Milford chronicle., 1885-12-04
THE LOCALITY VERSUS THE COUNTY.

! "TuSh! never tell me / take Il much ui-
kindly" Such seems to be the present
attitude of Delaware's ruling party leaders
on the question of local representation
Effort is made to bury tile disagreeable
topic under the ash heap of oblivion. It is
a noisome weed, forsooth, and an autiquated
relic of colonial daysl We presume, how
ever, that this relic will live somewhere and
kick Justify as long as Liberty is the goddess
Of this land. But party supremacy must be
maintained intact! The minority must be
held in complete subjection at least in Del
aware! And so the fiat went forth long ago
i'll the form of a statute law. It reminds one
of the command issued by Shakspeare's
Gardner:
GO thou, and like an executioner
Cut off the heads Of too fast growing sprays,
That look too lofty in our commonwealth.
All must be even i'll our government"
Delaware accepted the smooth platitudes
concealed under her election laws, and the
tyrant custom has fastened upon her a sys-
TEN wrong in principle and staguating in its
effects. The evening process still goes on,
and thanks to its kind offices, thirty Demo
Gratis out of possible thirty, may still be
seen gracing the Legislative chairs at Dover.
This is 10 TRADE against the Democratic
party, but rather against the principle
which tolerates its overwhelming suprcm-
acy in this State.
From the well known fact of men com-
pletely defeated i'll their own localities but
elected by the county vote, let us turn and
consider few phases of the vote in Viii
mington. In 1876 at her city election, Viii
niington gave ], 200 Republican majority out
of 1000 votes. And yet with half the popu-
lation Of New Castle county, she was unable
to send a single Republican to Dover In
the election of 1882 both Democratic candi-
dates for senators from New Castle were de-
feated in Wilmington but were carried
through by the votes ofthe rest ofthe county.
Every Republican representative was elected
in Wilmington but ousted by the rest of the
county. These facts are well known, and
the recent proposed amendment was a con-
cession to the peculiar and distinctive in
terests of Wilmington. This was good as
far as it went but its scope should have COW
cred the whole State. It should have con
ceded peculiar and distinctive interests to
the subdivisions Of every county.
We heard the argument advanced not long
ago, that the men who controlled the nomi-
nation of candidates at the county seats were
able to choose the best candi-
dates for Office But we do not want any
such benevolent oligarchies; for our govern
nent, as has been shown, is in its very con-
,eption and essence representative. Con-
,eding the ability of the county nomination
hey will act without bias No, mol let us
ather insist that every district shall send its
good or bad This will in t.:
ure his direct and vital responsibility to the
ocality where he is best known. At present
What resource has district in Delawafe
yishes? They will condemn him at home
ut he has the rest ofthe county to appeal to. I
his is majority rule with vengeance, and
ught to have no place in these enlightened
avs. "a constituency even of foolish, ig-
GRANT or misguided people, has a right to
= e@AAN. eA~AA A~Ag WAL " GA 9pOiANA
xploded il brought under the FIRE of open n
iticisin" Il
But other States have county represention !,
cry we'll: compare Delaware with her big ;,
ster Texas. In 1880, the average popula- I
on offs Texas county was not over 5000, ! !
hile here Sussex had in round numbers .
1000, Kent $500 and New Castle q, 900 in =
udiug Wilmington which had AZ, 500 Only !
lie county in Texas is larger in population
an Sussex. The county organization in y
sxas became the important political unit, l
wing to the rowing nature of the people and v
e extent of territory. Moreover, hardly a 81
unity sends more than one State repre- v
ntative.
Ohio seldom sends more than one repre-
ntative from county, and always one SEN
II from district. Illinois and Georgia a,
nd one senator from a district and never ~