Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-07-12
They Wore Thus Chosen.

They Wore Thus Chosen,
Commenting ON Mayor Shortlidge's
recent reflections upon government by
commissions" the Sunday Star remarks
that government by commissions is
after all precisely like government by
the representatives OF the people in City
Council, in that 1t is dependent almost
entirely upon the character and ability
Of the men chosen to membership in the
various bodies"
We presume the Star had in mind
that paragraph of the mayors message
in which he says:
/ wish to emphasize my opinion at this
point that the creation of two of the Will
mington commissions by legislative enact
ment has brought into public life and into
great usefulness number of capable and
public spirited men; but 1t goes without
saying that there is not competent man
in control Of the commissions to-day who
could not have been placed there by the
almost direct action Of the people, if Will
mington had been accorded full and free
right TO elect its representatives under
system of absolute local or self-control.
And, further on, he says, after refer
ring ito the ostensible reasons which
led many good men in this city eight
years ago" to urge upon the Legisla-
ture the creation of these (the Water
and Street and Sewer) commissions:
The people are capable Of governing
themselves, and whenever we shall be en-.
ahled by wise and honest legislation to re.
turn to the old-fashioned and American
system of allowing them to choose by a
full and untrammeled ballot, under fair
and equitable division of the city. all of
their officers the wrongs and evils of
which they justly complain to-day will be
iii a large measure removed.
1t would be fair to ask here by what
kind of ballot Mayor Shortldge was
himself elected, since his language seems
to impeach his own title to office. Does
the incumbency of Republican mayor
and Republican Council necessarily
argue that we are not enjoying "a full
and untrammeled ballot and fair and
equitable division of the city?"
Concurrently, the mayor evidently
overiooks another feature of the situa-
ton. This is, that the two commissions
to which he refers are now composed
exclusively of members appointed by
mayors of this city, elected by the peo-
pie of the city and placed there by the
almost direct action of tho people," The
mayor cannot have forgotten that the
last General Assembly refused to inter
fere in the composition of the Street
and Sewer Commission upon this very
ground--that its members had been
placed there by the almost direct action
of the voters of this city, in accordance
with the terms of the original enact
ment, and that, such being the case, the
Legislature ought not to interfere and
did not interfere In the case of the Police
Commission, which was not thus made
up but which had been crippled and
brought into reproach by scandalous
appointment at the start, not endorsed
by the people of Wilmington, the Legis-
lature did interfere and, in our judy
ment, went too far. But, so far as the
Water and Street. and Sewer Commits
sions go, Mayor Shortlidge must have
been suffering from very complete at
tack of Observation-Disclosures when he
said 'that there is not a competent man
in control of the commissions to-day
who could not have been placed there
by the almost direct action of the
people," seeing that these two commits
sions, of which he is here speaking, are
to-day made up entirely of members
who have been chosen in precise con-
formity with his suggestion. And, if
we remember rightly, every existing
member of these two commissions has
been appointed by Republican mayors
to wit-Mayors Harrington, Wiley and
Shortlldge; so that, whatever objection
may be fairly urged to the present com
position Of these commissions is at
tnbutable to popular vote and Republic
can majorities. In the Water Commits.
sion, which haa just been distinguishing
itself by whitewashing Solloway, Mayor
Shortlidge himself turned down ex-
Representative Thomas B. Smith, a
broad-gauge Republican possessing the
popular confidence, in favor Of Wash.
ington Hastings, who could not in the
very nature Of things be anything else
than a political partisan; an act which
makes Mayor Shortlidge personally re.
sponsible for the diversion Of this com
| IT, Al. r
to the position it is now coming to
occupy i'll the eyes of the people of viii
mirgton.