Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1890-03-31


Our Posatien.
In the position We occupy updn "
question which the Levy Court d.
cided for the time being On Friday
and upon all other questions Of econ
omy and reform which agltates the
people and which are to b the issues
In the present ckmpAign the REPUBLI-
CAN has been, and will be with the
people. We looked upon the effort
made to save 45, 600 TO the county by q
reduction Of the price paid for feeding
prisoner from 80 down TO 20 cents Is
specially credited to the livery Even.
ing, but being ono that was indisputa-
bly, right and proper we aided the
movement Ill in our power, and would
have been very willing 70 have let our
evening contemporary have had all
the credit had the object have been
attained. That paper needs no de-
fence from u in regard to the selfish
ness or the unselfisbness q Its motives.
We do know that when II broke up
the gamblers II had NO selfish motive
In view and 1t Is just as reasonable to
believe that II would undertake the re.
form in which II has just failed with
the same unselfish motives, though
there was Just enoue b TO show that its
course might have been different had
II had the Sherlff's patronage. That
patronage is power no matter to
what paper 1t goes. enough to move
even Republican paper from its
moorings, as has been demonstrated In
the contest just over, so far q the
Levy Court Is concerned. but far from
being over 80 lar as the people are con
cerned.
II was said In debate last Friday by
Mr.. Jordan, il we mistake not, that
the last time the Republicans had q
majority In the Levy Court they
allowed the then sheriff forty five
cents Q day per prisoner for board,
raising it five cents. Not only that,
but they allowed the preceding sheriff,
Mr.. Herbert, we believe, %, 600 extra
to bring his price up to the same
notch. We have no means Of disputing
this, and take II tor granted that It 10
true. But 1t happened away back at .
time when there were fewer prisoners
in Jail, when times were not 30 pressing
upon taxpayers, and when but little
attention was paid to the doings of the
Levy Court by daily newspapers. The
Levy Court at that time could meet,
transact lis business, adjourn AMI all
that would be known TO the public
would be who were elected collectors
and constables. Such thing az q re-
porter Tor daily newspaper sitting in
Court and reporting the daily proceed
ings was not known In those DAYS,
and 1t question whether 1t would
have been tolerated. No matter, the
action Of the Republican Levy Cour.
was wrong and affords but poor cri.
terion for guidance now. In those
days our county was In tho same posi-
ton that many surrounding counties
are now that are still paying forty,
forty five and some even fifty cents
per day. There were less prisoners
then and the people did not feel the
burthen 80 much.
Had the REpUBLIcAN advocated It's
real sentiments it would have favored
cutting down the prisoners board at
least fifteen cents day, instead of ten,
but the latter being looked upon as a
large amount in the aggregate, and
being move in the direction of
economy and reform, we loaned 1t all
the aid in our power, But there are
other reforms awaiting our assistance,
and they shall all have our hearty
support. Among these is constltu.
tiopal reform that in importance over
tops everything else ~ II virtually EN-.
bodies every reform.
To secure this reform, only the Re.
publican party can be depended upon.
aud 1t should be the chief object and
aim OF every constitutional retormer,
whether Democrat or Republican, to
aid that party for the time being any.
how. The Democrats have been In
power in the State nearly, If not quite
, forty years, and have not, with all tn,
4 power possessed, been able TO Civ,
, constitutional reform. The neares
r the people ever reached that point wa
r at the last session of the Legislature
, WHEN Republican House passed tn
bill calling constitutional convention
n but Democratic Senate pigeon hole
the bill. The Democratic party eau
!, not be trusted to give the people con
i, stitu,ional reform, the Republica
"a party can. There can he but OF