Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-02-14
A CONVENTION CAUCUS

The Republican members met in secret
conclave in representative hall tonight
and for three hours heard that "unexcop-
tionable mode" OF the famous article TX
oVerhauled, dissscted aud tossed about
by Messrs. Smithers, Higgins and Brad
ford. The expected bill mad been brought
down from Wilmington, and Mr.. .Smithers
planted himself squarely against II be-
cause Ii provides for the election OF DELE
gates by districts instead of by the couu-
ties. He maintained, and had steadiastly
so maintained for more that 80 years that
delegates to convention must be elected
In the same manner, at the came time aud
at the same places that members
of the General Assembly are elected I;
that 1t would be just as competent for the
Legislature TO contrayeno any other pro
vision of the constitution as this; that IL
that body son disregard this restriction
there will be no need OF calling conyeu-
tion. since the General Assembly can do
nil tha, q convention could do that this
Legislature would have the sane right to
enact that tho members OF the uext LeSis'
lAture shall be- elected by disttists and in
November nsxt as % enact shat delegates
to convention shstl be so chosen. Mr..
Bradford, who had preceded Mr..
Smithers, rtpiied 10 that ganile.
mans arznment with zeal and
/ force edgsling Mr 9mithers' own; hold.
| ins that lis objections as TO time, msn
ner and place feil tecausa they pertained
10 cnly subjectiva sentence OF that
clauqe pf Article *, which, while pre-
scribing one unexceptiona5ie mode OF
calling q convention, doei not and can
not prsciu ie that no other mode snail be
chosen by the people who make aid Who
can as legally unmsks constitutions. AS
| wsll ma utain that II our constitution
provided that it should never be altered
or amended, such provision tolsting an
| isrey ocahle and forever Interchangeable
| Fundamental law upon free peo'
Ole would be binding. Mr.. Higgins
! followed, sustaining Mr.. Bradford's
I ccrtention and reminding Mr..
smi,hers that his whole opposing ar2a.
nent hinged upon the siagle word
,fhsteuo Ia,n referring 10 m elsc.ioa to
hsld ia say, and that since this detail OF
article IN lad been already overridden
4 hy tho holding nt tho contemplated cleo
! linn in November, there was no "there-
upnn" left for Mr.. 6mithers to hitch his
! objections to. He recalled to the mem
bers the pledge of their State platform
! aud felt thai it would be very untorsun-
ats indeed for the ps.ty il they did not
| live up to that pledge. The Democratic
marty, lie said, can never escape the re-
sppnsibility Of having FILTERED away oil
taese years without giving TO the people
! tbs rofoTm5 for which they have been SO
l,no cis,notinR, and 1t would never do
for the Republicans 70 tr.t9 III Ike man.
ner with obligations so saofsd.
The bill before the caucus, which was
drafted by Ar. Bradford, and which is
! liahla to undergo considerable chiseiin2
and ham mtrerlng 5stors ita introduction
ia the House, provides for this eleetIon.
1 iatsrgntially in November next, of 40
,,sleqstts. OF ghese, five are 10 be chosen
from eaoh county at large. The re-
m,inies sro to be elGotsd by dlstricts,
/ which word IL NOT Bgncnymoua with hun
/ droly in this case Dsctuee IN some Sec
! tioes two hundrs1s are emOrRced in one
6iss,ict on these district delegates,
I o'1ht are apro-ti1ned to Kent, nine to
s5sakx and 10 10 New Castle county
ei,es 10 rural New Castle and five TO ths
city Of Wilmington.
HIGH 1IoESsE AND LOCAL OPTION.
After these gentlemen had spoken, W.
&. Pricks,t, E3q,, invited the attention OF
tho caucus to a tremendously long high
! lieynse and local option bill which he
Ma brought down ard upon vhich he
pr0eeedei to spesk Tns main features
~ the high licerse part wore the fixing
of . iicsnse fao OF 81 900 for cifies OF
over IL 100 inhsbitsuts; OF s6'm for
tpwna and sities with between 3 nm anf
10 O1O iah hi'Gnts, aud o. Sioi for
sma'ler plscfs; Nth n prnyisiSD for a
a 70 ,ntAsa ~ ,norsta graded by ~
nm,ant Of busius.s done hy any hqhor
seller, 80 be ascertsined from the oath OF
tbg lioanss a proaibi ion OF the sale OF
/ Manor on holidays, as we'll es Sundays
npd election days; and penalty OF from
5000 to SAG0 iine, with inrasdiete for
faiture OF license and disqualification for
one wear to obtain another license, TO be
imposea for any violations Of this high
license and of the proposed law. Then
came the local option attachment with