Middletown transcript., 1897-11-13
THE REPUBLIcAN PARTY RULES.
How, When Where and Whv They
We're Adopted.

cording to population, and pledged lGsel
when 1t had the power, to apply that prin
ciple to the apportionment of members Q
the Legislature, and further instructed tn
state committee to call the next ensuin
state convention, and all subsequent stat
conventions, in accordance with thlt prin
ciple.
1t further appears from the record tina
| the adoption of this resolution was pre-
ceded by the consideration of the subject a
meeting of the New Castle county Repub
/ licans held at Newark previous to the as
semblying of the state convention in 1856
at which meeting, the following resolution
presented by John P. McLear. was adopted
Resolved, That it is the sense of
this meeting that the time has now
come when such change in the laws
of the state should be made as will
secure for the population of every
section more equal representation in
the Legislature"
At the same meeting the following reso
luton, offered by s. Minot Curtis, wal
adopted:
THAT the delegates of New Clstl
COUNTY be instructed to lay before the
state convention the justice ofapportion-
ing the delegates to future state conven-
tions according to the population of
the different counties and hundreds"
Readers, will bear in mini that the con
ventiou of 1865 which. in the adoption Of
these resolutions. solemly settled the pol
icy OF the Republican party on this qles-
ton of vital importance b)th to itself. AMI
to the state, was the fist Convention hell
after the termination of the civil war. They
will further remember that the issues ol
the war overbore. while it lasted, all other
questions. making subordinate even this
one of representation. They will further
remember that the Rspu5licln party was
too small in numbers to seriously attempt
to carry the state. prior to the campaign of
1862. 1t polled but 300 votes for Fremont
in 1856. and in 1862, the opponents of the
Democratic party were ab )ut equally di-
vided between Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Bell
for the Presidency. 1t will thus be seen
that the convention of 1865 was held at the
time when the party first found itself
strong enough to attempt to dominate
the state, and also by the termination Of
the war and its struggles, free to consider
this question of domestic concern. The
resolutions of Mr.. McLsas and Mr.. Curtis
at thu Newark meeting also make it plain
that the subject was brought before the
state convention for deliberate and serious
action upon the demand of New Castle
county. No such question hal ever been
raised in the Wing party. The inequality.
between the counties really became more
pronounced after the campaign Of 1852,
when the last Whig ticket was voted for
in the state, and may be said to have fairly
ripened for action in 1868, when the sub
ject was thus brought up then for settle
ment.
The population of the three counties in
1850 was as follows:
New Castle, 42,7SO; Kent, 22,sl6; Sussex,
25 1856.
1ss0-New Castle, 54,7s7; Kent, 27,sO4.
Sussex, 29.615.
ls7O-New Castle. .6s,5I5; Kent. 29.8O4;
Sussex, 1895.
1sS0-New Castle, 77.7I6; Kent. 32,S74;
Sussex, 36,o18.
1s9o-New Castle, s7,1S2; Kent, 1886;
Sussex, 38, 8,647.
The principal growth in population in
the state was largely confined to the city of
Wilmington, and to the manufacturing
districts adjacent thereto. Thus the popu-
lation Of Wilmington in 1880 was. 42,475;
and in 1890. 81, ,43l. Originally the count
les had been about equal in population
and had an equal representation. both in
the Legislature and afterward in the state
This was strictly according
to the principle of representation according
to population. The large growth Of Will
mington. and its neighborhood brought
about the change in relative population
Of the counties that raised the question.
The resolutions of the convention of 1886
were drawn and presented by Nathaniel
B. Smithers, who, as all recall had dis
charged that function from the first c1n-
Yention held by the party, aim ,st to the
last one held during his life. He was the
intellectual and political leader of the
party in Kent, and to a very considerable
extent in Sussex, and hal thu profIuli re-
spect and friendship of the Republicans of
New Castle county. In drafting, present
ing and securing the adoption of this rsso-
luton. supported as it was by the unan-
imous votes Of the delegates of every coun-
ty in the state, he thereby pleigel the pep
pie of Kent and Sussex, for whom he Pc
culiarly stood, to their acquiescence in the
principle of representation according to
population, to be applied according to the
district system, that is, delegates to be
chosen, not from the cIulty. but from the
respective hundreds thsreof, and the same
principle to be applied to the Legislature
Of the state whenever the power came to
the party to make the change in that be-
half. This resolution read as follows:
That the principle of representation
according to population is alike Repub-
lican and expedient-that in the con-
struction of future conventions ofth e
Republican party such principle should
be recognized, and the central committee
to be appointed by this convention is
hereby directed to fix suitable num-
Der of delegates for conventions to be
hereafter held, and to allot to each
county its proper proportion by fair
applications of such principle; and we
hereby further declare that such proper
and legal measures should be adopted
as win substantially and speedily ef-
feet such salutory reform in the legisla-
tive departments of the state"
In accordance with this mandate, the
convention Of 1858 was called by Samuel II !.
Harrington. the chairman OF the state COM
mittee. on the basis of representation ac-
cording to population. as ascertained by
the then last annual census of 1860.
The state committee fixed the number Of
delegates TO the convention at 100, instead
Of $50 as Heretofore. dividing these among
the respective hundreds Of the state, and
wards Of the city of Wilmington, ac-
cording to their respective populations. Civ