Evening journal., 1899-11-09
THURSDAY. nov. .. 1898
sNrH sTREEr FRANCHIsEs.

Street and sewer commission ana lhe
commissioners viii not be permitted to
forget the fact for a moment We do
not doubt that they find travelling upon
the street I'm public view a trying and
disagreeable ordeal, for they must feel
and doubtless they hear as they pass,
that they are looked upon with some
thing more than suspicion of the mo-
tives that influenced their action upon
the application for a street car franz
chise for Sixth street
The matter has reached point
where it Is impossible for reputable
newspaper TO either remain silent or
neutral
The conduct OF Commissioner Carter
at the meeting presented him as a
pitiable spectacle when he weakly
noundered for an excuse for shutting
out the Wilmington and Brandywine
Springs Company. Il would be absurd
TO credit him with shallowness, and
only that could excuse his alleged
qualms about the neglect or failure OF
the suburban line to come TO an
agreement with the uncreated Tactlo-
Company. while he at the same time
insisted that the suburban companyHd-
here to its old agreement with the VIII
mington CitECompany.
Even an unlettered babe would not
contend that the Brandywine Company
could honor its agreement with the old
company and at the same time abandon
it and operate its line ln conjunction
with The Traction Company
The duty the rights and the limita-
tiOns OF the commission are not hidden
or difficult to discern They are too
evident TO be overlooked or mistaken.
The Legislature authorized the COM
missioners 10 allow the Braniywine
Company % use Sixth street When i,
did Thar it repealed any rights pre-
viorsiv granted the Wilmington Cig
Ccurary % c1cury sixth street with q
l1-se ~ e-a1u Zine. and said CD ths
------ Fol may admit the
E----TrI-e Company t' sixth street.
. e- rsf-ss to CD So ycl have 10 ans
--tg ~ 1i-it any o.heT company.
me TE-ilz-1l City Company was
11lt--1f CD Use the streets for cars
-r-e-le1 ~ horse o- by steam power
t-- -tF EraniyVine Springs Company
z1-s GAS legislative authority 70 use
any other propeiling power for street
cars On Wilmington streets.
The Wilmington City Company ma.
no charter Tor an electric line; there
fore the Street and Sewer Commission
IS without power TO permit it to oc
cupy Sixth street with an electric line
The commissioners cannot plead ig
norance of the fact that the popular
wish IS for the Brandywine Compan,
10 run into the city so that the people
may be able to reach the country fo
one 5-cent fare by refusing to admi
that company the commission taxes th0
poor enc hundred per cent. on its far
10 the finest park between Boston ant
Baltimore, That they do this in disre
gard Of the authority OF the Legislatur
and at request OF an aspiring AMI
wealthy monopoly. thereby fastening
the monopoly upon the people of tn
city will Inevitably cause the people &
draw conclusions as to the nature q
the influences that prevailed to secur
that result which will degrade the com
missioners in the minds Of those VIII
thus consider the matter.
That the commission has effected II
own extinction there IS no doubt. tn
people win not endure 50 dangerous
body longer than the next session c
the Legislature. 10 viii damn itss
beyond salvation III it ratincs its nr,
liminary action. II has made itse
an mendurable usurper OF power VIII
out regard for the rights OF wishes
the people Of the city or the statut,
enacted by the state. or care Tor Oh
business interests OF the city whic
suffer because people ol the subml
are driven away from Wilmingto
merchants and forced TO bestow the
patronage elsewhere.
1t is not just, that the popular indi
nation should include Commission,
simmons, however. as he did not pa
ticipate in the outrage inflicted.
Commissi0ner Carter will have
survive 20 a greater age than any of q
present generation of Wilmington eli
zens are likely to wish him if hc OH
lives the feelings that he has arouse
He has frequently assured people tn
he was in favor Of admitting the Bra
dywine Company and did so repeated
on the day before and even within
hour before he appeared al the met
Ing al which he seconded the motion
allow The old company 20 use Six
street
What influenced him 10 change j
position2
The commission has not proceed
so far that its blunder is irrevocab
and reconsideration and reversal of
preliminary action is plain and ca
duty
frln