The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-08

No matter what the Legislature may
do with the Five Commissioner bill, the
Republicans have performed their
duty, and the matter Is left with the
people. Amongst those who went
down to Dover yesterday from Will
'mington, to protest against the Five
Commissioner bill as brought before
the Senate were Washington Hastings,
William Q. Spruance, Levi G. Bird,
benjamin Nields, George G. Lobdell,
~. Minot Curtis, Isaac $. Elliott and
Watson Il. Sperry.
These gentlemen were given q hear
ing before the whole Legislature In
the House OF Representatives chamber
between 1l.S0 and o'clock, anc every
member paid the strictest attention to
each of the speakers as they eloquent
ly pleaded for Justice and fairness.
William G. Spruance, Esq, was tho
first speaker. His speech was impas-
STONED, eloquent and convincing.
| He said the subject for which they had
come TO Dover was one that Inns engaged
county for a good while. TWAS one from
(which politics must be divorced. IL sthe
general idea that the old system Of county
lgovernnent Is not the best thing that
oouid be devised. We know that the af-
fairs of large counties in nu adjoining
State are. conducted quite successfully by
smaller bodies than those in New Castle
county with larger body.
The work OF the Legislature Ia to decide
how rather and whether something of the
body can manage the affairs OF the county
better than q larger body. The
bill now before you we are told meets
with more. favor with your committee
than the others A few of us examined
the bill in Its details and would like to pre-
lscnt our views.h
Mr.. Spruance recognized that there wore
lmany good features In the bill, as for in
Stance, the reduction of the number of
the body having charge of county affairs
from eleven TO Ave. Some thought and
HE was ones eliat the body could be redtIc-
ed TO three. as WINS done In other states
The bill provides Ave commissioners at
800 each. He would prefer three at
81 800. He would prefer 20 spend 81, 800 on
men of that kind than $1,000 on $500 men.
He liked the feature of the receiver of
ltaxos and had always thought II "a foolish
and unnecessary policy to pay the large
lcommission now given TO collectors. He
also liked tho feature OF rebate on taxes
lpaid before certain date. The salary
of 5000 for the proposed receiver, how
ever. was In his opinion little high.
| The speaker said that he rather liked
the comptroller idea. The bill Is not strong
enough us to the duty OF the receiver to
maintain his oificc and TO keep IL open for
the receipt OF taxes 1t has been the great
ldlfiiculty in our county 10 pay our taxes
1t should be made imperative upon the
, part of the receiver to keep his office open
during the hours prescribed In the bill
II the receiver isto be the only man u
receive taxes he ought TO be required Il
!, establish himself at a known place and tC
keep himself there under a heavy penalty
h would suggest that at the time for col
Elections In the hundreds be made Ions
lenough to give all a chance TO pay Their
aro provisions of the bitl | might touch
\ nFt a ana l.s.e ..,tsa
lzen-without foe and without reward-tI
talk TO you ms friends.
Senator Wllliams-"And the committee
lis glad to hear you"
Mr., Spruance then continued II know
What am extremely anxious to have tn,
Finances OF the county administered eco
lnomically and judiciously. approach tn,
committee In that spirit in the belief tina
they do not want 10 do wrong, but ar
working for tho benefit OF the people o
New Castle county. There arc only one
THIRD OF the members OF the General As
sembly who live In New Castle county
What Is to be done by the other two-third
lwhu do not live thereg Remember that |
Us not your own but your broiher's affair
, that You are to deal with. Iwdnt you Il
lapply the golden rule-'to do unto other
i. as you would be done by | want tn
members from Kent and Sussex IN do 70
llNew Castle that which they would do 70
> themselves.
There is one feature that do OF like
: II don't sec any benefit 10 he derry ed fIpn
II. That Is that all poll taxes be extin
'IHuished after giNon day, Why
ylWhyr Why? The obiecS OF taxation is L
make revenue for tine state, The ma
q who does not pay his taxes should b'
'lmade to pay them
There is one feature that and the poo
lple-not Republicans alone but Demo
lorats as well-do not like. That Is thu
first section of the bill II has been sale
that the bill has not been passed by th'
committee
Senator Williams IL So"
II hope and pray resumed Mr.
!, Spruanee, that II wifi he amended, and
should be distressed IL thought IL woul
hIpass. Those eight lines in one fell swoop
abolish the Levy COur1 the county treas
urer, the trustees of the poor. the TIA
collectors the bridge-tenders. Has ther
been any sign 10 the General Asscmbl
that the majority of the Levy Court q
= New Castle county elected last Noyembe
have done ANYTHING to meet the swift
and destroying hand of this Assembly
u Have they wanted money? Have the
elected men for Office of known unfit
/. They have not done wrong. Their
should be some reason for turning thes
-Imea out. These people were elected b
the people of New Castle county. hav
been told that there was a great deal G
fraud Al the last election. Is the Gener,
Assembly TO pass on that election TIL
zlwayg The members of this body froI
New Castle county wero elected by tn
same votes as selected the majority of tn
Levy Court. You could have scrutinize
the vote by which your members froi
New Castle were elected, but by failing I
do that you recognized in the main thu
h the election WAS fair This bill propose
y ito turn outall-probably forty or ifty.a'
Unless there Is some cause for doing thu
lection IL not TO the swiftness of the tin
in which the avonging hand shall fal
10 take all of their own affairs out of Ii
hands of the people of New @ lstle count
Is undemocratic and nnrepub, n in d
broadcast and most profound Sense. 1t
lenough to make Thomas Jefferson rise
This grave. But you say that this thin
has been done before. II has never bee
done In the history Of the state. :
'@rhis bill proposes to put the whole a
fairs of New Castle County in the hands,
the governor. II Is unprecedented to Il
llastdegree II Is dangerousto put that po'
er in the hands of this governor or al
- other. A whole county unfortunate pc
- haps in having city of 81 900 inhabitap
within its limits-is to boinstantly depri
ed of all voice in the selection of men
administer Its AFFAIRS; Home rule Hon
rule? ireland would be atiame as 81
never was before If Parliament by ii
request of the Queen. should take fro
any county everything by such step
you propose to take.
strike 1t out IL will come back
plague you as sure as you live"
Suppose that the conditions were chan
ed and the Republicans took eyerythiu
from the Democrats and put the auai
In the hands of the governor. ut wou
be unprecedented he exclaimed, "au
would howl and protest Why not If til
thing is changed now. can II not be chang
two years hence If the Republicans shou
lbe in power7 What we ask Is that this b
Is TO suspend Its operation until the poop
of New Castle county can choose Il
themselves who are to fill their offics
lGentlemen, IL Is never safe to do wron