Daily Republican., 1883-11-27
The importance Of votisg


There will be more at stake in mex
years campaign than in any politica
campaign for many years past. 1t viii
be time when every citizen that ha
the right to exercise the elective fran
chise should do so conscientiously ant
intelligsntly. Next years election
will be important to the people Of Viii
mington In a local, State and a Nationa
sense. The city election will be held OF
the first Saturday of June, at which
election President of the City Council
. City Treasurer and a member Of tn,
City Council from each ward will b.
elected. 1t will be for the people t
say whether there shall be a change II
the local administration SO far as tn,
City Council is concerned. The pos
session of the Water Works by the new
tangled Water Commission, unless IL,
Courts sooner decide, will be the grea
issue In the next city campaign. l
will be for the people to say whether
the City Council shall continue to exer-
else control over the Water Works IN
an economical manner as they have
been doing, or whether they shall &c
into the hands Of partisan commits
sion at an increased expense of thirty
thousand dollars to the tax payers. I,
will be for them 10 say whether the
people themselves shall keep the ad.
minis,ration of the Water Works in
their own hands and be subject to their
will and direction or whether they viii
nut them into the hands of three men
appointed by Legislature that has
neither political nor business sympathy
with Wilmington. To speak frankly,
if the City Council is to retain posses
sion of the Water Works, one Repub.
lican at least must be elected in Demo
cratic ward and Republican Presi-
dent of Council will also have to be
elect d. This can easily be done If
every Republican and every Democrat
who is opposed to the Water Cornmis-
sion will vote the way they feel. The
unfair and unjust gerrymander that
divides the Republican part of the city
with greater number of voters into
FIVE wards, and the Democratic portion
of the ci with less number OF voters
into six wards, gives the Democrats an
advantage, and unless the Republicans
can occasionally capture Democratic
ward the City Council would be con-
tinually Democratic, even with the
popular vote of the city the other way.
This is partisan legislation that should
disgust hont st Democrats and We be-
lieve many of them will vote for the
Republican ticket on local is, ues, if for
no other purpose than to rebuke such
unfair partisanship.
But no less important is the State
election held on the same day Of the
National election for President. On
that day Congressman, a Senator,
seven Representatives, five Levy Court
ioutiill anu a >olObtI VI new
Castle County are to be elected,
Were it not for the pending constitu
tional amendment to be endorsed Or re-
iected by the election of candidates
favorable or unfavorable to il, no more
than the usual importance of a county
election would attach to it, Fl will be
for the people To say at that election
whether the proposed amendment which
doles out to New Castle County unequal
other counties in the State, sha be rati-
fed or not An election Of the Demo.
cratic ticket for the Legislature will rati.
fy it, while the election Of the Rrpubi-
can ticket tor the Legislature will be a
rejection of it and at the same time a
demand for more equitable and just
represen tation. If all the people in
New Castle County who are opposed to
unequal representation will vote as they
feel, the proposed amendment will be re-
jected by a very large majority, but it
can only be rejected By the election OF
the Republican Legislative ticket. The
Constitution requires an amendment to
be ratified by three e-fourths Of the mem
bers of both houses Of the Legi iSlature
before it becomes a part Of the Consti-
tuition. The election Of the Republican
ticket for the lower House Of Etpresen
tatives, which would be seven out Of
twenty -one members, would insure its
defeat.
Aside from the Importance Of the City
and State elections comes the inpor-
txnce of the National election for presi
dent and Vice President held on the
same day of the State election. Though
in all probability the people Of Delaware
will neither elect nor defeat the election
of President, 1t il none the less their
duty to place themselves on record aud
60 STOW where they stand On National
questions. The Indications are that the
State will stand where she has generally
stood with the solid South, but that is
no reason why Republicans should not
take part in the election and poll their
fn vote. The leading Issue promises
10 be on the question Of protection to
American industries. There IL no dis
gulslng the fact that The tendency of
the Democratic party is in the d rrctioI
OF tree trade. Should they carry the
election ON this issue It wIll carry joy
TO English manufacturers aud cast a
gloom over American industries, II the
people want British wOtkIDen to build
cur ships, our cars, our coaches, make
our machinery, our agricultural impe-
Dents and manufacture our cotton and