Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-02-19

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THE FARMERS ROAD BILL.
j. Alexander Fulton, ESQ, has
drafted a road bill which contemplates
some radical changes. II provides that
the levy courts shall make annual esIi-
mates of the cost of keeping the roads
in repair and shall set apart the sum re-
quired for this work in each hundred
When the money has been thus appor-
toned, the levy courtmen, lin New
Castle county the road commissioners,
shall divide the roads in their respective
hundreds into sections of not less than
one-half and not more than three miles
in length, and shall specify in writing
what repairs shall be made to each sec
ton. When this has been done they shall
advertise for sealed proposals for making
these repairs. Bonds, with approved
surety, may be requiad of each bidder.
The lowest bidders to be awarded the
work on the respective sections. The
roads, where repaired, are to be packed,
graded, leveled, scraped and rolled, and
drained by side bitches; the levy courts
to furnish the scrapers and rollers.
Part of the duty Of contractors shall be
to fill up holes where they may occur
at any time during the year and to cut
off limbs Of trees that interfere with
vehicular traffic. In case of the de-
struction of any bridge, causeway or
part of road by flood or from other
cause, where the estimated cost of
repairing the damage shall exceed
| 800, the contract for such repairs
shall be awarded to the lowest bidder,
provided that where the case is too
urgent to await proposals the levy court
may have the work done at once. The
| aggregate amount expended in keeping
up the roads and bridges shall not ex-
coed the average cost of the preceding
three years. Where the contract does
not exceed 5000 no money shall be paid
the contractor until the Job is finished;
on contracts exceeding 5000 partial pay
ments may be made. If commissioner,
levy court or road, be proven guilty Of
favoritism in the award of a contract
he Shall be liable to fine of from $50
to 5000, and to 80 days imprisonment.
Dover, Feb. 17.-What the farmers of
Diamond State Grange, No. 2, Of stan
ton, would like to see done by this Gen
eral Assembly is set forth in the follow
ing series of resolutions, attested by
Secretary Lizzie Woodward, and brought
10 the notice of the House this afternoon
by Representative Cranston;
R,solgtd, That we, the patrons of Grange
No. ,, pray that i'll order orr burden of
taxation be lessened that Il three commits
sioners bill be drawn in the interest of the
taxpayers instead Of the present burden
some levy court
Rc&o'ye1, That non-partisan commits
sion be appointed by the present Legisla-
| tnrc, to run for two years, in the interest
Of the people and not in the interest of
either party.
| Hrwiged, That tits the sense of this body
| that law be passed in regard TO prisoners
| feed; that some means be devised in order
| that they may be self-sustaining while
serving sentences Of the courts and we
would suggest that workshops be built, or
they he made 10 work on the streets or on
orr public roads.
Resoipcd, That il is the sense of this body
| that our school system Of taxation be re
| duced To 500 tper district to be raised by
taxation in olir country districts, as there
| is now a surplus on hand still accumulate
| ing which is unnecessarily taken from the
| pockets of the taxpayers.
BALLOT REFORM BILLS.
The members Of the General Assem-
bly, are beginning to feel that il is time
they were getting down to ballot reform
legislation, and, as auxiliary thereto
the House has resolved that three sena-
tors and three representatives, one OF
each from each county is the under
| standing though not so specified be
added to the respective committees on
revised statutes for the consideration OF
all bills that may come In with respect
to any alteration in the exciting ballot
laws. Speaker Sirman has not vet
named the extra three House members
SccDndarily, Chairman Hutson in
tended getting his (the House, com,
mittee together tonight to begin con.
i sideration of the two bills already in
the Graham Australian Ballot bill and
the Myers Voting Machine bill-but he
did not do so because of the absence d
two members Of the original committee
and the non-appointment Of the extra
members. Mr.. Myers says, as to his
bill, that he looks for the committee II
hold two or three meetings over ii anG
Aprune off its rough edges as II were
! before they get down to final con
sideration of it,
Both houses of the New York leCis
latHre have already acted on a Myrr
voting machine bill, somewhat differen
from the Delaware bill, and at last &C
counts the measure was only await
ing concurrence in an unimportan
amendment, after which it goes to Gov
llill for his signature, which Mr.. Myer
feels confident will be appended withou
hesitation, This New York bill en-
powers any district TO adopt the macliin
forthwith.
a popularity Of the Delaware bill
which has thus far escaped newspnpe
comment is the following proyiso Of sec
ton 4:
IN empty ballot box shall he on the in
speetGr's table for the reception of ballot
only which are alleged to contain no nam
or names which appear on the diagram
tickets. And it shall be the duty Of III
inspector receiving snch ballot to inform
such voter when he offers such halloi
that if his ballot contains any name q
names appearing on the diagram ballot
his vote will not be counted.
, A careful reading Of this will show a
/ ingenious scheme for shutting out til
! irregular and purchasable voters. The
right 70 vote for candidates not in nom
nation is conceded, but their ballots wi
$ rt be counted unless they are who'll
: different throughout as 10 every nam
/ on them, from any of the regular ticket
Consequently they are votes throw
! away, unless in the almost impossibl
: contingency Of party publicly pIacin
! bogus ticket in nomination and pr
E vately instructing its voters to place i
j the Inspectors box wholly diiferer
7 ticket containing no candidates tn,
r have been publicly nominated. To a,
5 complish this would presuppose an in
1 practicable amount Of cohesion and d.
+ ception, as well q perjury, in settir
Z forth the bogus ticket US one that ha
i been made in good faith
c A third ballot bill was given notice
, l,ty Raprnapntutivn giannl, ray tbte /. 90