The sun., 1900-01-02
Tuesday, January 2, 1900.

EyERYwHEaE thinking people are ask
ing: What Of the future? What is this
>piIee year TO bring to the people?
Ne inquiry is pertinent everywhere,
>Rwhere more so than in Delaware.
litions here make it pertinent.
of a century and quarter
bee y5eIlkclaration Of American Inde-
sndence. and since the declaration that
men are born politically equal, and
bat all just government proceeds from
The consent of the governed, Delaware
! has Just arrived at a place, and condi-
tion in her history, to realize that in her
State Government. Singular, and inn
probable as il may seem, it is true that
this, the first State Of the American
Union, has never had government that
represented the consent OF all her
people;-consent as implied by the law
a majority vote OF the people under con-
ditions allowing all the people to vote.
There has never been time in the his
tory of the State when the law allowed
all the men to vote. The law does not
permit all the men TO vote now, to say
nothing about the rights OF the women
in this regard. The old law excluded
the negro from the polls because he was
black, and now il attempts to exclude
him because be cannot read-because
the laws OF the State denied him the op-
portunity to learn to read. Under the
oferation OF the law thousands OF white
men have been regularly excluded from
the polls to such an extent as to destroy
the virtue OF the implied consent of the
people to governments chosen at the
ballot box.
In theory our State government has
been Republican in form. Practically
it has been despotic--it has been gov.
ernment by minority maintained BY
despotic misuse Of the law making and
law administering power Of the State
That is true Of the entire history Of tht
State. The time and opportunity hay,
come, in which Delaware may achiev'
n for hersnfa gexe{nment representative
Of all& Ssople, and in which all he
Ape6pIe cah take part. -SIhis opportunit,
has como in this closing year Of tb
nineteenth century. and in time, il th
people will arouse themselves, to Civ
the State glorious entrance into what
now regarded as coming transeendan
era of human progress. The State en-
tered the Union Of States first. Sh
ought to enter the new century at To
head Of the line Of States. It is possbl
that Delaware may enter the new Ger
tury as the free State Of the free States
The elements Of industrial triumph
which are to make the year notable j
history we have through the wise an
benefccnt Republican government, j
common with our sister States. VII;
we lack is within our power to suppl!
It needs merely that we sweep away ii
restrictive and oppressive elements
our laws and force administrations to
just and liberal level. Opportunity 4
every advantage and achievement
good citizenship ought to be larger
Delaware than anywhere else. A lit
State Of fertile soil, of broad rivers,
industriousi capable people-a peop
easily governed and susceptible Of grar
achievements-ought by the efforts
Aher own people, be really and practical
Fhat she is historically-the Diamoi
tate. Her lays, her institutions al
n cfriztns ought to be the gems Of t
orious American Union.
To bring this about is simply matt
wise Iegislation-of patriotic devote
the States interest by its own peop
people can launch the State up
IS kind OF career, if they will, in u
.ilee year--the beginning must
le in the routing of the Democra
ty out OF the State government.