Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-09-02
The war OF the Republican Factions.

organ OF the Addicks Republicans, IS
opposed to having united Republican
party in Delaware il each district is
not given equal representation in the
State convention. 1t says;
The Republican party is not com
posed of two factions, nor Is it a singls
houss divided against itself. But there
ars two distinct parties in the State,
and each set up to keep house fer
itself. Each has a full and complete
State and county committee, fully or
ganized and in working order. And
eaeh has a different apportionment OF
the number OF delegates composing the
State convention.
The so-called Regular ia composed OF
one hundred and sixty delegates, and
the Union Republican ia composed OF
two hundred delegates. How can the
two parties get together and harmonize
their differences?
II the Regulars call convention and
New Castle county is given seventy
eight delegates out Of the one hundred
and sixty, the people of the two lower
counties will never submit TO il.
in 1861 or 1866 the State convention,
during the era OF reconstruction, for
some supposed party advantage which
never materialized, authorized in the
State platform, as plank IL. substantially
es follows: 1--WE believe in representa-.
ton according TO population, and refer
the matter to the State committee with
power tn act. !" The committee gave to
New Castle county seventy-eight dele
gates, and to Kent forty and to Sussex
Eorty-two. We believe that this very
division has been the curse and the
caueo OF the disputes of the Repuhli-
cans of Delaware; for tine object has
seemed to be not so much to fight and
whip tine Democrats 10 Delaware as 10
who should dominate and control the
State central committee and thus dis
pense the Federal patronage in the
State.
The convention of May. 1896, en-
deavored TO rectify this mistake flor
the author Of it, Nj. Nathaniel Is.
Smithers, has since repeatedly acknow-
lodged that it was a mistakel and
equalized the representation OF each
county and gave to Kent and Sussex
twenty more delegates each, thus stand
ing New Castle seventy-eight, Kent
sixty and Sussex sixty two, making a
total Of two hundred delegates. Will
the Union Republicans of Kent and
Sussex counties surrender to New Cas-
tlef We say with confidence. no, ana
any man that lives in the two lower
counties that will do 50 will be a traitor
to bis people.
The men who made the new Con-
stitutiop never once asked in the con-
yention for representation for New Cas-.
tie county according to population. They
gave to Wilmington tive representative
districts, ten TO rural New Castle. ter
10 Kent and ten to Sussex. Then il
is but fair and Just and equitable thai
each election district in the State
should have equal representation in tbs
State convention. Give each district
five delegates, and no more to any, mol
even TO Wilmington, for she has no mort
power 70 elect representative thar
a1y Of the smaller districts, as Apo
quinimink has, with but 500 voters
and Blackbird but 344 voters, yet eaci
ia a representative district and escI
elects a representative, anu the Nv,
together form the Seventh Senatorial
district of New Custle county and cleo
State Senator. Then let each distric
have equal representation in the Stat
convention, and thus make the unite
Republican party to consist OF lI5 dele
gates. Do not give to the city Of vii
mington any increase over the others
and the crime OF over thirty years age
which gave New Castle county repre-
sentation according to population,
'eradicated, and the contending of VII
shall control the State committee is
thing OF the past.
In another editorial the Chronicl
says; when Kent, Sussex and rurl
Nav Castle are on the same level
representation in party management
then will the discordunt element
Wilmington be shorn of its powers Il
mischief, and that city have its pow,
and influence confined as unit, viii
rurul New Castle will be free to act f
its own and the party welfare.
The movement for uniform divor
law, to be adopted in all the State
says the Philadelphia Ledger, is beir