Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-05-07
an election Of representatives shall have

interviewed.
Dover, April 3O.-An "Act to provide
for the registration Of voters inthe city of
Wilmington passed the Senate to-day.
The reading of the bill by paragraphs
had occupied the morning session until
about 1880 o'clock. When the reading had
been concluded and the bill had been put
upon its finel passage, Mr.. Pilling arose and
said:
II will occupy only a few moments, but
/ cannot suffer this bill to pass without
entering my protest. think it is one of
the worst bills politically ever listened to.
Talk about your Force bills l think this
bill surpasses everything ] ever heard got
mp. | think it is a credit (sarcastically) to
the young men who got it up. You may
ask why does il concern mel not being u
reaident of Wilmington. Because there
is no representative in New Castle county,
whether in or out of Wilmington, but
what that bill affects. We have all got to
run through Wilmington, and il appliesto
us. Every senator and member of the
lower house from New Castle county will
have to undergo the gauntlet of both
these registration laws. Why one of these
laws cannot apply to the whole State
cannot understands this is something be-
vond my comprehension. Why not make
this bill apply to Kent and Sussex, as we'll
as Wilmington? You may not feel the
effects of it, but we will feel the effects of
it in New Castle county. The secret of the
bill is this-they get control of the election
officers; the governor appoints these cleo
ton officers and they appoint all the
judges and inspectors, and where you will
stop, if you go on in this kind of legisla-
ton, passes my comprehension. You are
drawing the rope tighter and tighter every
day, and don't think we shall have any
liberties left except what the governor
gives us. But expect to meet you all in
this room, God willing, two years from
now and | make the prophecy, here and
now that that bill will not return what it
is intended to return. The people of New
Castle county will not stand it. Leav-
ing out of question the Republicans,
the Democrats who are not after office are
almost unanimously opposed TO this kind
of legislation. They are Delawareans at
heart and they mean to control their
liberties, and they will discountenance
and dethrone anybody that advocates
such measure as this. 1t is not right.
They ought to have but one registration
law Leave this and make the other
apply to the whole State. That will be
consistent. But why should we have
three registration laws in this small State
of uurs2 | cannot understand it. ] am
satisfied in closing, that some day, and
trust before long, this kind of legislation
will cease"
Speaker Donahoe-This is purely Will
mington measure and | don't take it so
seriously as my friend from White Clay
Creek One thing nobody will get back
here under this law unless they are elected,
Mr.. McNIullin-Or unless they are ap-
pointed.
dentally gotten off something really
bright and the laugh came in right here.
| Ii brought down the house
Senator Hall just want to say, before
the roll call, that the senator, (Mr, Pillingl
has not attacked any particular section Of
this bill He has not given us any reason
for opposing it. only as whole, If the
senator had attacked any particular sec
ton and told us where it was wrong. and
where it could be made right, he might
have convinced somebody but he simply
objects to the bill as whole, that it is not
a suitable bill to be passed by this body.
just saying the bill is bad one and giving
us no reason why it is bad appears to ME
no argument,
Mr., McMullin-We could object from
the beginning-we are building on a sandy
| foundation. We could make the same
| objection | did to the other bill, because Of
| the appointing power of the governor. As
my colleague has SAID, the day may come
when the party cooperating with the gov
ernor will have guard on every corner in
| the city of Wilmington and on every farm
| i'll the State, and we will be tied hand and
| foot. But right here, seriously, we know
we are comforting great deal of power on
| the executive, and we know what that
amounts to, that this bill amounts to a
| corporal's guard Right here, in the
| second section, there is a department of
elections created; they receive a compensa-
ton of $500 each; and there is the provision
that in the off years they do not receive IT..
! -, l,nt - ,tityf,, 1,n
executive of this state and the party that is
in cooperation with the executive great
deal of patronage.
Mr. MeMulin had gotten back to his
normal disjointed vein,
Mr.. Pilling-In answer to my friend
from Kent county, whom | respect very
highly, lust wish to take this opp0rtli-
nifty to make this remark, and | think he
will appreciate that | am speaking the
truth; since we have been together now
very nearly four months, | think | have
treated every gentleman, and that the Re
publicans have treated the majority, with
all the respect possible, We have sat in
here week after week. with one of our
members home i'll pain, and we have
never offered, suggested, tried or intimi-
ated anything that you should think for a
moment that we have embraced an oppor-
tunity. With regard to attacking this bill,
we recognize it is impossible for lis To
amend 1t; we feel that the bill will pass,
and 70 talk merely for the sake of hearing
my own voice is obnoxious TO me; there
fore concluded to say nothing till it came
on its final passage. You are responsible
Tor il, we are not 1t is measure of
sinon-pure Democracy and you have got
to bear the responsibility, can only enter
my protest but | want to enforce upon
your minds that we could have consumed
this whole day passing this bill, but VIZ
have not seen fit to do ii.
Mr.. Hall--ln regard to the courtesy Of
the minority, fully endorse every wore
he has said. | think the minority has
treated the majority with the greatest re
spect and courtesy and also take upor
myself to say that the majority has don,
the same by the minority
Mr. Pilllng-We admit that.
Mr. McNlullin-lt's kind of love feast
Ll.aughterl
The roll was then called and the bill
passed by the following vote:
Ayes-Hall, Houston, Ross, Williams
Speaker Dnnahoe--5.
Noes-McMullin, Pilling, Richardson's
Absent-Moore.
In answering to his name Mr., Richard
, son said 81 have the same objection /,
this bill that | offered yesterday to TIL
state Registration bill; that is with respec
to the governor appointing all the officers
and for that reason | vote no
THE GREAT REPEATING ACT,
The long-awaited bill repeating the dc
linquent lists appeared to-day, 1t wa
: drafted by John h. Nicholson, Esq, an,
/ introduced in the House by Mr. Ridgely
S The bill is very brief. II simply enaets;
5 That section and section 10 Of the act on
titled 'Un act in relation To the tiutes Of asses
surs and of the levy courts in the several couu
ties Of This State, pissed on April OH lS7
e and bong chapter 81 of Vol. XIV, Laws
| Deiaware, be and the same are hereby IL
poaled and made ANIL and void.
Following are the sections which thi
bill wipes out
Section Q. That it shall not be lawful for an
:, assessor or aI.y levy court. upon the persont