The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-18
DOINGS AT DOVER.
The Trading Stamp Bill Passes The House
1t Now Goes to the Senate to Be-
come Law.

| It Now Goes to the Senate to Be-
Dover, March 17.-The trading stamp
bill received 10 votes against It In the
House 10 In favor Of it. Evidently these
Representatives do not know what the
merchants in our city want or they would
not have voted against 1t. The bill will
now go to the Senate for its approval.
Tho fight was stiff one against Its pas.
sage IN the House, but tho big petition
signed by six hundred business men OF
Wilmington, was the grave digger which
buried he bill and secured the support OF
those who voted to abolish the same The
most remarkable speech against its pas.
sage was that made by Representative
Dempsey, who fought for 1t with all the
! power in his vocabulary. He being ner-
chant himself. apparently did not have
their welfare ut heart
His constituents he said were against
the giving of trading stamps, but he was
in favor of them and must vote for their
retention which he did. Tho stand he took
in the matter was surprise to his friends
who counted upon him giving those who
sought relieffrom obnoxious means Of con.
trolling trade. He has in this case
been weighed in the scales Of public
opinion and found wanting. He said he
saw no difference between man giving
coupon redeenable at his own store, and
one who gave coupon redeemable at
| another store.
Mr. Donadson-The contracts are nj
ready annuled. Tho trading stamp people
admit breaking them.
Mr.. Dempsey continued that the Legls.
laturc was not court. There are thou
ands of people with whom contracts have
been made and the Legislature Is asked to
| break them.
MIR. Mccullough said the six hundred
| men who had signed the petition are we'll
| known business men. These trading
stamps companies do not allow every one
| to have stamps. TEis is all unfair advan l.
| age given one man over another.
Many people have been deceived. Goods
worth u dollar and half have been given
| instead CT articles valued at "A. So 1t has
caused men to go out Of business because
they could not secure stamps, 1t has in
duced people to make purchases when
| they did not need goods. Merchants have
been compelled to give stamps to custom.
ers who do not pay cash or lose their GUS
tom.
Some merchants have paid out f4OO a
month. No man can stand such strain
unless he adulterates his goods or makes
it up In some other way If the bill is not
constitutional why was it necessary to hire
eminent counsel at u cost OF perhaps a
thousand dollars each, If tho bill will not
stand in the courts. lit Is not checked
In Wilmington 1t will spread to other
parts of the State The evil Of 1t will then
BIO felt. The government has stopped
many gift concerns because the goods were
adultcrated These things ust be look
ed into. These concerns pay license Of
IS year, while the Wilmington merchant
phys hundreds of dollars year. Only la IT
Thursday the Maryland Legislature pass.
ed n similar bill. Ii the law Is conslitu-
tional in other States why will it not DO in
this Statep
Mr. Wilson said that it was courtesy for
the members to support measure which
has the support of majority of tho mem.
berS of q court most interested. When
merchant pays u license to this State to
carry on alegitimate business he Is EMIT.
led to a certain protection from the State;
If the Legislature disapproves this bill it
must approve the stamp business and fos.
ter monopoly
man has the right TO purchase lot of
swine and pen them In Dover but the city
government has a right to say that no shall
not do 50 to the detriment of his ncighbor
A man can give all of his goods away If he
so desires, but the stamp scheme creates u
monopoly. The Legislature has a right to
protect the people aud prevent discrmin.
ation.s @e1
Mr. johnson remarked that if the Legis-
lnture was to sit on the c0nstitutonalty
OF law then God pity some of the decisions.
He favored the bill because the trading
stamp is a delnsion and q snare, leGch
upon society, demoralizing TO the COM
munity and places II premium upon dis.
honesty.
Yeas-Cheairs, Davis,
Donaldson, Eliason, l.. S.
Hopkins, Johnson, Martin
Mccoy, Mccullough, Short
Smith, Taylor, Whitney,
Wilson. Speaker Riggin
Is.
Nays-Adams, Dempsey
HAZEL, j. II. Hopkins,
ThoInpson-5. Absent--
Dukes==I.
John T;Dickey was on hand but did not
!.
He was angry and said that tho bill had
to be re-consdcred The fight will now
be with the members of The Senate to per-
sundo them to kill the bill, but it is be-
lieved that 1t stands good chance Of pass.
ing the Senate and thus become u law.
j Harvey Whitoman brought down the
new State Legislation bill. Tho purpurb
Of this bill has been set forth before In
these columns.
Mr.. Whiteman also brought down tho
jury commissioner bill. 1t provides thut
tho Superior Court shall In each county
appoint two jury commissioners not of the
same political party, who shall, before
each torn OF court draw tho various jur-
les which are to serve at that term. The
plan Is the same rs pursued in the United
States courts, where 1t has given general
satisfaction.
BOILER INSPECTOR BILL.
John G. Gray was here this afternoon,
and spoke before a committee insthc inter-
est Of tho boiler inspector bill. He repre-
sents Wilmington engineers and | ollie r
MAKERS. Those intere ited in the bill have
apub!ic hearing on the matter Oh Thurs
daynoxt.
Representative Short this afternoon in.
troduceda bill authorizing tho payment
of s., 40l 81 for repairing the state armory
in Wilmington.
ANOTHER BILL VETOED.
Governor Tunnel this afternoon vetoed
the bill in reference to fceble-minded chill
dren passed recently. Tho bill increased
the number of children which each coun-
ty was allowed to educate from three to
four.
The bill to compel the Trustees Of the
Delaware State Hospital ct Farnhurst to
employ steward at u salary Of $500 q year
was laid over for action.
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Taylor and Fullcrtons Cough Syrup