The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-05-21
A New start.


these bills haye been published in full,
et least not until certified copy of +
such acts have beenrecelyed and there
fore 1t is hard to toll whetherth con /
tain more against real reform than for /
it or whether there Is more good than /
bad in them. Tho Five Commissioner 1
net we do know somethig about, as it !
is In operation. One result of that act
is what the people in New Castle county
In favor Of reform wanted to avoid,
and that Is, that the most prominent
Office under the act is filled BY poll
ticlan. We do not know that county
Treasurer Dicliey will fill Msofiice and
perforra its duties in more objec-
tioHable manner than any body else
would I'LL it, nor do we know that he
will fill it iii an objectionable man
ner at all, but his appointment is not
want tho people were led to expect.
Even tho leading refermcrs Of his
own party openly proclaimed that it
would never do to appoint a man to
Office underthe act who had been
th bttp lft7t Af tAhy hay SbA4AiNSbch NAbh
the partisan polite that led to the de-
niand for change in the county
government of New Castle county. In
this respect the people have been dis
appointed, and though MIR. Dickey may
make one OF the best county treasurers
md receiver Of taxes, bis appointment
negatives the good that was intended
! In the bill. We do not know so well
what measure Of partisanship is con
talned in the State registration bill
and in the city registration bill nor
will we know until they are minutely
examined. They ought to be good as
tho State was charged $1,000 for the
first and 5000 for tho latter by those
who drew them up.
That they were intended to bo par
tlsan there is not the least doubt, as
no Republican was asked for an opin-
ion nor invited to take any part In the
preparation Of the bills. This was all
carefully kept exclusively in Demo-
cratic hands. A reasonably presump-
ton would have been thatif these bills
were not intended TO be partisan SO
much care would not have been exer-
eised to keep the preparation OF them
In Democratic hands. Tie bill us first
drawn by even such conservative Dem
ocrats as John r. Nicholson and Ed
ward RidReiy. Esqs,, was a partisan
terror to contemplate. 1t empowered
the Governor to appoint all the regis
trars at will without regard to politi-
cal opinions or majorittes. This was a
little too radical for even Senator Gray
and wa are Informed TINT the bill Was
materially modified afterwards by re-
specting majorities-in districts and moi
making it applicable to Wilmington.
Tho Wilmington registration hill II
also mystery, so far we only know
that 1t provides for a commission
similar In power to the city rcglstln
tiun commission for city elections
As it has also been drawn by Demo
cratic lawyers exclusively it must b
presumed that 1t was also for partisan
purposes. The real glst OF it will moi
no known until 1t comes to us unde
seal from the Secretary OF State.
We know also that tho nssessmeni
and tax collection laws OF 1873 hay
been repealed. If this he's baen dont
In plain straight forward homes
manner without my quibbles orquirk
then something has been gained 70
honesty and reform. The laws hay
sxn standing blur and hi5grae
upon our statute bucks ever sine
they were placed therc, and ever
friend OF honest government shoult
rejoice that they have been sweI
away.
Let us hope that the partisan lniquit
contained IN them has not been tran
mitted to the registration laws referra
to Tho ballot reform act, part Au
trelian and part something else, Is al
other law OF which but little is "
known. 1t would lie strange ii It WI
not intended for partisan pu poses, b
1t may be good thing. With the u
requiring new asseeBinent of vote
the coming winter the next State ele
aion will be carried on under entire
new regulations. In the first plai
none are to be disialchised, or mo
familiarly, returned ut delinquent
In the second place all are to be RET
sessed
In the third place, all can come
county Treasurer Dickey or his deli
qnent collectors and pay their tax,
but as under the old law, no collect
need call upon poll taxpayers for TIN
taxes. In the third place all who htl
paid their taxes or are entitled to p
before the election can got ragistere
IN the fourth place all who regis
can vote at the November election
1896, and there ends the round. 1t "
be as it were new start in Delawt
and every voter should endeavor
start right by rigid compliance wi
the new laws that have been passed.
FRANE D. CARPENTER, ESQ. Is gu
too young lawyer to wreck his rel