Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-07-28
The Municipal Court Jar.


There are two sides to the little dis
agreements that occur and are so often
manifested between the police and the
municipal court. Without appearing
As an apologist for the alleged insubor-
dination that is said to exist amongst
the members of the police force, we
hope we may be permitted to say that
abject obedience can hardly be expected
of a body of men who feel the smarts
of political luminosity and who have
been ridden over rough shod by partisan
legislation. 1t can hardly be expected
that ordinary human beings can look
calmly and with undisguised respect
and veneration upon court that exis S
against the will Of the people it is in
tended to rule. What did the members
Of the Legislature suppose the people of
Wilmington to be, when they defed
their expressed will at the ballot box
Did they look upon them as cravens
and towards who would bow the supple
knee in abject obedience to State author
ity when their rights were trampled
upon? If they did, they placed Ameri
can character at very low estimate.
Tyrants may enact laws, but they can.
not compel the people to respect them.
They may appoint rulers against their
will but the people will acknowledge
them and acquiesce in their decisions
with such a GOODNESS and negativeness
that outright rebellion would be prefer
able. This is about the manner in which
the municipal court holds its tenure in
the city of Wilmington. 1t was created
to override the will Of the people and
because that will was Republican in
sentiment. A municipal court could
AS easily have been established that
would have had the respect of the whole
people, instead of the GOODNESS and in
difference with which it is now received
Even the party in power at D)ver
could have satisfied the peopleif such an
inordinate greed for Office had not been
exhibited. Had municipal court been
devised to 60 into effect at the end Of
the present Mayors term and the Judge
have been maze elective by the people
there would not have been single jar
in the change and the people without
regard to party would have given it "a
hearty support.
A judicial or any other kind Of a
Government of the city, appointed
through partisan agencies and run by a
partisan State Government after the
people have been accustomed to govern
themselves, never can be popular in
Wilmington and there is no use expect
ing it. Senator Bayard, the great Della
ware apostle Of Democracy, though he
says that the franchise is not an inherent
right, is still more positive that local
self government belongs exclusively To
the people. This right has been violat.
al by the Senator's own party, by the
creation OF il partisan Municipal Court
and a partisan Water Commission and
neither of them will ever receive the
support, respect and confidence that
will make them efficient and productive
of good government. As IA rule the
people have no personal objections tC
the gentlemen who fill the offices OF
Judge and Clerk Of the Municipa
Court, but at the same time the under
current of feeling is that they hold
usurped Offices that belonged to another
whom the people in their sovereign ca
pacity had chosen. Policemen are mel
like other people. Though they submit
to the powers that BE-, it would be un
natural to expect the same respect an,
obedience to the Court that they wOult
render to a Mayor or IA Court elected b,
the people no matter what party electe'
him.