Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-06-11

They Favor Partisan Convention.
The Republican executive committee
OF Now Castle county, at meeting
held Saturday afternoon, rejected, by
a practically unanimous vote, the prop
osition submitted by the Democratic
county committee, for an equal di-
vision between the two leading poiiti-
cal parties of the ton delegates to the
Constitutional Convention to he chosen
from New Castle county. Tho resolu.
tion adopted which, by the way, was
a product of f. Il. Bach--declares it to
be the "sense Of this committee that
In order to 're-establish in Delaware a
popular or Republican form of govern
ment," the party should nominate
ten capable and representative nom
bers of the party as delegates of the
Constitutional Convention.
Notwithstanding the unanimity
with which the committee followed
the lead of Bach in this manner, we
firmly believe that its action is not in
accord with tho best Republican gen
timent of New Castle county. Bach is
neither safe nor sensible adviser,
He is a man who has for years dc.
pended upon politics for his living, and
such men can never feel the inspiration
of pure patriotism. Their motives in
political affairs are necessarily mean
and aordid. Far better would it have
been for the committee to have sought
and followed the advice Of sound men
and able Republicans like ex-State
Senator John Piling and Edward G..
Bradford, both OF whom have publicly
expressed themselves as fayoring a
Constitutional Convention equally d.
vided in membership between the two
political parties
This action by the Republican com.
mittee will probably defeat the project
OF a non-partisan convention, as far az
New Castle county is concerned, al
though it is not too late for the people
to take the matter in hand, and force
the politicians to comply, as is being
done in Sussex. A convention com
posed Of an equal number Of Democrats
and Republicans and thoroughly rep-
resentatiye of the best citizenship Of
every hundred in the county, could
place in nomination a non partisan
convention ticket which the two polti
cal parties would be afraid to repu.
diate. 1t is not too late to adopt this
plan,
But if nothing further is done, the
result will be the election Of a Consti-
tutional Convention at least controlled
by two-thirds Democratic majority,
il not unanimously Democratic 1t is
apparent already, to the most ordinary
political observer, that the Republican,
have no possible chance of carrying
Delaware this year. The reasons foi
this it is not necessary to state in thi!
connection. The Republicans, there
fore, have absolutely no hope Of secur
ing control of the convention. On
party issue it will be surely Demo
cratic.
But it is scarcely less desirable L
have Democratic convention than on
controlled by Republican politicians
Tho Legislature recognized this fact
and very wisely recommended that tn
convention be equally divided in il
membership between the two leadin
political parties That Legislature wa
composed Of a Republican House ana
Democratic Senate, and its action VIA
practically unanimous.
With this resolution the people
Sussex county have shown substar
tial ana practical inclination to con
ply. In Kent county, no action hi
boen takan % either side. In Ne
Castle county tho Democratic COMM
tee has approved it, while the Republ
can committee has turned it down.
Stil the matter is III the hands
the people. Is proper effort they c,
nominate thoirn mn partisan tickets
all 10 tho three countics and clio
them, too. The voters Of Sussex ha
cot tho example and those Of Kent al
New Castle may follow if thpy win.