Daily Republican., 1883-08-11
Two States COntrasted.

u
Two States Contracted.
While Pennsylvania is spending at
the rate of three thousand dollars day
In an attempt to get fair app)rtion-
nent of the Legislature and an honest
districting of the State into Congress
sional districts, one half the people of
Delaware have no voice whatever in
any effort to district their State and in
my attempt to secure just and eluit-
able representation in their Legislature
Only one party has anything to do with
this kind of work in Delaware, and the
other, though numerically as large ifnot
much larger when all the votes are pollej
aro not permitted to have any voice in
the matter If such an equality ex-
listed in Pennsylvania, it would be
cause for continuous session of the
Legislature until grievous wrong was
properly righted. When we look at the
inequality Of representation in Della
ware, it is almost incredible to think
that people boasting of the enlarged
liberties they enjoy had submitted to
the degradation to which they have
been subjected througha long series of
years. For thirty years this inequality
has not only existed, but it has been
growing larger all the while until now
more han half the people of New Cas-
tie County are virtually DISTINGUISHED
20 far as representation in the Legisla.
ture is concerned. But no extra SEES
siOns of the Legislature have been
called in this State. Democratic poll
ticians here are perfectly satisfied with
the existing state Of affairs. By means
Of legislative disfranchisement they are
always sure of holding two counties
out Of three,a that gives to them the
control which Is the great thing aimed
ut. The fact that fifty thousand people
in New Castle County-more than half
the population of the State are disfran-
chised, gives them no concern whatever,
Kent and Sussex Counties, with popu.
lation of seventy thousand am. ""'n''
representatives in the Legislature, al
ways Democrats, are bigger than New
Castle County with eighty.five thous-
and populat on and only ten representa-.
tives in the Legislature, This inequality
anNfds safe Democratic margin-one
that can always be depended upon to
give them control of the Legislature by
a two-third vote no matter how New
Castle votes. If the latter County goes
for the Democracy it only makes the
Legislature unanimously Democratic
if she goes the other way the Democrats
still have two-hrds of the Legislature.
But these glaring and Ubiquitous inc
qualities and acknowledgements have
to call an extra session of Delaware's
Legislature to egislate in favor of fair
and equal representation.
But even some Democrats have he
come ashamed Of the servility and po-
litical slavery under which they were
serving and in the last State campaign
did raise their voices in favor of what
their platform tfrlped fair and equita-
-; All" 'ssue
BILE representation. Upon zoe.
they won New Castle County, and a
long oppressed people began to think
that at last the day Of their political
redemp tiol had come. So it had, but
what was it like. Just and equitable
in Democratic parIance meant that in
stead of fifty thousand people being dis
franchised and prevented from having
voice in the Legislature, thirty thous-
and would be a sufficient number 10 b.
DISTINGUISHED and still make it safe Tor
the Democrats. Instead Of giving til,
people of New Castle County thirteer
additional representatives, the number
they were entitled to according I,
Democratic promises, theT are insulte,
to their face By being allowed an in
crease Of five. This is what is ca!lc(
fair and equitable by III" Dcmocra il
party and the people viii be called
upon at the nest Stat" election 10 en-
Iiorsc this definition Of Ia" term. l. il
TOO early yet to agitate the question
but it is not too early TO make cunpari
sons between the actions Of the L"gIs
lature of little State ike Delaware
and great STATE IKE peun,y Iyania
where hundreds If thousands, VI dollar
are speut in the effort to secure an hon
est re-diStricting Of III" state into leg
islative and congressional districts +
prevent the distranchisement Of III
humblest citizen Of the State. TN
question of representation according {
pOpulaliOH never 'bV'lN lH'p NV va
vass in that State-that being gUarau
teed by the constitution long ago. Til
struggle is merely political in layn
out the district Lines, each party tryin
to gain an advantage. For this puI
pose even an extra session has bee
called. showing how careful the Exec,
tive Of the State is that none shall i
wrongrd and he made the subjects I
political Injustice If the people {
Delaware are true 10 themselves an
the principles Of the national chart I
liberty that teaches that call men al
created free and equal they vii
when TIA" time comes, Indignantly d.
feat proposition to keep disfral