The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-10

call non partisan commission bills,
and find so much fault with the Re-
publicans that thcy do not fall in with
their ideas of right and Justice, never
Eeem to think that there are two sides
TO this non partisan legislation. 1t Is
queer too that they do not see this, as
they profess to DO SO very much In
favor OF what they call justice and
fairness. In all the commissions that
they have had passed and which they
call bipartisan, il they did not moan
to be- partisan. 1t was q queer freak Of
luck that they let the plummet OF JUS
tice always drop on the Democratic
side Of the line.
The party first commenced this com
mission business when che Republi-
cans, by the sheer force of numbers In
tho city, held the City Council by pass
fnga Water Commission oct which
took away from tho City Council con
troll OF the water department and CON
signed 1t to the care Of non-partsan
commission, so-callod. Asthere either
had to be two Democrats or two Re-
publicans In that committee, was it a
toss up as to which party was to get
the odd member? AS one OF the other
had to get 1t luck might have given the
Democrats the two members. We are
not complaining OF the efficiency or
inefficiency OF the water commission,
for we believe it to be an excellent in
stitution and run on as nearly non
partisan principles as any commission
could be run. However, the water
commission fell to the Democrats and
has remained there ever since tho first
creation.
+ The next non-parttsan legislation
that came from Democratic legisla-
ture was the curbing of the power of
q Republican Mayor, by passing a bill
creating q Municipal Court, or in
other words aDemocratic Commission
TO deal out justice TO the criminal
classes. As it was to be strictly non
partisan, was 1t mere chance that put
In a Democratic Judge, and chance
ngain that made that Judge always
appoint a Democratic clerk? Luck
may have made the Water Commission
Democratic, but here is a reversal Of
the old chestnut that "lightning never
strikes twlcein the same place"
The history of the first Judge OF thai
Court and its first Clerk would bolster
up the affirmative theory of righteous
r, tiibution. Any how we have what i,
called non-partisan Municipal Court
but no place about it for Republican
Tho present Judge and Clerk are fair
minded gentlemen, for whom we have
the greatest respect, but they are fal
removed from the people by partisan
legislation.
The next piece of non-partisan lagis
latlon that came from u Democratic
Legislature was tho creation Of Stree
and Sewer Department. Was it mere
chance again that selected two of thu
three commissioners That composed i
from the Democratic party? The nol
partisan plummet seemed to fall on tht
Democratic side again and under thi
non-partlsan commission came Dem
ocratlc clerk, a Democratic Street Com
missioner, and a Democratic Assistau
Street Commissioner Within fey
days past the commission has becom
Republican for tho first time and wer
itnot that the State Senate falls shor
OF q Democratic two-thirds vote W
would no doubt soon sec this commits
sion Increased to five members by til
appointment of two more Democrats
Then came the City Election Regis
tratIon Commission, ono OF the best &
q the commissions created In the II
terest Of honest City Government, bu
as usual somehow II turned upwfth tw
Democrats and ono Republican MOI
partisan but always Democratic SCENE
TO DO the rallying point of tho Demt
Gratis. II never seemed to enter the
minds that tho commission could |
as strictly non.partisan il composed {
two Republicans and ono Democra
Now we have whole avalanche
these same kind of non partisan Coz
missions pending before the leglsl
ture to be hurled upon the people. II
FIRST and greatest Of these is the Fl,
Commissioner act that reverses u
will of the people expressed at a sta
slectlon. II is urged as a non parIlsH
act but particular care is taken TIN
three of the commissioners are to
Democrats and two of them Repub
eous.
Besides, the gerrymander Of Il
County into districts insurss Dem
cratic rule no matter how majoriti
IN the county may run, That is ca
cd non-partisan legislation.
But non-partisan legislation Of II
Kind does not stop hero. A registrati,
bill almost as long as the Jewish cod
gives the Governor the power to q
point a Democratic registrar in eve
election district in the State. Tho
seemed to be no thought that
publican registrar even in strong Il
publican districts might be desirab
But we see that even SO strong
Democratic partisan as Senator Or
was evidently ashamed Of this extreI
craftsmanship and had the bill modill
after the REPUBLICAN called attenti
20 it. Last OF all is the bill for I