The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-26
POLITICAL NOTES.

A Warm Fight for Warden at New
Castle Jail-John P. Donah oe
Wants to be Police Commits
sioner-The Workhouse Bill
Championed by Chief Justice
Lore and Bishop Coleman--A
Proposed Bill to do Away With
the Old Board Of Canvass.
Mr.. John P. Donahoe would like to
succeed Patrick Monaghan as Police Com
missioner when his term expires in May
next, Mr.. Monaghan has made o very
efficient Commissioner aud his friends
are urging the Governor to re.appoint
him. The position Is very responsible
one aud pays $500 year. The fight be-
tween these two gentlemen will be watch
ed with interest by the public. The man
with tho biggest pull will get the plum;
The boundary line between Penn. AMI
Congress, which will fix up the muddle,
which has been going on among those who
were moved out of the State by the doci
sion of the Commissioners appointed
several years ago for that purpose.
The Democratic League of Delaware
which Is said to have a membership of
some seven hundred voters has come out
in opposition to the passage of tho bill to
extend the time of the present city officials
eighteen months from June 9th next. It's
a good scheme to keep those who are al
ready in office Just that much longer than
the people who elected them to those pc.
sitions intended they should occupy. 1t is
civil service under new feature But 1t
is not looked upon with favor by the ma
jority of our citizens without respect TO
political proclivities.
The scheme has been opposed from the
very first by the REPUBLICAN and by every
Democratic paper in our city. 1t romans
to be seen whether the members Of the
Legislature will go ahead and place this
yoke on the neckS of the people against
their expressed condemnation Of the same
Popular government Is what the people
want not SO much partisan legislation for
the few. We believe that the good sense
of the members OF the Legislature will not
listen to tho men who are back of-this
bill to give 1t any chance Of being. acted
upon fayorably by them. III tho people
want it, then we would not have word
to say against 1t, but they don't and have
SO expressed themselves SO that no in
telligent person can mistake their inten-
ton in Its fate.
MIR. Philip Plunkett's offer OF ten thou.
sand dollars for thu bed Of Reed street, be.
tween Monroe and Adams street Is moth
ing more than bluff. If it was sold to
Mr. Plunkett he would be willing to sell
his bargain to the Blumenthals for els, 900.
A company that will give employment
In short time to twentyllve hun.
dred persons Is not to be treated In shah.
by manner by our authorities They
should be used in as liberal manner as
possible as we should any more industries
in our city that are needed here to give
employment to the large number of idle
looking for work.
The Constitutional Convention will
abolish the Old Board Of Canvass and
place Its power IN the hands of the judges
Of the Superior Court, composing two
members sitting In each county on .Fridn ny
at noon, after the day Of election. The
presiding election officer is commanded to
take tho ballot box and ono certificate and
deliver them to the prothonatory of the
county on the day after election, The
prothonatory In turn is commanded to
turn them over on the day following the
count.
This would be q big improvement on the
custom that has prevailed in our State and
put stop to such disgraceful proceedings
that took place at the Court House during
the meeting of the Board of Canvass at the
last election and for which some twelve
Democrat inspectors were convicted of
altering their returns and fined two hun
dred dollars each by the Court which
was paid out Of fund raised by the mana
gers Of tho Democrat party in our city.
1t Is also proposed to divide the State
into seventeen Senatorial districts and
thi:ty.tlve representative districts which
will give the city of Wilmington two
Senators and two Representatives. As it
is now we don't have one member in the
House and but one member In the Senate
Senator John Pyle, The new way we are
sure of seven representatives In the two
bodies from this city. Kent and Sussex
Counties would still be able to control the
Legislation Of the State. Rural New
Castle county would have ten members in
the House and five members in the Senate.
Instead Of having but Senators and 81
Representatives we will by the proposed
change have II Senators and 81 Repre-.
sentatives, or total in both branches Of
the Legislature q total Of 81 members.
An increase of twenty-five members.
Wilmington should certainly have in.
creased representation according to pop.
ulation, as the biggest end of the revenue
to run our State comes from Wilmington,
But will we get it, that Is the question:
The House on Wednesday passed the bill
authorizing tho Governor to appoint
collector for the Western districts of
Little Creek Hundred, in Sussex county,
and an assessor for the Eastern district
This Is another ono Of their partisan
pieces of Legislation for which this Legis-
lature is making record for It's self,
The proposed new charter for New Gas
tc hnt,, I,ry1
tlemen from that sleepy little city, that Is
now one of the suburbs Of Wilmington.
With moro liberal charter that ancient
place that William Penn settled would
take on n new lease of life and grow into
good sized model city
The work house bill Is meeting with a
considerable opposing by the down country
members of the Legislature and other
progressive citizens Of our State who arc
penny wise and pound foolish and can
not sec an inch beyond their nose.
The bill is championed by Chief Justice
Lore, Judge j. Frank Ball, Bishop Cole.
man, Judges Cullen and Marvel Attorney
General White, L. c. Vnndcgrift, G. A.
Grise. +. NJ Munson and Alfred d.
Warner, who made speeches in its favor
before tho House Committee on Wednes-
day. The workhouso il badly needed, rs
the old Jail at New Castle is rather an
Anticipated affair for the confinement OF
long term prisoners and insufficient for
the largo number Of inmates thai have
been confined within its walls during tho
last five years.
Ex.Shoritf William Simmons says new
jail is badly needed and u workhouso
would fiji the bill Something should be
done as soon as possible to relieve the over.
crowded condition Of New Castle Jail
With u penitentarF fower prisoners
would be able to effect their escape al
though the number which has broken jail
have been very few in tho last six years.
The prison could be made nearly II not
wholly self supporting and become less Of
u burden upon the tax payers
The different Clerks of the Orphans
Court in the three counties have been
granted the right to make copies Of the
inaices of the Court, which net them n
snug sum each. With their fees and tho
sum which will be payed them for tho
work tho Offices arc made to pay very