Daily Republican., 1885-02-27
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grasp at the proposed constitutional
amendment which hangs hair hung, A.
It were. between heaven and earth,
would indicate the starving condition of
the party, and illustrates the half loaf
theory, were 1t not that the people are
not starved enough yet to accept even
. half loaf at the price of dishonor.
This long contest for increased repre-
sentation-that is, any kind OF an in
crease, and In ,reas9 at any price, had
entirely collapsed in the Legislature on
Wednesday, and the people of New
Castle County had we'll nigh escaped
the stigma of legally recognized inferi
GRITTY, but 1t has been rescued aud called
back to life again by reconsideration,
and there is yet bare possibility that
the stigma of inferiority may yet be
stamped upon the people of New Castle
County.
To prove wha' we say, let us for y
moment take cur.ory view OF the
represen tation question a. itnow stands.
Della ware is divided into three counties,
The total population is say 1873, 900; it
may possibly be 5000 more This popu-
lation is divided between the three
counties rs follows Sussex, $4,000
Kent, $1,000, and New Castle, 5000.
This much ia perfectly understood. IL
is q cardinal principle of American
government that all the people shall
have q voice in shaping tue gov
eminent, and making the laws under
which they live. Our National govern
ment is 30 explicit and direct in this
that an apportionment of members of
Congress Is made every ten years, upon
the basis Of population, that basis being
now 135, 900 to each representative in
Congress. That territory may be repre-
sented as we'll az people, the United
States Senate il com posed of two men,
beers from each State, without regard to
the size Of State. Thus we find Della
ware, with an area OF 2,120 square
miles, with two United States Senators,
while Texas, with 237 504 square miles,
has but the same number o. Senators
Delaware, in its State government, has
Senate and House of Representatives..
Each county has three Senators, and
each county has seven representatives.
Leaving out the question of Senators
entirely, it will be seen that while Sus-
sex County with $4,000 population has
seven mem ers in the House of Dele.
gates, New Castle County with $1,000
has only the same number of mem ers,
and Kent, with even a less population
than Sussex, has the same number of
delegates. ON account of the rapid in
crease of population in New Castle
County, the disproportion of representa-
ton is increasing, and the discomfort of
the people is increasing in the same
ratio. For instance, while Kent county
has ratio of 4,777 Of a population to
every member OF the House of Dele
gates, New CASTLE County has proper
ton o; IL, 1913 of "a population to each
member of the House Of Delegates.
When we look at this great dispro-
portion in representation we are
surprised that the people have borne
with 1t so long. Compared with Kent
County there are 80, 900 people in New
Castle County that have no representa-
tion whatever in the popular branch
of the Legislature where the laws that
govern them are made, though they
may have mere nominal territorial
representation in the State Senate. We
doubt very much if such another in
sta nee of representative inequality eau
be found in the United States. From
Legislature to Legislature for more
than quarter of a century the people
of New Castle County have appealed to
their brethren of Kent aud Sussex to
be made their equals in representa-
tive capacity az they were at least their
equals in every other respect But
with steady earnestness and APP
parently with q steady design of pur-
pose this simple request for justice has
been denied for many successive Logis-
latures
Finally weaIied, like the unjust
Judge, by the continued opportunities
of the people Of New Castle County,
the representative Of Kent and Sussex
have been moved to not give New Cas-
tie Coan'y tbs represen -ation to which
at was en',.l5d on the basis of popula-
ton, but sn increase OF only fou- mem-
hers OF tho House OF Deleg ate5. On the
basis of population. when compared
with Kent County, New Castle was e1-
titled to an increase Of eleven mem
bers.
The am endment then which is pend.
ing enfranc hises only Is, 600 OF the IN
represented people of New Castle county,
leaving still unrepresented 81, 600 Even
throwing oil one-thi-d Of the populs-
ton Of Wilmington as floating and
transient, there would still be left more
than 10000 disfrsnchised citizens Of
Wilmington. The ratification of the
mr. ant 4 Ill -. =
worthiness directly upon 20,0G0 citi-
zens of New Castle County and the
stamp of inferiority upon the brow Of
the remaining 5000.
Are the people of New Castle County
80 hungry that they are compelled to
accept this proposed amendment at
such sacrifice ? Yet this ia exactly
what the proposed amend ment provides
for. The Democratic politicians in
their eagerness 10 appease the pangs of
political hunger have asked for fish and
they have been given sereents, they
have asked for bread and have been Of
fcred stones. Thy could have been no
worse defeated titan they now are had
they asked tor at least approximate
equality and honor would have been
saved. The people OF Kent and Sussex
know what the rights OF New Castle
are. They know that the people
OF that county should have greater in
creased represen alton than what is pro-
vided for in the pending amendment,
and their respect fr the representa-
tives from New ,CAslla County is not
increased when they see then bending
the supple knee and criogngly ask for
less than they are entitled to.