Daily Republican., 1884-05-21
parutnnm Work,


Partisan Work.
fit were not for the gerrymander of
Che wards there could be no doubt OF
the election of Republican Council
n the approaching city election. Wei
may further truthfully say that in ad-
dition to this if it were not for the in
famous assessment laws and the laws
which prescribe how the taxes shall
be collected, or rather how they shall
mot be collected from Republicans who
are only assessed for a poll-tax, thel
Republican majority in the city would
not fall short of one thousand. Simply
because the lower part of the State has
been intensely Democratic and though
not having half the population of the
State but electing two-thirds of the
Legislature, Wilmington has been
divided and cut up and gerrymandered,
and the Republicans shainefully dis
franchised until it is now only by the
ynerest chance that the latter can
at any time elect a Republican City
Council.
Whenever the city in the past got
settled down in the Republican harness
it became the fayorite pastime of
politicians Of the McIntire-Lee type to
make a new gerrymander and they
have always found a Democratic Legis-
lature only too willing to obey their be-
hests, to bow to their dictation. How
stands the gerrymander of the city to-
day Sixth street divides it from east
to west in two as nearly equal parts as
any other street that can be selected.
For many years both the county and
the city have recognized Sixth street as
a political division line to divide the
city into districts.
From the natural drift of circum-
stances over which society has no con-
troll, all that part Of the ity south Of
Sixth street, taken as a whole, Is thor
0ughly Democratic and all that part of
the city north of Sixth street as a
whole is thoroughly Republican. Until
the legislature Of 1880 met each dis
tIict had an even number of wards
though the preponderance of population
was with the Republican district. 1t
not unfrequently happeaed that the
wards elected an equal number of MEN,
bers of Council from each political par
ty, and whichever party was successful
in electing the President Of the City
Council had the Council by one ma jori-
ty. If either party captured a ward
from the other, that party had the City
Council by two majority, if more the
majority was increased by one for each
ward gained.
Though the Republican district by
its larger population was entitled to
more mem bers of Council no particular
complaint was made by them for
fear Democratic Legislature would
make it much worse for them.
1t was only when the Democrats
found that they could not hold the city
by that deal, that Mr.. McIntire could
not be the perpetual Chief Engineer Of
the Water Department and Mr.. Lee
be perpetual clerk of the City Council,
that these distinguished Democratic
politicians conceived the idea of the en-
largement Of the city by taking in
Brow utown, and dividing the Demo
cratic district into six wards, while
the number of Republican wards were
to remain as before. In this gerryman.
der there was to be no mistake. The
Democratic majority of the Southern
district was to be spread out and made
to cover the new Eleventh Ward. II
doing this the old Third Ward was il
danger of being left in the Republican
fold. But Messrs. McIntire and lie,
were equal for the emergency. To pre-
vent the danger of such an occurrenc
they turned that ward end about, ant
instead of allowing it TO run along be
tween Third and Sixth streets from
Market to the western boundary, the,
tween Washington and Adams street
and to run from Sixth street to tn
southern boundary line. The FRS
Ward was also ended about, and tn
large Democratic majority of the Tentl
Ward so distributed az to safely cove
the Third and the new Eleventh Ward
This was very artistic and ingeniOu
piece of political management Eve
then it would have proved an abortion
had not the feelings of the propert
owners Of the Eleventh Ward bee
Modified by letting them Oft with hal
tax rate for five years The Legisla
turc, or rather tie two thirds of it, iror
Kent and Sussex, pr mptly ratified tn
Democratic set-up,' and Lee
hcIntire q Co. were happy. This dea
did very well until 1882, When, to tn
great grief and CONSERVATION of tn
Democrats, two Of the pet wards wer
snatched from them, the ThirI b
Thomas johnson, II Republican, an
the Second by Amos A. EaSthurn, ais
Republican. After all, here was = gel
Tymander that did not gerrymandrr t
please the boss" who was rhrn, Il,
cording to the Democratic program
Chief Engineer of the Water Depart
7ocnt III short, his plan had miscal
riell, and now if something else wer
not done by the next Democratic Lcgis
aaIurp he stood fair chance Of bein
out nf employment
But what could be done? Cuu'd tn
boss !" 60 so soon before the I.rgisla
tnrr and ask for another gerrymanipr
Though he was bold man, hat was
little too much for him to do. AIrcad
n,0O0 population south Of Sixth stree
were divided into six wards with lively
members Of Council, while q, 900 popu
tatipn north of Sixth street were dvid
td into only five wards, with ten men
bers Of Council No further gerrymar
der ronld be asked for, that was ev
dent. What then, for like Othello tn
boss" occupation waI in danger
Happy thought A Water Commis
sirn, yes, a Water Commission Th
people had just voted that chang
should be made, but that made no dil
i,r"ncc "a Democratic Legislature
m ivhtier than :, Ram uhli,un ritu r,ur