Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-21
THE TABLES WIN BE TURNED.
why the Republicans Await With Dread
the Work of the New York Legislature.

THE TABLES Will BE TChNEDs
why the Republicans Await With Dread
the Work of the New York Legislature.
New York letter.
The Republican organs are setting up
n great howl over the cyclone that will
begin to sweep over tho state as soon as
the legislature gets down to work. The
enumeration and reapportionment bills
are bad enough, but there is worse to
come. The reapportionment will largely
increase the Democratic representation
in the legislature by giving the big
cities the additional members to which
their great increase of population en-
titles them. New York, for instance,
will probably have 80 members in place
Of the present "a, and all but one of
them will be surely Democratic. There
will, be similar large addition to the
working force of the party over in
Brooklyn. Thanks to the provision of
the constitution that allows each county
at least one assemblyman, no matter
what its population, the rural Repub-
lican Scion is still safe.
The 3,700 votes of Putnam county or
the 5000 of Tioga therefore count Just
as much as the 10000 Of New York
city's Nineteenth district. But the i'm
pending calamity that bothers the Re-
publicans more than all this is the per-
sonal registration bill. 1t is of the order
of which the poet sang when he de-
scribed the feelings of the spent eagle
sailing DER the plain on recognizing
that his own pinions had winged the
shaft that brought him death. In the
prosperous times of years ago it was
good Republican policy to make rigid
registry law for the big Democratic
cities and let John /. Davenport and his
Federal marshals and iron cage loose to
cut down the normal vote that told so
heavily against the count in the Repub-
lican county districts. After many
years of Democratic urging the registra-
| ton law In a modified degree has OK
| tended to the country districts. The
difference was this, but it is a big one;
In the city the voter must register his
name in person; in the country he can
do it by proxy. Now the Democratic
legislature and the Democratic governor
see no good reason why sauce of the city
| Democratic goose would not be equally
palateable on the country Republican
gander.
Although the Republican leaders are
professedly such ardent champions Of
ballot reform and pure elections they
are going to oppose this change all they
can, because they know that il will
end the "blocks Of five" campaigns in
the country, and will surely cut down
the country vote. The farmer is hard
man to drag to the polls, and it will be
still harder to get him out twice when
he will have to make an extra trip to
register. So much the worse for him,
say the Democrats. The city people have
to use up just as much valuable time.
But then you know it's worth any loss
to prevent fraudulent practices at the
polls, and they twink the other eye" at
the disconsolate and helpless Republi-
cDn objector, What is good law for the
city is good law for the country, and the
majority at Albany are going to see it
put into force at once-just in time for
the Presidential election.