The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-05-29
"PUBLIc OPINION"

In consideration Of the various cir
cumStances which exercise Il vital in
iiuence iii the development Of municipal
government there are none OF more I'M
portance than the tendency Of public
opinion 10 drift toward the support 81
political leaders whose reputation for |
personal integrity and freedom from
til" faint Of the party aictAtion have |
established them is important factors |
III maintaining the political h@althful- |
ness Of the community. II Is, there |
fore, the duty Of every citizen ~ con |
tribute not only hy identifying himself |
with this drift Of public sentiment
Every Evening.
We can heartily commend thu predicate
and conclusion of Tho above editorial
paragraph. We decidedly object how
ever, to its application to the Demo
cratic party, in its candidate for mayor.
That is not warranted by public opinion.
The term public opinion as applied %
the municipal. or State politics Of this
country, indicates the opinion Of the
body Of the pcoplt.-thr major opinion
Of til" people expressed by their division
upon the question III issue There has
been such Il division Of the people Of
this city upon the question Of city gov
eminent. Both political PARTIES have
nominated tickets for the city election
Of June 1. These tickets now represent
public opinion rs il is divided hy political
sentiment. Iii this division ii is we'll
known that the major expression Of pub
lip nnininn i. pnIfrnSnntaI 1tI +I,I
lican ticket that The drift Of public
opinion If the primary elections Was de-
cidrtlty toward the Republican party.
The direction Of the drift Of public opin-
ion hping established, what follows:
L is said in what we have quoted that
tho tendency Of public opinion Is Il
drift toward the support u political
leaders whose reputation for persona
integrity and freedom from the faint OF
party dictation have established then
aS important fnctolS in maintaining tht
political hralthfulncSs Of the conlmu
nifty The drift Of expressed publ,
opinion being toward tllr Republican
party, and It's municipal ticket IL proof
HPHbfhlilH " IANPFA INtlllHSt tllll III
mon named IN that ticket is the leader
of that party. are they whose election
assures maintaining the political hcaltli
fliness Of the community Either iii
is true OF Every Evenings theory abou
the tendency Of public opinion is u
wrong.
Ii occurs to us that this is il good pla
10 cali attention to the drift" Of publ
opinion i'll the larger community Of I'll
State since 1890. There has been IN III
mstakablr tendency Of public 0pinio
upon matters polite, to drift toward ii
leaders Of The Republican patty-to |
specific, and forcstnll amy possible mi
construction 1T what We say, toWal
The leaders Of the Union Rcpnblca
party. In truth, despite the frantic q
forts 10 prevent it. the drift Of publ
opinion ii national politics. has been /
ward the lenders Of the Union Repuh
can party. 70 instance some proofs
what we say. We call attention to Il
narrow escape Of the Democratic par
Of the State from defeat in 1892; Il
victory Of the Republican party i'll iSa
the Republican majority vote of 5000
the election of 1896; the Rcpublicanvicto
of 1898: the Republican victory of f9t