The daily gazette., 1883-05-31
what the revolution WIN Lead To.

what the Revolution VIII Lead To.
We doubt II any citizens who support the
majority members o: City Council in their
revolutionary opposition to the Water Com
mission bill, have ever paused to consider
the effect such a course is likely to have
upon the cause of of good government aud
security to person and property. 1t will
not do to excuse their opposition upon Q
plea that the bill overrides the rights
of citizens or takes from our people
the power to manage their own affairs, for
the municipality of Wilmington has abso-
Iutely no rights of government except those
derived from the Legislature, and its very
corporate existence is dependent upon the
pleasure of the State. Without legislative
authority it would be unable to have any
system of government whatever, and the
right of the Legislature to alter and amend
its system of government at any
time, upon the request of a number of
citizens, or at the pleasure of the General
Assembly, has never been called into ques-
ton. The General Government of this
country derived all OF its powers from the
States, but there is not State in the Union
that eau be said to have derived any of its
legislative powers from the cities.
Harsh aud unnatural as it
may seem, the Legislature, If
it sees proper, hPs the legal power
to deny the city of Wilmington all rights of
self government, but it has never assumed
such an arbitrary exercise of its functions,
and has carefully refrained from interfering
with Our city charter unless requested to 40
SO by our people or their legal representa-
tives. The Water Commission bill,
which is now opposed by bitter parti-
sans in the hope of influencing the
voters at the approaching election, was petit
toned for by large number of citizens of
both political parties, while some Republi-
cans Of influence and high social standing
wrote personal letters to the members of the
Legislature urging the passage of the
bill. Not a voice was raised against the
measure, and though there was ample
opportunity, the people of Wilmington failed
to make any remoustrance. Thus the bill
was passed, and not until it was found that
its operations would deprive some Republi-
can partisans of their official positions was
any opposition manifested against it.
.sny minded citizen can thus readily
perceive that the Legislature possessed the
undoubted right to pass the Water Com.
mission bill, and opposition to its provisions
is just as revolutionary and criminal as :
refusal to comply with any othel
law of the StaCe. If the coustitutionality o.
the law is doubted the question can be
speedily settled by our courts, but for any
body OF citizens to set themselves up as a
court of final appeal and decide the const
tutionality OF Legislative measure is reyo-
luton OF the boldest and most fragrant kind
Ii people can oppose the Water Co mmissior
bill, they can as rightfully oppose the entir,
city charter, refuse to obey the city
ordinances, defy the Mayor and his police
laugh al the tax collectors, and plunge th,
city into state of anarchy and confusion
What woulh life and property in Whining
ton be worth with such state of affairs pre-
vailing And yet this is the legitimat
sequence of the present opposition to tn
law of our General Assembly creating
Water Commission for the city of vii
mington
1t is boldly given out that |
the Republican candidates for Cit
Council are generally successful al
Saturdays election the opposition to tn,
Water Commission will be continued, IL
which event conflict of authority, with al
the attendant danger and confusion, will b,
unavoidable. This s condition OF affair,
that no tax payer will care to see in exist
ence, and we doubt not that many citizen
would be willing to defeat crediUable AM
able Council ticket upon such an issue
But when the incompetents who hay
mismanaged our city affairs for the pas
year and created deficiency of $40, 900, as
the people to endorse their revolutionar
tendencies as well as tfeir total incapacit
to conduct our local government, ther
should be no hesitation on the part of tn
people in resolutely repudiating both by al
overwhelming majority.
Wilmington is emphatically a law-abiiin
city, and every citizen who wishes to avoiC
the certain confusion, loss and interruptio
to our valuable interests that will surely a
tend any attempt to repudiate the laws O
our State should go to the polls and vot
against the revolutionists at Saturday
election