Daily Republican., 1889-04-15
A FAULT FINDER.
A PHILADELPHIA PAPER FINDS
FAULT WITH WILMINGTON.
II Hopes the Bill to Reform the Govern
ernInent of the City of Wilmington
VIII Become Law-It Calls
the City Criminal Asylum.

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin gives
place to the following, which OILY has a
sprinlSiing of truth
ut is to be hoped that the bill which is
now pending in the Delaware Legislature
to reform the government OF Wilmington
will serve It's purpose. This little city
has been notorious for election frauds as
disgracelul as any that have been report
ed from the South, while the laxity OF the
peiice authorities has made it q very con-
venlent asylum for Philadelphia crimi-
mails. Recently the officers have displayed
degree OF activity iu preventing crime,
and Philadelphia is Interested in the pro-
posed law which promises to secure better
government for its liz tie nelghbor."
The bill alluded to pending before the
Legislature to reform the government of
the city must be bill providing for re-
duoing the City Council down to thirteen
members, one from each ward, and q
president-at-large.
IL Is said to be neither the City Council
bill sent to the Legislature for that pur.
pose, nor the bill sent there by the
Citizens Association for a similar pur
pose. Its paternity, 1t is said, is traced
to Senator Donahoe, ard 1t Is further
said that tax collectors Neary and Dickey
had hand In shaping it. If this be all
true, 1t is very doubtful If 1t is for the
better government of the city, and as
Republican Glasses" In the "Star" intl-
mates, needs careful scrutiny by the Re-
publican members of the House before 1t
passes.
SO far as the people are concerned,
there is no strong desire Tor any bill OF
this character, as it virtually is but au-
other commission, and puts the financial
interests OF the city under the control OF
four oil the thirteen members OF Council,
as no party would be apt to have more
than seven members, and four would be
a majority In caucus.
The Legislature could do nothing bet
ter than to let Wilmington alone SO far
as the City Council is concerned unless it
would be to create select branch COM
posed oil one member from each ward, In
addition to the lower branch, the same as
Phiadelphia, the Bulletins own city,
has and all the cities OF Penusylvania
have.
That "this little city has been no'ori-
GUS for election frauds as disgraceful as
any that have been reported from the
south" would be true IL the word
many were used instead of ''any."
Some OF the Democratic wards in this
city at the Democratic primaries before
there was any law regulating them.
polled one and half times more votes
than there were voters In those wards,
and at the last Presidential election only
o,u0O votes were polled 10 the entire CITY,
when there should have been is. 900
polled, and 1900 of the Democratic vote
polled at that election were by unasseseed
Democrats with fraudulent tax receipts.
Republicans had very little voting to do
al that election
That "lhe laxity OF the police authorl-
ties has made It a very convenient asylum
for Philadelphia criminals" does NOT
hold good so far as the present police
force is concerned, and even the old
police force was most perniciously active
near the close of their term when thev
took possession of the assessments in the
City Hall, and with blackjacks drawn
prevented Republicans from getting a.
sessed. 1t is true that Wilmington had
become Judgement for quite a number
OF Philadelphia gamblers after the police
OF that city had driven them out, but
they were checlEmated here by the Every
Evening, and those not captured were
driven back. Since the present police
force have become tho conservators of the
peace nobody can complain OF the laxity
oil police activity preventing crime and
enforcing the law. The Bulletin, how
ever, does give credit by saying that
latterly more activity is shown by the
police in the discharge of their duties,
However, it might perhaps be as we'll If |
the Bulletin would mend the moral |
fences around its own city, Wilmington
IS quite able to take care of itself.