Daily Republican., 1885-02-26
An Attach ana . Repulse.

IL
the Increased representation amend
ment has been fought on the floor OF
the S ate House of Representatives and
those opposed TO the amendment have
scored what Is believed to be sub
stantial victory though one Of the six
required TO defeat the measure may
yet possibly change his mind and vote
for ratification If the vote by which 1t
was lost yesterday is ever reconsidered
Though Messrs. Barlow and Brown
changed their votes TO the negative for
the purpose of moving reconsideration
Of the vote, those gentlemen's motion
will not be heard unless they have one
more member made secure to vote for
the amendment. 1t does not look at
present as If that one more vote can be |
got in the House. There may be parti- |
san reasons at the back OF some of the |
members votes that inspired their &C.
tions but upon which side the most
partisan feeling lay was not discernible.
1t is evident, however, that neither side
in this contest will do anything to in
jure the Democratic party. The dear
old party must be kept upon its de-
crepit worn out legs, no matter how the
people feel about it. The friends of tue
amendment argued in Is favor because
it would result in sending fewer mum
Der OF Republicans TO the Legislature
than If New Castle County was kept
in q single election district. Others
opposed II because it would give
chance to the Republicans TO elect any
members of the Legislature. Party was
in sight all the time and under all cir
cumstances. Speaker Comegys goes too
far in his assertions. He says the op.
position was too cowardly to put in an
appearance before the Legislature and
oppose the passage of the measure
This is not correct, Mr.. Comegys.
Did not Mr.. Bayard and other leading
lights OF the Democratic party go as
partisans before the Legislature and ap-
peal to that Legislature as If 1t was a
partisan machine bound only to carry
out and register the will of the party,
and did he not urge the passage of the
amendment because it's defeat would be
q breach Of party faith Was not the
whole stock of arguments upon that oc-
casion based upon the fact it was a
Democratic measure, that Democratic
Legislature originated the measure, that
the Democratic State Convention had
endorsed the measure, that the Demo
Gratis endorsed the measure at the polls
by electing a unanimously Democratic
Legislature and that il the Democrat
violated their plighted faith they woul'
be no more worthy of confidence as
party
Mr.. Comegys, you know this wa
10 80 hot hau haa
the use of the opponents of the measur
appearing before the Legislature Ha
they appeared and urged the defeat {
the amendment, under the circun
stances they would have been guilt
Of asking the members to break viii
Mr.. Bayard called the plighted faith
tn sir party. Mr.. Comegys, who v
believe Is conscientious man certai
ly does not desire number of i
huential and intelligent citizen to con
before the Legislature TO convince d
members that they would be justin
in breaking their plighted faith wi
their party.
But plighted faith, bosh N
Salisbury is right. How can a Sta
Convention control a county conve
ton as is held in Kent and Sussex,
how can it control the people of Hu
dred who go to primary election
they do in New Castle County to self
a candidate for the Legislature A
the people of the Counties or the HI
dreds when they come together in
sovereign capacity, to be hampered a
fettered by the dictat.on of State
litical machine What becomes OF
our boosted liberty and freedom if wi
we come together to formulate pol
we are compelled to do as a State c
vention told us
Where is there any liberty or fr
dom of speech in il? We differ with
Salisbury on Macy issues, but n
this one we agree with him. The l.
isla or must be left free and untram.
to act in a conscientious and intellig
manner upoa such nomentous qu
tons as amending State Constitute
Those mem yers who voted 10 r4tity
amendment 20 the Constitution sim
because the faith Of heir party was
stake had their hands tied and
their votes registered the dictation
political machine. Under all these
oumstances, ii 10 fortunate that
amendment was defeated.