Daily Republican., 1885-01-27

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scn. Del. - socon class mai, matter.
TUEsOAV. JANUARY ~, Iss5.
The RepvesenuasiSs Aoesa@ess.
The report from Dover that the so
called Representation amendment Is In
danger vi de teat, need carry 10 regrets
70 the people of New Castle County,
and IL II il true as stated that Repre-
sentative John +. salisbury OF Kent
County, Intends 70 introduce another
amendment providing for Increased
representation by Senatorial and repre-
sentative districts, tnen the defeat OF
the present amendment is rendered
doubly desirable Repre- entail e SAui--
bury NAV in -ume sense be all License
partisan, but we wou'd rather trust
him 70 drat a more equitable aud
honorable amendment 10 the Con
stitution, prov ding TOR incre Ass-d rep
resentation than ID pin our future po-
liticAl d.stinies to the present PROPOSED
amendmsnt. Representation by dis-
triets has come TO be the only tecog-
nized rule Of equity and fairness IN all
the States.
1t IL recognized in PenHsy lvania,
New Jersey, New York, and IN fact all
the leading States, and there are nc
lust grounds Of reasoning why 1t should
not bs recognized in a small State like
Delaware. With fair and equitable
district represen tation, the minority o.
the people would always be represented
Under our present system only one po
htisal party is represented, though TIM
need not necessarily be the case. Ex
perience teaches us that 1t is not dosi
rable that Legislative bodies should b
composed Of representatives from on
political party alone.
In Delaware though the Democrat
have always carried the State Tor IN
last twenty-five or thirty more year
with one or two exceptions, the vo'
has been remarkably close. The Dem'
cratic majorities have ranged from u
to 5000, but there has always been
Republican vote under very adveri
circumstances Of about IA, COO 1t ore
happens AZ 1t has at the present tim
that these IA, 600 voters have not sil
gle representative in law making boz
of the State, while the remaining 100
will have thirty mem bers. Under
equitable and judicious system OF re
resentation, this could scarcely happe
With Sussex County divided equitab
and without gerrymanderiHg, the
could hardly fail TO be three or 10
Republicans sent TO the Leg1slatu
Kent could hardly fail TO send tw
while New Castle might be abo
equally divided as it ought TO be-
Mr.. Salisbury proposes TO divide I
State 80 as TO bring about these result
then we can most heartily desire
defeat Of the present amendment
But our Democratic legislators Q
told by politicians and the Democrs
press Of the State that they cannot av
ratifying the amendment because
people at the late election deci
in favor of it. This ia all polit
bosh. There WAS no decision ut all
the people at the polls. Hundreds
Democrats opposed to the amendn
voted the straight Democratic til
without any thought OF the amendm'
and there were Republicans in fave
the amendment who never thought
anything else than voting the stra
Republican ticket. Had the ann
ment been left to q vote Of the pc
separately, and upon its own merit
would have met with an inglorious
feat.
Knowing this, the members OF
Legislature should not feel themst
bound TO ratify any such " set
under pretense Of obligiDg what is
ed the voice and injunction OF the
Die. Yes, but we are told that
Democratic state Convention at u
endorsed the amendment, and tina
another reason urged for supper in
AS at the State election, so 1t wa
the State con ven ion. A kind OF
ackno wledgment was accorded TO
amendment, and that was all. In
committee on resolutions, CON 0ost
fifteen members, the endorsement
the amsndmen. was only carried
vote of eight 10 seven. II was
read, neither before the mnitte
the con vention. One half the met
of the convention never knew
amendment. was in the resolutions
the other half cared but little abo
Under these circumstances, we "a
see how any member Of the Logs
is bound to vote for the amend
either under the plea OF an endorse
at the polls or at the convention.
amendment should be defeated, a
Justice is done 10 will be defeated.
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