Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-02

' 4 hssF 1E@St@-1'N ~ aSNFNFs
The General Assembly of 1889, after
lsne Of ths longest, perhaps the longest
without qualification, session. on record
4 Delaware history, sdioul ned sine die
Friday. It's death was noisy asd
turbulent ons. The rush and confusion
OF the e,osiug hours in the House we're
unprecedented. We do not think any.
thing approaching u was ever seen AZ
Dover; osrtsinly not within the pressn,
decade. Bsiatsd bills were being passed
On slaughtered with barely pretsnce Of
eonsides alton of their contents; members
we're voting perfanctorily on meas.
uses OF which they knew
hssie, II anything; attorneys and
lobbyists were rushing hither and
shithsr inqulring what had become of
shis or THAI bill, looking after the enrol
nsnt or signing OF the same, aud pro-
pounding questions, pleading, exporting,
protestiug or objseting oil in one breath.
IL would be little short of miraculous in
Che midst OF this paudemonium II some
suspicious business were not slipped
through, the main safeguard to be de-
pended ON being that the conservative
senators kept their heads better, and did
NOT permit dispatch to degenerate into
,recklessnsse.
What has been accomplished In the way
.of legislation during the session just
closed Is suocinotly told in the oompila-
ton Of acts passed that we print to day.
Care has been taken to make tois list as
Ssomplete aud comprehensive as possible
under the circumstances and it 10 be-
Ilieyed that very few, II any, of the long
List Of bills that went through have been
overlooked. But the list does not show
thei measures that did not pass,
and It Is in this direction thst
the Legislature of 1899 stands cut most
conspicuoosly. II did not pass on the
question Of constitutional convention, and
this subject, after great deal of con-
tzoversy Into which an unfortunate
amount Of political feeling that had no
business there was imported by the Re.
publican members, Is left practically
where it was before this General Assembly
met on January first. It did not pass the
Australian ballot bill because the men,
bers of the accidental majority in the
House would not go back on the Doodle
shat gave them their seats. They were
great apostles of reform-with their
mouths-bnt actions speak louder than
words and by their acts they have elected
TO be judged. II did not pass the New
Castle county commissioners bill, be,
cause the spirit Of Hickmsnism
was too strong in the Senate
to be overthroHn in the brieI
time that was left after this bill had
gotten through the House. 1t did mo-
pass local option bill-but sensible mer
who have watched the farcical results o
such Legislation in other communities
will have no tears to waste over the ana
t&'i--" =. ~%h.st licked Tary -cct VIZ
bioE thrown eu' By thf Republican
10 oasah the Prohibition vote, r'fs ilsa
or no expectation that the Democrat
Senate would come 90 near beating ther
Of their own game. LODGED It was a
much through the vote Of Republica
senator, Mr.. Moore, as that OF any of th
four Democrats who gave their voice !
the negative that their impracticabl
measure failed to become law, with il
possibilities Of rampant unlicensed diss
patton; 80 that, in party sense, homo
are easy on this score.
There srs other shortcomings, ar
many of them, for which the Gener
Assembly CT 1853 Eill be held to accoun
ability; but there is some compensate
in this reflection that 1t did pass
thigh license Law. not very high b
going far enough to Rford
&est OF the practical workings
this commoo-senss method Of resuIati
the liquor traffic that 1t passed the W
minztnp biennial election bill that
has given us State asylum where t
unfortunate insane can receive the rig
sAre Snd treatment, and that II has Civ
o the women of Wilmington
Eoics in the management OF tho cd
,asion Of theis children viii
here Ia reason to hope v
ossr good fruit in raising by degrees /
tone, competency and "A 'isncg Of Q
Board of Eiueation and in rendering
more difficult for lnas nen to be boost
into that body BY this votes OF IL
eronisa aud the ohronic apathy Of ,
large class OF fathers whom 1t hiss 81
impossible 70 Arouss to proper sense
interest in tho eonduc. and welfare Of
public schools,
600