Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-29
TO ORGANIZE DISTRICTS.
A Plan Designed TO Pnt Political Power
into the Hands of the Voters.

| ihto fhe Hands OF the Voters.
For some time. past, a number of
Democrats of this county have had
under consideration o plan to organize
its respective voting districts, Repre-
sentative districts and the county itself
into bodies associated with each other,
with a view to relegate to the people
the control of the inatt@s which -oon-
Germ. them, and 10 free ssttYnl from
bossism. Among those who have, been
IN conference are Martin T.. Smith,
David y. Marvel, james T. Shal!cross,
y. g. Hardesty, Louis PfromIne and
William S. Bird. s.{6 ,s3
The plan is to organize each voting
precinct in the Representative dis
| trlct into legions, the working Of
which is to be controlled by d board Of
governors which will be composed of
! one for every 10 voters in the pre-
cinct. The duties of the members of
the board will be to have supervision
of the squads, supply them literature
and report to the controlling body
matters of political Importance. The
chairman of the board Of governors
is to be a member of the council
of the Representative District Legion,
and the chairman Of tho council is
i
mittee of the county legion. The whole
organization is designed to be auxiliary
to the county executive committee.
Already a legion has been formed
in Brandywine hundred, in the Third
Election district Of the Sixth Repre-
sentative district, in which Messrs.
Bird and Pfromme are interested, and
other districts are to be organized
from time to time.
The declaration of principles, which
was prepared by Martin f. Smith,
is as follows: y Si,s i z.
We the members Of this legion,
declare, that the fundamental prin-
ciples of this government is, that the
government exists, laws are enacted
and executed by reason of the consent
OF the governed, that the power of
the government extends no further,
than TO The rules for the government
of our own conduct, and that an ex-
tension of these rules to others, in
wolves a contradiction to our basic
law and is dangerous to our liberties.
We declare, that the people, of. this
country have delegated to the govern
ment no further power than the right
to make rules for the government OF
our social relations; and that they
have retained to themselves the right
of individual liberty.
We declare for the local self-goyorn-
ment of our social rights which affect
only n locality, but accord To the larger
societies, the general right which per-
tain TO the whole
In the relation of the citizens to the
State and United States government,
we declare that the powers delegated
to the latter ought to be strictly con
strued.
We declare that all laws ought to be
general in their nature and equal in
thcir application. And we condemn
AL inequalities in legislation. ~
We declare that principles cofltr;iry
to- the Just principles Of republican
form of government have been applied
in extending the scope of our organic
law, and that class legislation has been
enacted, resulting in the unequal con
dition Of the citizens OF this country.
Ne accept these existing conditions,
but declare that all laws that have
made them possible, ought to- be RE-
pealed and that % limitation on the
power of wealth over labor and labor's
product is justifiable and expeiient;
that fundamental principles ought to
be applied to existing conditions, in
such a manner rs to equalize thepi.g
And we further declare that the
noed of o return to the fundamental
principles of II FREQ popular govern
ment, based on home rule and indi-
vidual liberty was never more urgent
than now.