Middletown transcript., 1896-03-21
MIDDLETowN, DEL, MAR. q, 1886.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Tho snarlino Of fha Democratic press

The snarling of the Democratic press
not the growing, because thssRepubli
can editors, and the snarlers say the
politicians. will not accept bipartisan
Convention, is highly amusing. AL
kinds Of charges are made, from rea
sonable to ridiculous, as to the reasons
for our opposition except those we as
sign ourselves and those they ignore moi
being able to answer them. It is policy
to ignore what one cannot answer.
The TRANSCRIPT two weeks ago set
forth its views at length upon the elec'
tion Of delegates. It said, and 1t here
repeats, that "a Convention of states
men rot of partisan is::what the people
want, A non-partisan Convention is
desirable, but bipartisan Convention
such as the Democratic editors favor,
is not desirable. The TRANSCRIPT
pointed out that if fifteen partisan dele
gates are named by the Democrats
thew will be the men who have de-
feated Convention and Constitutional
amendments in this State for twelve
wears past The TRANSCRIPT is not
sure but the effort on their behalf for
a bipartisan Convention is to defeat
the possibility of a new constitution
now. Certainly the men who in party
convention twice unanimously endor-
Sad amendments to the Constitution
to defeat them in General Assembly
solidly Democratic would not hesitate
to urge the Republican lamb to lie
down with the Democratic lion, and
then to walk away with the lamb COM
pletely taken in. The Democrats in
tie Senate in 1889 when they were OF.
fered fair Convention giving New
Castle county increased representation
with mino rity delegates, at the dicta
tion Of Judge Grubb, defeated Conven-
tion. The Court is as great political
power to-day as ever it was. The
TRANSCRIPT. pointed out how one
man and the Court could defeat Con-
yention because with only five dele
gates from each party the names OF the
ten men must appear on both tickets,
and Courts have held before now that
under Australian Ballot Law such a
thing is illegal and therefore the cleo
tlon would be void.
But before reasonable men could
agree to accept a bipartisan Conven-
tion they must know something OF the
views Of such delegates upon the lead
ing questions that necessarily enter in
to the formation of a new constitution.
The Republican Party has declared it.
self a number of times upon these
points but where do the Democrats
standY Fifteen Democrats could and
would defeat any modification of the
poll tax by which they have held pow
or in the State for quarter of a CEN
tury. Fifteen Democrats would not
consent to any material change in the
formation of the Courts, notwithstand-
ing the daily demonstration suggest
ing the necessity for very material
changes which the Court has given the
public in this county within the past
month. Fifteen Democrats selected
by the politicians of the party from
among the men who for years have
been against a Convention could, and
we fear they would, refuse to give the
people any of the changes in the meth
ods Of government which the Re
publicans have been demanding for
years. Fifteen Democrats could con-
tinue the autocratic power of the Gov
ernor and the appointment of the
Court House officers by him, and they
probably would. Fifteen Democrats
could defeat the whole purpose of Con-
vention by making the result Of their
work Objectionable to the people, and
the RepublicanParty through bi-parti
san Convention would be accessory be-
fore the facts. Will sRepublicans en-
dorse such possibility? The Republic
can editors say ''nay" and they say
we'll in saying it. If our Democratic
brethren will give u the views Of the
Democratic Party on the changes to be
made in the Constitution, and if they
agree at all with ours then might we
as reasonable men consider the equal
division Of delegates, but for the men
who have favored new constitution
for years to voluntarily make up con-
yention one-half of men who have OPP
posed new constitution, is too ridicu-
Ious to be considered. The leading
Democrats have opposed a convention,
the politicians; many Democrats have
favored it, but those men do not get
within the fifteenth circle, net often.
We had rather have Convention of
thirty Democrats on whom the respon-
sibility of q new constitution shall rest
than bipartisan convention where
not more than ten selfish, designing
men might combine manipulate mat
ters, defeat the will Of the people, and
then exclaim, 1.-THE two parties did i'll"
But the snarl Of our brother edit,rs
across the political line is amusing.
The Newark Ledger, olr old friend
Handy resides In Newark, says Bach,
Downham, and Hynson are the back
bone. teeth and finger nails" OF a. car
tain part Of the Republican Party. the
ts bipartisan convention part.
Finger nails, teeth. and backbone are
xood ana very necessary. u they pre-