Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-03-28

question VIII probably depend the rhtll- |
cation or rejection of the conventions
work.
Speaking OIL the subject of representa-
ton Mr.. Salisbury said; My own first |
Vote was cast in Dover before I came TO
Wilmington anu /, believe il capable OF |
mathematical demonstration that the 9ix
votes have cast since then in Whining
ton have hardly counted as much, SO far as
representation in the Legislature Is CON
ceFlied. ms did any irst vote which at the
age Of q years | cast in East Dover hun
dred.N y " H 2"
: "Milmington will. be told, 1.-THE speaker
continued, "of the great danger she 10
the rest of the State, threatening by her
great growth to exceed the whole state in
population and dominate il by force OF
numbers. And she will reply that the
average intelligence, the patriotism. the
property Of her citizens are no less than
that Of the rural inhabitants of our State;
that they pay Us much or more per capita
into the State trensnry;t that no historical
reason or tradition IN this free land exists
10 prevent equal representation, and that
Lessons from the past history of ancient
republics show that when Athens domi.
mated Greece Rome ruled the world and
Venice settled all questions OF government
for her political subdivisions; that eacl
respectively had the best and purest and
most honest government in all their his
tory.
1T may be taken as absolute political
truth that,no political division ever VIII.
1ngly abandoned power or permitted itself
to be shorn of relative Importance for an.
other, and none ever will. 1t is only The
possible danger of New Castle with its
$1,000 people against the 70,000 of Kent
and Sussex and thet disproportion growing
greater, taking things into its own hands
sometime. that Will fully and finally con-
M .Ntan hpat t,. a,,f, ,,tl Sttuen
that something must be done. 1t is now
IN the power of this county for instance
to nomiE ate and elect Governors and Con
gresslnen, and Presidential Electors to the
exclusion of the lower counties. A Gov
eraor so elected could appoint all their
county officers and judges and justices Of
the peace, sending citizens of New Castle
county into those counties to receive such
appointments. Such things are only
theoretical political possibilities, of course,
but in argument may be used to show the
injustice vi the present arrangement.
The population of Sussex county, Kent
county and rural New Castle is approx
mately lhe same and has so remained
since 1870 when first we are able to sepa.
rate and deduct Wilmington's total from
the count. Kent has always been behind
the others in population and Sussex gem
orally IN the lead. 70 be tolerauly exact
Sussex now has 3S.0J0, rural New Castle
$4,000 and Kent $1,000. Wilmington most
undoubtedly with her 65,000 TO 10000
people and her prospective rapid growth
be treated separately, but we can see that
the rural communities are almost the same
| with the advantage in Sussex's favor.
Another thing must be considered and
| that is that even here ut home both pollti
cal parties have practically agreed only to
allow this city one-lfth Of the county rep
resentatiyes in the Legislature, and by law
I W. hay httf Ftt.g. n he OF my 'tttp
District representation will cure or
! lessen most OF the evils and generally
assist in doing away with hostile county
| feelings which cannot but be harmful TO
the general welfare of the State.
born as l was in Sussex county, living
as boy in Kent and knowing the people
| of this county rs | now do So we'll, am
continually defending the people Of my
old homes and their motives and their
actions against misconceptions and wrong
| judgments OF those whom now live, and
when, with the friends of my childhood
| and boyhood must often resent and con-
tradict and overcome the erroneous beliefs
they hold concerning the people Of this
| county, and their conduct.
"a full understanding after debate and
argument must be reached and cannot
but believe, knowing the people Of the
whole State as / do. that justice, at least
approximate justices will DO conceded by
j all to all.h
The matter of possible contention in
sidered. the speaker fearing that those
sticklers for u strict constitution may con-
tend that TO insure legality they must
be chosen equally from the counties, at
the same time and III the same manner.
He claimed that the constitution does not
provide for any such procedure.
Such authorities as John NJ. Clayton and
| mn nd nm thau h
ject OF representation according to pUpu-
lation, the speaker saying that they
heartily endorsed such representation.
This being lrue," Mr.. salisbury said,
"and the facts admitted, New Castle county
should be given greater representation i'll
the convention, and Wilmington, with
650O0 people, has right 10 be considered,
which should obtain respect. II | should
suggest u plan it would he in convention
OF II or i3 members to give TO Sussex Is
delegates, which would correspond to the
number Of her hundreds as well as to her
pUpulation Kent nine, which would cor
respond TO the number of her hundreds,
or 10 to equal, her membership in the
Legislature, and either OF which would be
in reasonable proportion to her population
rorural New Castle would give TO- which
would be one to each hundred. and be O
little less than her proper numerical pro
portion, and to the city Of Wilmington
should allow 10 members, which would bit
about one-half of her relative proportion
but would still give her Il fair voice in The
deliberations of the convention and assure
II proper presentation of her claims. i
such proposal is unfair, 1t is because II !:
against this city, The county district!
should not complain"
The lecturer referred to the necessity o.
having both of the great parties represented
from each county, and also of having tn
rf oil
, people after it had been finally decided b.
the delegates, The people, he explained
! should have the final ratification.
"A demand to that effect was,,N he said
'inserted i'll the last Democratic platform
,, ami while Republicans made no mention
! of SUCH provision, do not understand
! there il any difference of opinion on tina
point, it indeed there could be in tn
, present stage of constitutional law. Il
obtain iii any event such good as we ma
from the work of the convention and /
!. provide, should certain portions OF it
. work prove obnoxious, that all fruits OF
may not be entirely lost, it should, as wa
+. the practice in New York, be subdivide
into logical parts and those parts subnitte
: to the people separately Tor approval q
= rejection. That done, the convention wur
will be accomplished and with the peopl
q will rest the responsibility.
"It is their government and in my opir
n loh Ill the long run tney nave JUST such
n government, 10 better and no worse, tina
they deserve. Ii they neglect their polil
n cal duties and fail 10 vote or to atteD
:. primaries and use their influence, thos
q who do and achieve success and attai
political position and power and authorit
II are the better citizens and better fitted /
~ live in free government and exercise j
d powers,
A. sit may be tina. abuses sometimes cree
4, I'M fhny nftnn do. HIT | bnNp sknnt svit
n pathy will those, who, for few hou
=. | nnlu. Enr N fnm days in panh t,vn Nnir