Daily Republican., 1890-05-02
FRIDAY. MAY 2. 1900.
Constitutional reform,

The population OF Lancaster County
Pa, Is 600, almost as much as th
whole State OF Delaware, and vet sh,
gets along with three county commits
sioners ut salary of three dollars ,
day each and clerk on salary O
xl,200. For Delaware 1t takes thirty
three levy courtmen to do the same
work the county commissioners Of
Lancaster County de, and after all 1t ID
not done as well. The cost OF the
three commissioners and clerk 10
Lancaster County all told is not more
than $4,000, while the three lew
courts OF Delaware cost in the aggre- :
gate $15, 900. In New Castle County
alone, with population under 100.
600, the eleven levy courtmen pay
themselves from Ss. 600 to $4,000 an
nually. SILL we cannot get county
commissioners in Delaware because
the Democratic party is In power and
will not permit it.
Even when the Legislature was
unanim ously Democratic bill intro
duced for that purpose by Representa-.
live Medill received no encouragement,
worth speaking about, and at the last
session of the Legislature when the
lower house, which was Republican,
passed a county commissioner bill q
Democratic Senate pigeon kolcd it.
The office of Levy Court Commissioner
has got to be fat plum, which The
average Democrat cannot think of
giving up. No matter if the tax
payers do kick sud and squirm under
high taxes and hard times the Levy
Courtmen must have their big salaries,
Speaking about these big salaries u
friend has brought to our mind the
tact that they only commenced some
len or twelve years ago by o Demo
cratic member of the Levy Court be-
coming deiauiter for several thousand
dollars OF the county's money.
His colleagues in the court, in order
10 help him along and out of his difi
Guilty, kept him employed in county
business at three dollars O day and
mileage, to give him & chance to pay
of his Indebtedness. lie made such =
hne showing for a large salary that the
other members grew envious and al
lowed themselves the same rates, and
here was the commencement OF the
big Levy Court salaries. Before that
time S4O0 or $500 was considered
good salary for levy courtman.
But the signs OF The times portend
That these big salaries for levy court
men will soon end If the Republ!.
cans carry the State, which they are
very sure 10 do this very year, con-
Ititutional convention will be called
and the old constitution will be Ie-
modelled into new one. When this
done, and we will come to look for
The Levy CourI, 1t will be one OF tho
lhings missing, but board of county
commissioners will DO found in is
Place.
This will never happen, however,
until the Republicans by their superior /
majority iu the State, afe given tie
right to govern. The Democrats have |
been In power in the State nearly |
forty years, since 1878 by legellzed |
fraud, and they have never given the
State line oil constitutional reform.
Even when they held both houses OF !
The Legislature unanimously they de-
feated every movement locking In the
direction OF constitutional reform. AT
the last session oil tho Legislature u
Republican House paased a constitu-
lion convention bill, but Democratic
Senate buried lhe bill GU, OF sight in a
pigeon hole.
The voters of New Castle County |
who want constitutional reform Should |
be convinced from this that il is use.
less to expect 1t from the Democratic
party. The only way to eet it is TO
place the Republicans in power. The
people would then get county commits
Iioners instead OF Levy Courts, elected |
Instead of appointed county officers,
State officers elected by the people, |
Legislatures elected by districts. re.
modelled judiciary and an abolition OF
.he life tenure in cilice by the State
Judges. Let the people think over
these things.