Smyrna times., 1899-02-01
LOCAL OPTION IN KENT COUNTY.

A Kent County Politician Makes Scene
While Opposing Certain Persons Who
We're Asking for the Privileges
Granted by the New
Constitution.
There was quite a stir in the State
House last week, caused by the effort
to get vote on the question of Local
option. The DcLaWdredn, in speak
ing of it says:
"On Wednesday the entire delega-
tiOn in each house from Kent county
signed paper making such a request
After consideration, two Senator and
two Representatives withdrew their
names, which leaves the matter
yet, under the Constitution provision,
with sufficient support to secure to the
people OF Kent county the opportunity
to vote on the question.
Without i'll any way discussing the
merits of the question, it strikes us
that the very strongest argument used
by those who are opposing the matter,
to induce members to withhold or
withdraw their names, is about the
fimlest and weakest it is possible to
| conceive, when viewed from an argu-
mentative standpoint. This plea. as
put forth publically Wednesday by an
interested legal gentleman on the
floor of the House, was that these
members were not elected on that issue.
In signing such paper they are be-
traying their constituents, who never
contemplated such possibility This
is weak, it is fmsy, in a word it is
bosh pure and simple.
"Ihe attempt of few leaders and
interested attorneys to speak for the
Democratic party is entirely unauthor
lied. There are b usands of Demo
Gratis IN this State who entertain very
different opinions. They are not seek
ing to commit the party to their views
! but they will not submit to the op-
pOslte declaration. The members of
the Legislature are in the best position
to know the wishes of their constitu-
ents. 1t Is no party question. 1t will
have to he decided upon its own merits.
This is no time for further blunder-
ing i'll the name of the Democratic
party. The Democratic party will have
enough to carry during the next cam
paign without adding such burden
as some would add"
THE SCENE CREATED BY HAWKINS.
The following. written by Gilbert S.
Jones, as staff correspondent for a
paper in Wilmington is an actual en-
picture of the scene:
DOVER, DEL, Jan. 2G.-Fightiug a
parsOn Is by no means an easy under
taking, but John ID. Hawkins, chair
man of the Kent County Democratic
! Committee, engaged two Of them to-
day on the floor of the House
The principals were Rev Alfred
Smith, ID. d., pastor of Wesley NJ. f.
| church, and Rev. Vaughn ). Collins.
d. d., of the Conference Academy.
| They were brought face to face with
| Hawkins in their work in behalf of To-
! cal option and forced to a fight in
which Hawkins was for the present a
| loser.
The affair demonstrated with no lit
| tie degree of clearness the entire lack
of individuality among a majority of
the Democratic members from Kent
county.
Driven by Hawkins, led by Hawkins
and hoodwinked by the same Haw-
klns they placed thems elves on record
as willing to boldly defy the State Con-
stitution and snap their fingers III the
! faces of the people who are supposed
to obtain through that State in uStru-
ment, the privilege of a Republican
foIm of Government.
1t was yesterday that Drs. Smith
and Collins presented for the consider
| alton of the Kent county Democrats in
the Assembly request which thev de-
sired should be presented to the House
and the Senate.
| The nature of the request is outlined
! in article XIII of the new Constitu-
! ton, where it says whenever a major
lty of all the members elected to each
House of the General Assembly by the
| qualified electors in any district (coun-
| ty) shall request the submission of the
| question of license or no license to a
vote of the qualified voters in said dis
trlct, the General Assembly shall pro-
| vide for the submission of such ques-
| tiOn to the qualified voters in such dis
trlct at the next general election there
after"
| 1t would thus appear that the people
! OF any one county cannot vote on the
question of local option until given the
privilege to do SO by the General As
sembly.
This is the privilege now being
asked and request for which was pre-
sented to the House to-day bv Mr..
Herring and to the Senate bv Senator
Lewis. The request is herewith given
and 1t is on the absence of the sigma
tures of Senators Slaughter and Mere
dlth and Representative Taylor and
O'Day that the tale of Mr.. Hawkins
brush with the preachers hangs:
10 the Senate aud House of Rep
resentatlves of the State of Delaware
in General Assembly met: We, r. H.
Lewis s. j. Abbott, j. Frank Alice,
senators from Kent county, and we
William L. Jester, ,Jabez jenkins, John
Satterfeld, George G. Herring, Will
liam Tharp, ]. b. Clark. d. H. Fraz-
Ter, William A. FAIRIES, Representatives
from Kent county being a majority of
all the members elected to each House
of the General Assembly bv the quail
fed electors in the district of Kent
county, in the State of Delaware. do,
pursuant to the provision of article
XIII of the Constitution of the State
of Delaware respectfully request your
honorable body to make provision for
the submission of the question, wheth-
er the manufacture aud sale of intoxi-
eating liquors for beverage purposes.
shall be licensed on prohibition to the
rate of the rate of the qualified electors
of the said district of Kent county at
the next general election"
When the written request was passed
around among the Kent county legis-
lators Senator Slaughter and Meredith
and Messrs. Taylor and O'Day were
heartily willing that it be made and
quickly signed the document
John ID. Hawkins learned of their
action and soon appeared on the scene