Daily Republican., 1883-04-19


Now that IA Democratic Board OF
Water Commissioners is al assured fact
It will not be ont of place to take a
glance at the future ana ask what next,
In the frs place let US see what real y
has been done. The Democratic poll.
ticians of Wilmington, who are always
wide awake to take a partisan advant.
age, through the votes OF Ignorant cedar
swamp and back-woods members Of
the Legislature from Sussex County
have overturned AMI re volutionized the
local municipal government of Will
mington. Through the influence OF
these men who seldom, if ever, see
Wilmington, and who would probably
not drink water if they were in Wi.
mington, they have deprived the citl-
gems of any chance of exercising any in
tiuence upon the question of providing
water for the city except through an in
,iirect manner Of voting for Il Mayor
who appoints the Water Commissioners,
when the terms Of the three who are
now appointed expire. A pertinent
question just here arises. As the Mayor
is to have the appointment of the Water
Commissioners their terms expire, why
did not the Legislature permit him to
appoint the three first ones ? Is he not
AZ competent t" appoint Water Com
1nlssioners now 10, hr or any other Mayor
will be years hence If he is why
should he be deprived OF this privilege
from the start ? We think we can
answer the question and hit the truth
at a venture. The Water Commission
bill provides that the Commissioners
shall not all be Of the same political
party ; composed of two Democrats and
one Republican, or two Republicans
and one DemOcra'-the probable intcn-
tion being to always have two Demo
Gratis and one Republican. Then il
Mayor Wales had been given the au
thOrity his Successors are 10 assume,
there won d probably have been Il
Board Of Water Com niSSioncr> compo-
st'i of two Republicans and one Demo
crat That would have been IA bad
start for the Democratic politicians who
have spent the winter at Dover They
couldn't have anything Of that kind and
the distinguished gentlemen from Bal
timore, Gumborougl, and Little Creek
Hundreds, coming TO the aid of the poll
tici,ns made it al right fl ON the start
If Mayor Wales had been permitted 10
appoint the tir,. Water Commissioners
MIR. II. u. Mvlutirc tould not have been
einctel Sup :t.utsl i"nt ., Chief Engi-
neer OF the Water Works, and that
would have involved failure of the
whole partisan scheme. Let us see
farther how cnnningly the frame work
OF the Water Commission is ,jointrd and
put together Toe term OF Il water
Commissioner is six years and the term
ot one expires every two years, when
the Mayor will then appoint u success
SOr The terms u 'hr three first are to
he arranged amongst themselves by
drawing .pDs for the two, four and six
year term. 1t will I've generally agreed
that six years is Il long term, but it
couldn't br arranged any other way to
prevent Mayor Wales from appointing
Commissioner.
the "rpoSr"r, had been lust Ger
tain 1AH the republican member If
the commission would draw The short
term, then it would have been safe To-
have m;!dr three years the limit oc
service. But there was no certainty OF
this, and if Il DrmOr ratio member would
draw the short term then all the nicely
planned schemes of the " rOUstrrs
would have been dashe, to the ground.
But there had TO be certainty. As the
whole thing was nothing but grand
act of usurpatlun, rs it was nothing bur
4 robbery If the w-upr's rights, the
'""'iS ''"' ~ " '''a''' '"'hPI"'"' al"
accordingly the terms were 50 arranged
shat Mayor Wales will not have the
appointment of any member Of tl,|
commission. AS the net i, ia On ir.uI
effect the first Of July, and two wear.
from that time will be one month
beyond the nrNt election for Mayor,
wnen it i, expected by the gerry.
Wandering OF the cify INTO twru,y-,ix