Middletown transcript., 1893-02-18
THE GREEDY GRABBERS.

THE GREEDY GRABBERS.
Our esteemed contemporary, the
EUery Evening, gives ne uncertain
sound in its fearless announcement of
the partisan measures which GER
tain Democrats of this county are SO
eagerly working to have the State leg
islature put through. The political
grab game which has been so success
fully played in this State is thus set
forth by our e. c.
It beats anything ever before seen at
at Dover-the greed of schemers who
are coming before the General Assem-
bly, with devices to legislate somebody
else out of office and themselves in.
Every day brings forth some new grab
game in this line. First it was the
Coroner's Physicians bill, which the
House, under the leadership of Messrs.
Cooch, Salisbury, Whitman and Wat
kins, very properly killed. Then came
the Coal Oil Inspector bill-a big grab,
indeed-which the Senate, at Mr..
Pyle's instance, promptly decapitated
Next the City Solicitor bill, mapifes ly
designed to let in somebody who has
been less than five years at the bar. and
which may yet be squelched by the
Senate as it ought to be. When the
city of Wilmington cannot obtain an
attorney possessing the qualifications
prescribed by statute it will be time
enough to open the doors to the fedg-
lings of the bar; but there has been no
dearth of more experienced aspirants
thus far and there is not likely to be in
the near future.
1t would take too much space to
enumerate the other grab games in
hand and in sight. They are coming
in, as we say, every day. Their pro-
jectors eeem to think it the chief husi-
ness of Lcgislature-not to make
laws for the whole people but to make
places for party workers. Their ra-
pacity is beginning TO disgust even old
time adherents Of the dogma that to
the victors belong to the spoils. As to
the Cleveland dictum about public
office being public trust, they want
nothing to do with it. They should
strike out the words public trustn and
substitute "prlvate grab"
These schemers are hailing thus far
almost entirely from this city. They
certainly do not go to Dover with the
backing of the public sentiment of
Wilmington. BY far the greater part Of
the people Of this city-the men who
work in our shops. who run our stores,
who make up The bone and sinew, the
industry, he business, the trade, the
prosperity, the advancement and pro-
gress Of Wilmington-believe in fair
play. Whether Democrats or Republic
cans, they are willing to abide by the
results of their elections. If the Demo-
Gratis carry the city they expect to put
their own men i'll and keep them there
until the Republicans outvote them
and gain the ascendancy. And when
that happens they are willing to accord
to their political opponents the same
privilege. They do not think it right
they do not think it manly-for place
hunters to run to the Legislature ask
ing what they could motor did not, get
at the polls. And we know that we
speak for a large number of Wilmington
Democrats when we say that we do not
want, and will not regard with ap-
proval. such legislative interference
with our municipal affairs
Local self goveu i0a essence
| of Democracy. " lis last
November against ,5- au-At of the
Federal administration, and here is no
Democrat who is not proud of the
lhoroughness and completeness with
| which we then maintained our ground,
and who should not be ready to shoulder
his burden of the cost of doing this. On
the same principle the mass of the peo-
ple of Wilmington prefer to run their
municipal government. The Demo
Gratis of Wilmington are not, as body,
the kind of home rulers to run to Dover
10 ask the people of Kent and Sussex to
give their party the fruits of victory
that they did not win at the polls. They
prefer the manly way Of waiting till
the next election and facing their OPP
ponents again in a square fight and
abiding by the results, whether It be
for or against them.
Only in one department Of our mum
cipal government does it occur to us
that there is justification for legislative