n.

D.r"lu Der D.
Mr.. Bay ard snd His LegiWn.
IN The main the sentiments expr ssed
by Senator Bayarh at the ninth ami
versary of the Bayard Legion last night,
can he accepted as sound, sensible logic
which, if carried out by all parties,
would make more intelligent and better
voter, aud lead to better government.
There was an utter absence of what in
common parlance is accepted as politi.
cal slang and firing up of the politica!
hearr, though the occasion was the an
niver.ary of political organization
that in tunes past did not bear good
reputation for orderly habits and moral
observances. But the Bayard Legion
of,o-hay, judging from the gentleman
ly department of all who we're present
last evening, is quite different organi-
zation from what it was in the politi-
cal hustings of 1876 when Mr.. Bayard
addressed it in wigwam in the Eighth
ward, and Mr.. Rayard's speech last
night also stood out in strong contrast
for good sense and sound argument
when compared with the speech he
ma e to the same club seven years ago.
There was nothing in Mr.. Bayard's
speech last night that could not be
heartily subscribed to by citizen voters of
all parties unless it be the possible ex-
ception of the uupartisanship claimed
for the assessment laws. 1t may be
noticed that he made his usual allusion
to the beauties and benefits of local
selfgovernment, without making any ap.
plication of his remarks to his own State,
upon the prime pc of "present com.
pany always excepted" There are
some things that always show better in
theory than in practice. Local self
government is one of Mr.. Bayard'S ia
vorite hobbies, indeed a ech made
by him without abiding 10 its trans.
cendent justice and benefits would in
deed be rara-avis. 1t is unfortunate
that Mr.. Raya lives In State where
there is less e!f-government than in
any other State in the Union, and all
ard when he let's himself off upon this
favorite theme, is that he does not ~
rough 81 cd for the inequalities ofrep.
reservation, the gerrymandering Of po-
litcal districts to get ali un .air advsn-
tage, ": ter Commissions and NUM-
cipal Conrts, that have well nigh lie.
government left for his native city and
county. What grand opportunity
Mr.. Bayard had to let his eloquent
tbunde; drop upon such undemocratic,
unr publican actions as have stolen
away from the people of Wilmington
the privilege Of governing themselves,
but somehow he always let's these IA
vorabe occasions 60 by and chooses to
waive the practical and accept the
the"re'ical application Of the principles
of local sell. government.
But the occasion was not one for the
discussion OF prsctical political ethics
so much as IA social occasion, and Mr..
Bayard easily found enough to talk
about Of interest to the Legion without
having gone into subjects that if
HANDLED as they deserved would not
have sounded 50 pleasantly TO his willing
listeners Wulle We are upon this topic
we viii ju-' a.!ude briefly 10 Mr.. Bay
ards assertion that the only cases Of
conviction before he courts for illegal
votin. were Democrats who were con-
victeu by Democratic jnries. We know
Of no Democrats that were convicted
before the Staff courts for illegal voting
except "Gus' 'O'Donnel and we believe
a man named Iieger and thev were
convicted by juries that would, have
stultited themselves had they rendered
any other verdict. There were hum
dreds VINO deserved conviction but who
escaped through convenient loop holes
in the law that has made prosecutions
in our courts for illegal voting nothing
bu: a miserable farce.
Mr.. Bayard very sensibly observed
that a Democrat was very poor Demo-
crat whose only claim 20 Democracy
was that he only voted for man be-
cause he was ID mocrat and the same
applied to the Republicans az well. 1t
was Car acter IN candidates that shou d
be loOke' after in voting and not par y,
and the man who only voted for this or
that man simply because he was a
Democrat or Republican had but a
poor appreciation of what constituted
an ptelligtnt exercise Of the elective
franchise In these golden sentiments
all good citizens will agree with Mr..
Bayard He congratulated the Legion
on the elimination Of the rough element
from its midst, aud that it had settled
solidly down on the foundation Of char
acter al intelligence. These remarks
of MIR Bayard in praise Of the Legion
were justified by what he saw before
him, ror we are happy to say that q
moe orderly and intelligent prOmis
cuuus political assernblage is seldom
mer with.
S-------
WHAT WOULD life be to the stat
aut rpu ,ositors Of Il newspaper withon
Tt@ukspiving all to Themselves? They
ha'r their innings tomorrow and IL
NIt no, r. -,,Iru VI will hs
MSS II from your tirr4ides Tomorrow
ev:nlng in other words the REPrBLt
CAN will not bt issued to-mOrrOw.
THE REPUBLICAN will be around tt
see yor on Friday evening again, six