Smyrna times., 1897-05-26
The Delaware Legislature Scored.


columns of the EUery EUening OF the
goth inst. scoring the Legislature,
whose particular methods it had been
in measure trying to excuse:
LEGISLATIVE IGNORAMUsEs.- Fifteen
members of the House of Representa-
tives at Dover, yesterday, deliberately
voted themselves ignormuses, and thus
officially confirmed the public estimate
that has long been held of them.
We doubt if the legislative annals of
the wcrld afford a more complete ex-
ample of asininity, or of subject sur
render to the wheedling direction of |
persistent lobby. Our legislative cor
respondence shows the depth of the |
stupidity to which these weak legisla-
tors permitted their evil advisors to
plunge them. How the latter will
laugh, when it is all over, at the dumb
obedience of their dupes.
The cause of this shameful exhibition
of stolid ignorance was that savory
subject of Legislative scandal, the
Acklan divorce bill. The House had
killed it beyond the hope of resur-
rection by parliamentary methods
first, by indefinite postpOnement by
the unanimous vote of twenty members
present, and afterwards by the defeat
of a motion to reconsider. But even
this summary proceeding did not dis
concert the lobby, and the attack was
renewed with a confident assurance OF
the result.
The absurd plan proposed by these
! hungry lobbyists, who knew that the
7 door of relief through parliamentary
/ methods was closed completely, was
r; simply to expunge from the journal OF
u the House all reference to the final
n vote upon the bill, and thus make it
l. appear that it had never been up for
q consideration and was in the hands of
II committee. Even these hardened ma
4 nipulators of stupid Legislators must
have been astounded at first at the SUI
3. preme impudence of this suggestion
o. but they evidently knew the men they
I'd had to deal with, and confidently press
be ed their demand. And fifteen member
us of the House, exhibiting about tn
~ same degree of intelligence as the os
trich, when it buries its head in tn
an sand and imagines that because it can
m. not see its pursuers they are equal,
he blind, deliberately voted to make
appear that they had done nothing wit
nat the Acklan divorce bill, simply by el
81, punging from the journal the otficia
pes record of what they had done. Th
vii. nextthing in order is to call up the bi
he and pass it by the aid of those san
,rk fifteen votes, for they cannot NAL
themselves more ignorant and co
,ar- temptuous to the eyes of the public
- proceeding to this extreme. But VIII
arm sort of a legal status will divor
hat thus obtained have in the courts shou
elve its validity ever be called into questlo
If these fifteen members OF the leg
rel lature alone suffered for this exhibiti
ow? of stupidity-to call it by no harsh
nv term-it would not be so bad, but
10 as whole State will have to bear part
,uld their ignOminy. 1t will be a brillia
text upon which pungent paragraph
,12 of other States may construct jokes
A. varying degree at the expense OF
good name of Delaware. And NJ
luch can say that they have not ample
fam terial for their gibes.
1857? As far as these fifteen members OF
House are concerned, should they eN
It as in the futurs, persume to offer th
much selves as candidates for public off
lv in this record will condemn them.
teeen will be sufficient to warrant any W
re it. in the belief that they are not Il
live leave home without guardian, m
v up less to assume the responsibilltle
public Office. And when they shal
hat is thus held up to scOrn and contel
q fig not even the interested Lobbyist
eport. whose relief they nave surrend
J in a manhood and trampled common
d the under foot will have pitying wo1
lmod- say for them. But they well desc
t the such fate.