Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-09-06

We quote elsewhere from the Dsld.
plrean au editorial ai;iclS hersldiue ~,
discovery ct su alleged Il w In the Ut nd,
ing constitutional amendment pr vldirg
for increased representation .or lis
county in the Legislature. IL
brief the DeiapIr eans point is
that the failure OF the smendme 10
specify that the representatives to he
voted for by the people of this city and
those to be voted for 10y the people OF the
rural HUNDREDS a this county, shall be
residents rsspecj ly Of the city,
aud Of the rural hundreds, gives
mir oritJ pHriy chance to
secure Representation in spite OF the ma.
jority. The DeiaaW,dl puts this cas-
II the Democrats w.I- morally sure that
four Republicans, residents of the city,
and seven Republicans, residents OF the
rural hundreds, would be elected to the
lower House, they might place
on the Democratic ticket tour
Democrats, residents OF the city, the four
Republican candidates, residents OF the
city, and three persons from the outside
hundreds. II then all the Democrats
both urban and rural, should vote for the
Republican candidates from the city and
only the city Democracy should vote for
the four Democratic nomil ees resident in
the city, the latter, though receiving q
minority Of both urban and rural votes
would be declared properly elected, since
their opponents, the four Republicans,
had been voted for not by the voters OF
the city alone, but by voters of both the
city aud the rural hundreds.
This is truly worthy the sharp wits Of
Kent county politicians, but We do not
think the bugaboo thus conjured up is
very alarming. Probably it would
be better for the amendment to dis.
tinctly say that the represen-
tstivss from the respective urban
and rural districts shall be resi-
dents of the respective districts. In tn,
present condition of parties, however
there Is sufficient uncertainty as TO tn,
result OF an election in thii
county to prevent either part,
rom resorting to such device q
.h- Dsiauarean suggests. AS long a
ln-re ia 3 chance of gaining all, neithe
part! siil he satisf with part, and
there is certainty of elecling full dele
CATION Of one party from the city and
iul delegation Of the other party fror
the country hundreds, each party will b
content to nominate so as to secure I
each district a resident dslegatio
elected by majority of the distric
Then, too, it is very far from certain ths
it would be finally decided that the fcu
urban Democrats, in the cas-
cited by the D.ldVarean, woul
be entitled TO seats, since I'll
returns would plainly chow that the
were defeated by vote of their own di
trict. We do not know whether there
any precedent for such decision as IL
DeiaSarean contsmplstes, but in IL
absence of such precedent, no polite
party would resort to the device in que
ton.
Finally, however, even supposipg Il
result should work out in accordance vii
the DelapG'ean's superstition, we s.
nothing very terrible in such an even
Il. would simply secure that vel
, desirable thing, minority representatio
3 and establish an infinitely fairer syste
= than We have at present. 1t is n
, unusual for laws to be framed to aecu
, minority representation, aud perhaps
t framing this amendment our legislato
' have build.d better than they knew.