Evening journal., 1889-04-02
KILL THIS BAD BILL.
A Republican Scheme to Con-
troll Election officers.
THE FREE SCHOOLS OF DELAWARE

The FkEE StHOOLS VF DELLA W All
They are all Talked About Last Night.
Shall the wires co Undergrounds Pas
sage of the Eighth Street Railway
Bill.
STAFF Correspondence EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, April IA meeting was held
this evening in relation to Representa-
tive Downham's free school bill. Mr.
Whiteman occupied the chair. The first
speaker was County Superintendent
Handy, who was in favor of the bill as a
whole. He, however, believed, that the
incorporated districts should be exempted
from the operations of the law. Henry
O. Carpenter, ex assistant superintend-
ent, also spoke in relation to the bill. He
was in favor of number of the sections,
but there were number of features he
objected to. John Canon, principal Of
the Dover schools. was in favor of a nums
Der of the features. The meeting was
in the nature largely Of a conference
There is not much hope Of the bills pass
age, and indeed il looks as If the cause
of education will not receive much help
from this Legislature. The present
abominable system Of schools is dis.
grace to the state and there is a pressing
need of something that will bring the
schools up to higher grade. Cn the
contrary, however there seems to be a
feeling against improved educational
facilities in the two lower counties.
Many children are denied the right Of
obtaining an education because they
have to purchase books, and in most
states books are furnished free and II Is
time that Delaware should keep up with
the procession.
sPALDING TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
The electric light, telegraph and tele-
phone people have seen fit TO take a con
tract on their hands that will be a diff
cult one for them to manage. Not salts
fed with confining themselves to defeat
ing the bill to compel them to place their
wires under ground they have ATTEMPTED
to defeat the act to incorporate the
Spalding Telegraph Company. They see
in it possible rival to them and when
here last week some of the electric light
people endeavored to bring politics into
the bill and told some Of the members of
the House that they should defeat the
bill because it was a.Democratic measure.
The bill went to the committee to day
and it will in few days without doubt
be reported favorably with the following
amendment: and provide further that
before the said corporation shall proceed
to lay or construct it's wires, lane
or alley in the city of Wilmington
or on the streets. lanes or alleys of any
Of the incorporated towns or villages of
this state, the consent Of the properly
constituted authorities shall be obtained
for so doing. 1t was mistake when
the bill was first drawn that this pro-
vision was not placed in the bill as it was
intended to place it there.
The incorporators are Henry G. Spal-
ding, John q. King, Jonathan w. Aydon,
John I. Dickey and Henry G. Conrad. It
will be noticed that three of the incorpor
ators are Delawsreans, and this insures q
control of the corporations in this state
The Legislature will be visited on Wed
nesday evening next by a number of
electricians from all over the country
who will present to the Legislature their
views upon the underground wires and
demonstrate the practibility Of them.
A PIECE OF CHEEK.
Probably the best exhibition Of what
| some men will do is the action of the
Wilmington parties who placed in Repre-
1
was introduced to-day, providing that
the Department of Elections should ap-
point the election officers for the general
election in the city of Wilmington. The
parties who have stopped to this small
business have done so through political
reasons and for mo other purpose, and
they show their utter insincerity by the
course they have taken. They could not
hou fol hot - l..
bill defeated. The city Of Wilmington
have had about as much Department Of
Elections as they want. The cost Of
holding an election under the present
system has been found so great that
triennial elections have been suggested
to this Legislature 10 avoid
it. This estimable gentleman can
also probably explain Just why a set of
election officers appointed by the city
should appoint persons to hold state elec
tions. The whole thing is simply this,
before the next general election takes
place in this state the Election Commits
sion in Wilmington will be under the
control of the Republicans and with the
powers they now have there is nothing
to prevent them from placing a majority
of the election of officers in every pre-
cinct in Wilmington under the control OF
the Republicans. This is the reason Mr.
Gray did not receive the bill, the meI
back of it were afraid he would not in
troduce it. Those men certainly did not
know their man or they would not have
cast the reflection npon him they have
Common descency and common courtes,
would have demanded that he be con
suited before such bill be presented.
GOOD BILL.
Senator Crossan has struck the proper
key note in his bill which he gave notice
to day entitled an ''act to provide for thl
employment of convicts in repairing
public roads" The jails in all three Of
the counties are full Of idlers that coulC
be very well utilized in this way. tits tbs
first step towards state penitentiary
that has been long needed in this state
The act in full is as follows: 'All con
victs who may now be Lawful lly EN-
ployed, by law, at labor within prison
walls or yards, may hereafter be EN-
ployed on the public roads, in repairing
the same, such employment shall b.
directed by the Jail commissioners, WHIT
shall have power to make rules and regu
lation, therefore and to employ overseer;
and guards. All expenses thereof shal
be paid by the road commissioners of tn
hundred where the work is done.
EIGHTH STREET RAILWAY.
Eighth Street Railway is now fact
The House this afternoon passed the bill
and il is now for the City Railway Com
pany and the new company to wrestle l
J out between them. The next place for
/ 4 80 L L. ~