Smyrna times., 1897-01-27
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
How Will its Deliberations be Viewed BY
the People?

Correspondence to the Smyrna Times"
Mr.. EDITOR:
II it is possible to think seriously of
the present Constitutional Convention
as a dellberative body, rather humi-
liatiag state of things is presented
which must bring tinge of shame to
the cheek of every citizen of Delaware
of whatever political faith. Men to
whom a work of this kind is committed, |
should not only be men of known rec
titude and good character, but they
should go to their places with clear
title to their seats, and with an
unquestioned endorsement of the
voters; and it woIld seem that nothing
shoI Of these conditions would satisfy
those who are fitted for the place.
Witt these conditions existing, we
should honor and respect both the
convention and its work. and should
feel IA interest in whatever it did. But,
what are the facts Two-thirds of the
members met and made a temporary or
ganiz ltiOn and then proceeded to votefor
the seating of five other men who were
not elected, who did not even claim to
have Eeen elected, who know they were
not elected, and that the voters of the
county did not endorse them. No. to
an unbiased observer, it looks looks as
if these five men were tainted with dis,
honor, and that all who voted to seat
them we're at least very liberal in their
views rs to the limit of rectitude. The
five men accepted the places that donot
belong to them, the rest are response
BILE because the five would have been
helpless without them. SO all are alike
tainted
No thinking men can say that the
act was clean and straight one. There
is stain in it that whitewash will
not hide, and that stain will fol-
low the work of the convention
wherever it goes. History will streng-
then the blot rather than obscure it.
But why was it necessary for the con-
ventiOn to go into its work smirched.
Why should any members hands
have been unclean? There was a right
way as we'll as a wrong way and it was
clear and clean.
No member from Kent County had
credentials. Why they had not it is
not necessary now to discuss, but
when the CONVENTION met no one i'll the
, county held valid credentials. Then
if there had existed in that body high
sense of honor and integrity a halt
would have been made after the tempo
rary organization, and no further step
, taken until set of delegates could
have entered from Kent County with
J clean credentials and hands. Then the
way would have been clear, and both
{ the convention and its work would
have had the respect of the people.
) As it now stands the body which
3 should have been an honor to the State
r has not the respect even of the party it
is supposed to represent There are
= five Democratic members from Kent
County who were not elected and had
t no credentials and yet were seated,
C and there are five Republicans mem
hers who were elected but had no valid
= credentials and yet were seated. The
: convention could not seat any of these
/ men and do right. The people had
chosen ten delegates for Kent County
j. according to law and the only proper
Q thing to do was to wait for the law tC
I decide who these ten delegates were
g and then seat them. If no decision
4 was reached then there should have
= been no delegates from Kent County
s and no convention. Better this than
have the honor of the State tarnished
/ as at present.
= If the members of this convention
f had clean hands we could listen to theil
= loud talk about the purity of the ballot
}. without the feeling of nausea that we
, now have. But with the dirt on theil
q hands, and the stain on their integrity
it is hard to think seriously of them as
t g. deliberative body having committed
. to their charge the framing of so i'm.
t portart document as the constitution
3 of a state. Can we expect corrupt
4 tree to produce good fruit?
!, viii the convention risk the sub.
l mission of its work to a vote of the
t people? 1 think it will yet be seen
: that the path of honor would have
been the path of wisdom. 1t is true
b that our new governor threw a plum to
, the members in his address but that
I does not hide the blot. CITIZEN.