Daily Republican., 1883-06-04
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 1883.
Causes for the Small Vote.

days election for Assessor and members
of the City Council is the remarkable
Lack Of interest manifested by the peo-
pie. Scarcely two-third vote has been
po!lcd. Various causes may be as
signed for this lack of interest and fall
ing OIL i'll votes. In the first place a
great many people have become so dis
gustel with the manner in which vii.
mington is ruled from Dover that they
had made up their minds to vote nc
more. This was principally the case
with Republicans Every fair election
only farther proves that Wilmington is
a Republican city, and even in the
small vote cast last Saturday the Re
publicans have about two hundred ma
jority. Yet in the face of all this the
city is gerrymandered and cut up into
wards III such a manner that the Demo-
Gratis cannot help but elect majority
of the City Council unless their plans
miscarry as they did last year, when
two Republicans were elected from
down town Democratic wards. These
two Republicans are holding over mem
bers his year and that only gives the
Republicans the majority of the City
Council. In another year if the Repub.
l.. I
they will lose the City Council in spite
of the decisive Republican majority
there is in the city. Another cause for
the Indifference of Republicans was man-
ifested in the fact that even when they
gained Republican victory they were
not permitted to enjoy it simply be-
cause the State of Delaware, through its
Legislature, is a bigger man than the
city Of Wilmington through its City
Council. Only a year ago the Repub-
licans carried the city by good ma
Jority and elected Mayor. What do
we see to-day? That Mayor pushed
aside by the Legislature and a rump
Court composed of a Democratic Judge
and Democratic Clerk set up in his
place and performing the duties of his
office. For nine years and nine months
Democratic Mayors had been permitted
to occupy peaceably the position to
which they were elected The aid of a
Democratic Legislature was never ill.,
yoked to legislate them out of office and
set up rump Republican Court. Dover
and Wilmington pulled together as
long as both were Democratic But
the moment the people elected Repub-
licalI Mayor then came the interior
enCe.
Again, only last January the City
Council changed the chief official of the
Water Department. 1t had a perfect
and undisputed right to do 50, in fact it
was elected in part for that very pur-
pose. What do we see again today =? |
A rump Water Commission appointed
from Dover, with the man at the head
OF 1t back i'll his old position fro n
which the people hid for the time ex-
cllded him, so Far as paper and red
tape could put him there. 1t is only ON
account Of the firm stand taken by the
City Council i'll defence of the rights OF
the people that he is not exercising the
tyrann cal power given to him by way
of Dover
Republican voters are not only dis
couraged by looking back and at the
present aspect of political affairs, bu
they are as much discouraged by taking
a view Of the future. Continued Re-
publican success in Wilmington means
only continued Democratic interference
from Dover. Every Republican SUE
cess will be offset by additional acts of
tyranny and oppression by a Democrat |
iC Legislature. We need not wonder
tha' he pnOple are becoming apath"tir
and indifferent and that hundreds of
Rnp' b,1anS cared nothing about the
eler.ol! on Saturday. They knew any
how hat h. City Council was reason. |
alb" -Hre ot being Republican
TIL. year, but it would only be- for
yea Tie resistance to the Water
Commission would in the end be futile
anyhow tnry thought, because the Leg
is,o.3r' will mcrr again in eighteen
m4@rA- 1ud " aid supply the lacking
Iegl- aD.u - enable the Water Com
mis- ."' 'o axe possession Of its coveted
prcy ''ucr p"dc"abiy or by force ~
need &c., We do not share all these
feeling bur hundreds Of Republican,
did, and ab,ru'cd themselves from the
polls.
On the Democratic SIDE there was too
n surprising apathy manifested Aware
OF III" tyHuuical ac}s of the LrgisM.
tufe 10y could not endorse them.
Thr" saw a.I"Id increased rXf avagauce
arG .r.T, 4 -axatiOn in the manage
me..' + ,I Water Works through
WAR; .'. sion and they would not
go rs rlr PM, .o endorse such extrava-
gam by ujr .ptes. They were party
mrn Iuu yOu not want to break away
from arir party and 50 cDmproni >ed
10y taying aWay from til" polls. THESE
an' thor caus,', might be addUrrd 70
g.. IN the smaIln"sS Of the vote on
49, -l1,, bur hcca,isr Of its SIN llncss
II utr. "mphdlraUIy cuudruu. the
go' .l'ut Of Wilmington by way Of
Do. .u it'rrru tIDu,tud votes
har H',l n.'ru.
GE"t.D .AJ.LI, I'p,crlfir rauli-
date for lection L. Council from fine
fourth WmL ran INntF-Gght votes