Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-01
EXPRESSION OF INDIGNATION
Meeting Under Auspices of the
Democratic League.
UNIVERSAL FRANCHISE DISCUSSED
Protest Against Action of the
Street Directors. -
Speeches by State Senator John Pyle.
Former uounclie,an William II. Quinn,
President of Council william $. Alexan-
der, George g. Morton and Others.

der, George q. Morton and Others.
An indignation meeting under the
AUSPICES of the Democratic League wis
held in the league headquarters, Fourth
and King streets, last night weok, and
after about two hours discussion a
motion was adopted protesting against
tine Street and Sewer Department
giving to corporations the rights of the
people. About two score of Nitizens
were present President of Council
Alexander was one Of the speakers.
Tho meeting was opened by State
Senator John Pyle and George W.
Spicer, Sr.. was made chairman. Mr..
Pyle opened the subject of the Street
and Sewer Departments action on
franchises, the franchise granted to the
Universal Conduit, Light, Heat and
Power Co. being the particular source
OF criticism. He discussed the act
creating the department and said that
he could not discover that it had the
power TO give away the streets.
Remarking that some things looked
funny and were hard to understand, he
told of the efforts OF j. Edward Addicks
to lay gas pipes here and how he had
been stopped for about eight years by
litigation. The Senator decai ed that
Addicks had shown bis good faith by
spending several Thousand dollars on a
plant Now company gets franchise,
it is not known who are back of it, not
a cent is put into it and he believes
there will not be because they have no
ritle. If the commission was right in
refusing Addicks, was it right in giving
| franchise to the new company. Mr..
Pyle referred also to the Sixth street
railway matter. and said the Street
and Sewer Directors heard distant
thunder from the people. that caused
them to grant permission to the Brandy
wine Springs road.
Senator Pyle looked upon the Uni
yersal franchise as measure to play
| into the hands of the few at the expense
| of the many and not as an exposition
of the principal of 'equal rights to all,
| special privileges to none. He cited
history to show that it repeats itself
| and remarked that this was time of
unrest among the people.
Charles j. lost his head and his son
went into exile, and some people nearer
home would 60 into exile if they did
not look out. No Legislature dare give
the Street and Sewer Department power
| TO give away the streets, for the legisla.
! tors might go into exile, too.
Ex-Councilman William II. Quinn
sees in the present agitation vindica-
| tion of his antagcnism to the commits.
| sions when they were started. He was
in Council in 1881. and when he
opposed the creating of the Water Com
mission, be says he was called Judas
and Benedict Arnold to his party. He
was opposed to commissions then. and
is opposed now, on principle. holding
them tc be foreign to the fundamental
principles of government. TIE COM
missions are not elected by the people
and are responsible to no one. They
were established for political ex-
pediency. Observing that there are
5000 multi-millionaires and that
10000, GOO people are at their feet, he
declared that no man can help but
stand in awe at the tendency towards
Capitalization of power.
| Touching upon proposed new city
charter he said it should be embodied
therein that when the city wants to
borrow 100000. it need not go to
| Dover, for Wilmington people have the
money to pay, and they should have the
say az to borrowing it. The Street
and Sewer Department spends about
s1e0, 600 annually, more than it cost to
run the whole city in 1872.
In reElyto question from Senator Pyle,
| Mr.. Quinn said il was not considered
right by City Council to pass franchises
of the character under consideration.
He declared that the Universal fran.
chise was worth half million dollars,
if they can carry it out, and many q
man would be willing to pay that
amount for it. Had he been IN Council
he would have advised the securing Ct
mandamuses against the company and
against the department.
Then" he added, Il would fine
what was paid for the franchise
whether it was block of stock or hard
cash.
Mr.. Quinn held that the people have
nobody but themselves to blame for the
state of things, and declared that they
better tend to their internal affair:
before giving 1000 miles away &c
| civiliZe babarians and man-eaters. This
sentiment was applauded.
Harry Turner opposed the granting
of franchises without the city's receiv,
ing some return. and held that the
voice of the people should be heard
oftener. One effect of granting a
franchise like the Que in question is tC
increase the valuation Of the property
along the streets occupied blythe cor
poration and as consequence property
owners will have more tax to pay. L
there is no other way TO get rid of q
commission which viii not regard tbs
rights of the people he would favor i'm
parchment.
| George C. Morton added his protest,
and said the Democratic League woulc
loan the meeting room to ary party o.
citizens wishing to discuss the subject.
President of Council William S
Alexander was invited to address the
meeting. :" As TO the granting of thai
franchise" he said, There is no ques
tion but that it was an outrage upor
the people. He quoted from the reso
luton conveying the franchise to show
what large powers are conferred. Mr.
Alexander said he was not opposed t.
corporations, Tut he believed that thu
laws should apply equally to corpora
lions and individuals. Practically tn,
only part of the city that. belongs tt
the public is the streets and that ha.
been given away. The city expend
about S616. 600 yesr. which must bt
raised by taxation. Why is it right OF
Just that any corporation Gaping benefi
from the thoroughfares should not con
tribute to the expenses of the cit,
government.
In spite of the sentiment aroused
over the Sixth street railway matter
the department gives away Franchise
with the widest scope. 1T has beef
practically a robbery, on tho part o
that department, upon the citizens o