Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-12


The Plea OF the Partisan.
The action of the ten Democratic
members of the House of Representa-
tives at Dover in breaking the deadlock
over the speakership by voting for
Theodore +. Clark, the nominee Of the
Regular Republicans, is displeasing to
the Smyrna Call. Its view of the situa-
tion is:
1t seemed as il the great party Of re-
form was exploding in big fzzle.
The grand old party was actually com
hitting suicide on the threshold of our
capital. Had the wrctched situation
been protraeted another week it is
doubtful il the Republican party would
ever have offered another ticket to the
voters Of this State, but the suspended
party was cut down by ten Democratic
members. The Republican party was
rescued and saved by ten Democrats
who had better have died before they
were born. Never, probably. in the
| records of politics in the world has
political incapacity been SO marked
and unmistakable as in the case OF
| those ten Democratic members.
Charity may stretch out her mantle to
cover the wretched scene, but even
charity sickens at u mess that she had
never before contemplated.
1t is not true, as the Smyrna Call
asserts, that '.the Republican party
was saved by ten Democrats" The
Republican party must stand by the
record it makes at Dover during this
session. 1t started off in the popular
branch, in which it had clear work
ing majority, by dividing upon petty
fractional issue, and demonstrating its
utter inability to organize the house
into a condition for work. Had it
stayed there the. entire sixty days of
! the session, with the Democratic mem
bers severely holding aloof, it could not
have more completely demonstrated its
incapacity and its utter unfitness for
the trust imposed upon it at the last
election. When it again comes before
the people and asks for their sutfrages,
tho people can truly say: "We trusted
you before, and you were unable to
| perform tho first and chief duty de-
volEing upon you; You could not
organize the House of Representatives
in which We gave you good working
majority; you are unfit for and unde-
serving Of further responsibility"
This will be the claim of the Demo
cratic party, and no doubt the judg
ment of the people, as completely, We
again assert, as though the Republican
factions had been permitted to claw at
each others throats and waste an en-
tire session in futile endeayor to or
ganize the House.
But, meanwhile, the Democratic
minority members had duty in the
premises, a duty they owed to the PEG
pie as completely as did the majority
members. 1t is true, the responsibility
for the organization of the House did
not rest upon them, but their plain
duty was to force an organization OF
that body, just as soon as the oppor-
tunity presented itself to do so in a
manner that would secure an efficient
result, with capable and reputable men
in the various official positions. 1t was
necessary to the interests of the people
that the House be organized. Would
not the Democratic members, there.
fore, have been culpable had they de-
liberately rejected an opportunity to
effect that organization9
The fact that there is a duty to the
people, as we'll as to party, does not an.
peal to papers like the Smyrna Call.
1t looks only to partisan action, by
minority members as well as those Of
the majority party. 1t denies the truth
of that wise old saying: ''He serves his
party best who serves his country
best. ~ 1t would have rejoiced to see
the session wasted, and the interests Of
the people repudiated, to their per.
sonal loss, simply for the opportunity
to make partisan harangues, with the
hope of making political capital il
the next campaign.
| How much partisanship in the Leg
islature has benefited the Democrati,
party of Delaware the dwindling Demo
cratic vote at recent elections will beai
testimony. We have had too much O
it. A change of front was made il
the House at Dover, last week, and tn,
representatives of the Democrati,
party get the full benefit of it. Tn,
Republicans can claim none, for the,
were incapable and showed it. TIL,
Democratic members are the ones VIII,
put craftsmanship behind them an,
voted for the best interests of the peo
pie. No lame-duck appeals of Repub
lican leaders or Republican organs il
the next campaign can wipe out thi
record. The incapacity of the Repub
lican majority stands out in mountain
Gus proportions, in comparison will
the action of the Democratic minorit,
in standing by the people in matte
in which the latter's grayest interest
were involved.
We believe the people will sustain
and endorse the Democratic minorjt
of the House, no matter how blindl
partisan organs like the Smyrna Cal
may squirm in protest
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