The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-07-05

uty OF placing before your honoraDi0 y
ody In o formal message my views .
hioh follow Of the policy and gov. 9
rnment OF tho city OF Wilmington. ~
hould probably never have presamed
D take this stsp II II had not been for !
aougn tful aud judlcious citizena who
slieve with me that our entire ara. Z
em OF public management 10 largely
ounded upon o grave error and the !
onduot thereof necessarily clumsy I.
oatly and inefficient l appreciate
he difficulty experienced everywhere
u the government OF cities. and there
3 no municipality whose policy J.
' ould care TO recommend In tta en-
irety to the citizens
Wilmington has been growing at q
pace; its Incl ease In popu-
alton as we'll 10 in substantial ma
erial. things jumped forward 30 per
,entum In the last csnsus decade be.
tuseh 1880 and 1890; and this marvel.
Ious growth. which was more like than
Of q Western community than OF one
along the Atlantic coast, 10 probably
one Of the potent causes OF our fall
ufe to provide for ourselves an ado
Quate and satisfaetory systsm OF mu.
nicipal government Bat there Ia n
lult In this growth. Wilmington. like
the rest OF the country, Is practically
at standstill. The bulk OF its capital
and one. half Of lis working popula-
tion are In idlenesa- business men. 40
we'll as the laborers of the community.
are undergoing period OF enforced
leisure, and they are In o position
to give some attention to
the theory and practice OF their local
government.
believe that tho people OF VIII.
mington are capable OF governing
themselves; and i believe that nearly
all OF our evils and misdireetions Of
government have sprung from the oil.
fort 60 successfully made In recent
years 10 control many Of our local al
fairs by legislation at Dover. The
American theory of local seif-govern-
ment has been snbverted IN respect to
nearly every Important function or
this community. and the power thus
wrongfully taken from tho citizens Of
Wilmington has been pefsistently and
notoriously abused in every instance
where appointment to Office hls &C.
eompnnied the change OF system. |
wish to emphasize my opinion at this
point that the creation OF two'of the
Wilmington commissions by leglsla-
tive enactment has brought into pub
lie life and into great usefulness q
number OF capable and public spirited
men; but 1t goes without saving that
there is not a competent man in con-
troll OF the com missions to-day who
could not have been placed there by the
almost direct action of the people, II
Wilmington had been accorded full
and free right to elect Its representa-
,tiYee under system OF absolute local
or selt,control; and 1t Isl matter OF
history that wherever theae legislative
changes have placed our power Into
, the hands OF the governor, the result
has been injurious, and. In several
!, instances, dlsgraceful to the commu-
nifty. The creation of the Police Com
. mission has not only been gross vlo'
!, lation OF the principle OF local self
!, government, but 1t has been attended
from tho first by scandals, by corrup'
ton, by violence anu by shameful
. abuse OF power. IL should never have
, been created. Neither la its inception
nor i'll it's execution was the public In
terest condslderea.
Lam not Ignorant OF, nor indifferent
to. the osteuslble reasons which led
many good men in this city eight
!. years ago 20 deprive Wilmington OF
local self-goyernment and place the
, expenditure of our vast sums oil
, money, aggregatiDg millions during
that period. into the hands OF auto
!, cratic commissioners. Your honora
Ole body did not always execute ils
trust with that wisdom and Integrity
which have characterized 1t during the
last i've years. But the change Their
, made did not correct the evil ut its
] root, which was even at that time due
: to o fundamental violation OF the
rights OF the people. by system oil
! gerrymauder which was introduced
; ten years before the people OF VIII
mlnston were deprived OF local self
{ government. A minority OF tho PEG
. pie were given a majority OF power,
! and thus by legislative example. fraud
: ut the polls and acknowledgement OF
affairs weru suggested, encouraged
/ aud maintained undor the forms OF
law. 1t was only alter these evils. III
!, splred by Responsible members OF the
;. community tor partisan ends. became
unbearablA that the effort was made
1 by further restriction of the rights o.
: the majority aud the taxpayers. tt
o curb the power OF tho p1lluters OF bal
lilo money.
Tho people are capable of governing
themselves. anu whenever we shall bi
I enabled by wise and honest Legislation
II 10 letulh to the old-fnshluHed an(
. American system OF allowing them tt
IS cheese by full and untrainlneleI
Il ballot. under fair and equitabl,
n division OF the city. all Of their officers
Z the wrongs and evils OF which the,
/. Justly complain to-day will in larg
q measure DO removed, IL should b.
= our purpose in every honorable wa!
o to bring about that wholesome result
J Nothing short OF popular control il
d every particular and to the ful es
0 eAtsnt will give Wilmington an ad
D. lninlstration that Is adequate to 1T
growth and importance.
1t il very gratifying to acknowledge
TINT tho city Is In excellent eondltio
in respect TO three great factors o: th
II community, namely. the streets. th
If water supply and the fire depdrtm ent
III The streets and the sewers under thel
Ia have undergone a great change for I'll
il. better daring the last few year.
ia Wilmington has made true progress
"a. these particulars, and it is gray
10: misfortune that the conditions of Il
a times are such that this work came
"a to carried forward indefinitely. w
mington has maintained itself brave
In the face of the Industrial dlsaste
which havo swept over the count
nd have paid their taxes with heroic sa
or, riiices. and the city Council Is to
congratulated and Is deserving OF Il
= gratitude OF the community that. nI
I'll wlLhstanding the increased demRn
.ed for money over which your honorat
nc body las no control, the tax rate h
en- not been Increased, but remains ut T.
of former rate OF 81 SO per Sl0c.
1t will be infinitely harder to me
tho taxes for 1894 than II was for tho
OF 1898. Idle hands and empty hous
can meet neither private nor pub
n obligations. Our interest charges la
~ been increased by one third Tor t
,s,, benefit OF the streets. and this 1.
NV burden that must DO borne before OF
Jed ers are added. The magnificent {
velopment OF our streets and save
lde and their management have cost
~ city more than 81 600 QUO. OF viii
Nv $500 GO0 is debt upon the Taxpayer
M The balance of tho 81, LOG, 900 has DO
rail collected In taxes during the las
een ears. These figures. in view of I
al financial straits of this period, ma
on 1t obvious that tie building Of sew
~ VI, aud the Improvement Of streets ha
L A reached high water mark. Ths til
in has come when this important VIC
nd must be limited, and 1t lB respectful
tho suggested that the sum o. 500, coo
~ year. added to the income OF I
'hS Street and Sewer Commission fro
hns wharf rents. taxes on telegraph a
ON other electclc poles, curb and sew
liens. etc should be ample for str
tie ana sewer expenditures for tho N
to live or six years. EXpenses arc bel
y cut down in all private enterpris
Va. and tile same rule must Ee applied
public affairs.