Daily Republican., 1888-12-17
THE GISL4TURE
WHAT MAY EE EXPECTED BY
THE REPUBLICANS.
The Governors OF DELAWARE he United
States ssnRtorship.-Omoe.s OF Both
HOusss-Uons,itui'o nj Oohvsn-
lOn-Nosded Legislation.


stances As never occurred IN the Stat
before For thirty ave years there hal
been no Interruption of the Fulo of tht
d emoorAtio party. There have beer
about eighteen Legislatures durlpg thR
ime, but they have always had q ma
ortty OF DemocrR To In them, and many
OF them have been unanimously Demo
cratic. New Cagtle County durlrg ih'
var aud three tlmaH sinoe sleoted X }
pnbUcAn delegations, but they wer,
tlwayb confronted by the solid DIM }
cratic delegations T. ON Kent Gnd Bus.
itK Oountie', and as consequence wS'
always in minority. o nee curing thAi
time, In 1881, the Union party, not ther
distinotively Republican, altctsd = q ~
eInor who did not live cut his term o.
mos, but William Cannon WAS the Wal
Governor Of Delaware.
There seemed 10 be . special Provi
1enes in the election Of q Governor At
this time who WAB 10 accordance with
the national administration In putting
down the rebellion. From 1854 the
Governors OF Delaware have b.sr; PeitI
Y. Oautey, Sussex County, elected IN
that ear; William Barton, Kent Coun-
~, elooied in 1858; William Cannon,
Sussex County, eleoed In 1859; Cove
salisbury, by virtue OF bling speaker
Of tbs Senate, became Governor In 1864
at the death OF Governor Cannon, and
u 1906 was elected for q full term oil
'our yeArl; James Ponder, q qssex Ooun
y, elected iH 1870; John p. Cochran,
New Castle County, elected In 1874,
John W. Hall, Kent County, elected In
1873; Charles II, 9toeklsy, elected In
1882, and Ben jamin T. Blsgs, elected in
1885. To the present time this covers q
pace OF "a years, Of which the Demo-
rats have had the Governor IS year,,
the American party years, under
Governor CauBay, and The Union party,
ynOny mCus with Republicans, . JeArs
The Lei islatuTe OF 1854 was American
in pJiitios and parsed 0 psohlbitory
liquor law. but since that time until
now there have besn no breaks In ID. m =
cratic Iule 80 far As Legislatures vert
oonce med.
This makes the IrsGslt Legislature
the more important, aud SILL more 80
as the Republicans nod the lower
house and the Democrats the SeuAte
There 10 also this differences In the com
poAltion Of the Legislature. Before,
whatever OF opposition there WAS mint
oh TO the Democratic party came from
New Castle 0unty, now 1t ell come
from Kent and Sussex CouI ties. As
lie Republicans ho.d the house by 5
gaO-thirda vote ana the Democrats hold
he Senate b. more than n two-thiTd
vOte, Whatever legislation is efft ctgd
must be Of conservative character.
Two weeks from this evening eAoh
party will caucus TO nLme the officers
OF their respective bodies. Tho House.
having Ia Republicans and Z Demo
crAts, viii Of course nomlDate Rspubl,-
an officers, and tho Senate having
Democrats and two Republicans will OF
courge nominate and elect Dsmooratic
{ fiosTF.
Who those Cflicers will be lie hard to
determine, bnt It is generally conceded
that either Senator Lswis OF Kent or
Senator DArman OF susBfx will be
speaker Of the Senate, and that either
Representative j, II. Hoifeoker OF Kent
CT McKendres DOWnbam Of Sussex
will be speaker OF the House. For
clerks Of either HouEe there sra pEOba.
bly, half dozsn leading applicants, bat
IS tie eltollon Of clerks will dc psnd
upon the political com mbinAtionu which
will bs formed for the election OF
speakers, It is hard 10 tell who will bO
the suocersiul applicants. The election
OF United States Senator 10 the Bollli.
cal plum that attracts general Interest
Who will it be iH the question: That
he will bs Republican is afsured. For
the position each county has Its cAndi-
date. New Castle has Anthony HiI-
.iBa, Esq, most thought aud talked
about with several others who would
aot Tt1ues 1t should II come this way;
Kent County has George v. Massey,
e q, leading in tie race, with Mr.
5mlthsrs, Nj. Fisher, Mr.. Leland and
Or. Willis in the back ground, and
sussex County has Charles H. Tnat
for her leading man, with D.. Fl. II
burton to fall back upon.
That Kent ana Sussex won the hGht
while the Republican party virtually
collapsed In New OlBtle County 10 an
argument against ME Higgins, while
IN argument In his favor Ia that Whils
iatdng TO arouse the Republicans Of
New CASTLE, he threw all his force,
strength and energy into Sussex and
carried 1t. From present appearances,
however, the indications are that Mr..
MRSsey hAs the inside track. Mr.. HlR
Slub WOulu nave ~ ulu no Dub I6hlub IN
either Kent or Sussex.
Probably there never was y LeRisls
ture OF Delaware that has as imDortSGl
legislation lying ahead OF IL as the pres
ent one has.
The Republicans are disAgreesbly dis,
appointed that they are to have q vOict
ia calling constitutional convention,
and With both Houses OF opposite poli
II 4,
bAnished TO the rear.
Nearly all the reforms needed In
legislation will be iucluded In the con.
stitulionAl convention to be called By
the Legislature. Among these will bs
equality OF representation, election OF
all State and county Lf1loers by the
people, election OF mt m bers of the Leg
islature by districts, election OF mem.
bers OF the Levy Court by districts, or
In lieu Of Levy Court to elect County
Commissioners and to provide for a
judiciary mvVs In accord with tina sd
vADSsd spirit Of the age. This will ba
the big work Of tie Legislature, aud
may Lossibly result In . loug session.
Ohlsf among other legislation will be
an effort to abolish the prBEent Assess-
ment And tax collection laws that under
the present mode OF 'erAtions only
serve to cheat Votgrs Of the minority
party out OF their voteI and the State
ont OF taxes. OF the changing Of those
laws there should be no manner oil
doubt. They are lhe prolific source Of
political corruption, In the face oil
which the uas Of money for the pur
chase Of votes palss into inslgnill3anee.
There will AlRo be the usual number
Of corporate acts, divorce acts, stock
acts, ditch and bank Rots, aud no doubt
enough railroad acts 10 give the LeBla.
iasure spice and variety.
The opinion Is gaining ground also
that Eome OF tho city commissions may
be repealed, as by tholr op'ra ions they
have been virtually removed beyond
the reach Of the people, who should