Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-05-27

Fifteen members of the House of
Representatives at Dover, yesterday
week. deliberately voted themselves
ignoramuses, and thus officially con-
firmed the public estimate that has
long been held of them.
We doubt il the legislative annals Of
the world afford a more complete Ok
ample of asininity, or of abject 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 advisers 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 sub
iect of Legislative scandal, the Acklan
divorce bill. The House had killed it
beyond the hope of resurrection by par
liamentary methods first, by indefinite
postponement by the unanimous vote
of twenty members present, and after
wards by the defeat of motion to
reconsider. But even this summary
proceeding did not disconcert the lobby,
and the attack was renewed with con-
fident assurance of the result
The absurd plan proposed by these
hungry lobbyists, who knew that the
door of relief through parliamentary
methods was closed completely, was
simply to expunge from the journal of
the House ali reference to the final
vote upon the bill, and thus make
it appear that it had never been
up for consideration and was in
the hands of committee. Even these
hardened manipulstors of stupid legis-
lators must have been astounded at first
at the supreme impudencs Of this sug-
gestion, but they evidently knew the
men they had to deal with, and con-
tidently pressed their demand. And
fifteen members Of the House, exhibit
ing about the same degree of intelli.
gence as the ostrich, when it buries its
head in the sand and imagines that
because it cannot see its pursuers they
are equally blind, deliberately voted to
make it appear that they had done
nothing with the Acklan divorce bill,
simply by expunging from the journal
the official record of what they had
done. The next thing in order is 10
call up the bill and pass it by the aid
OF those same fifteen votes, for
fbou Ea thanoaalvaa
ignorant and contemptuous in the eyes
of the public by proceeding to this OK
treme. But what sort of legal status
will divorce thus obtained have in
tho courts should it's validity ever be
called into question?
If these fifteen members of the Legis
lature alone suffered for this exhibition
OF stupidity-to call it by no harshel
term-it would rot be so bad. but this
whole State will have to bear part o.
their ignominy. 1t will be a brilliant
text upon which pungent paragrapherl
Of other States may construct jokes o
varying degree at the expense of th,
good name of Delaware. And none cal
say that they have not ample materia
for their gibes.
As far as these fifteen members o
the House are concerned, should the,
ever, in the future, presume to otfe
themselves as candidates for publ
Office, this record will condemn them
1t will he sufficient To warrant an,
voter in tho belief that they are not fl
to leave home without guardian
much less to assume the responsibilities
of public office. And when they shal
be thus held up to scorn and contempt
not even the interested lobbyists 70
whose relief they have surrendere
manhood and trampled common sens
under foot will have plying word t
say for them. But they we'll desel v
such a fate.