The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-02-25
OUR DOVER
LETTER.

Beginning with today ana Win the as
sembling of the legislature this morning,
Republican sentiment--the sentiment
that is serious thought, earnest desire
and intense fceling-will be more direct
ly centered in legislative action than
ever before i'll this State. The session
is nearing its close. The most important
political duty Of the Republican majority
in tnat body is still to be performed
and no good reason is assigned for the
delay. The anxiety about it throughout
the State is becoming intense. Rcpubli-
cans are everywhere voicing their dis
content over the present conditions and
over what they fear is TO be another
failure to improve an opportunity for
good and permanent work that has
come to their party. This discomfort is
directed toward the minority Rcpubli-
cans who are apparently refusing to do,
under conditions in every way fair and
just to them, even generous, what they
were elected to do and thus complete the
success Won by the party in the last
campaign.
AS we have said no good and sufficient
reason is given for the delay which
threatens evil consequences that, to Re-
publcans, appear too serious for calm
consideration. The State needs to be
represented in the National Senate. The
National Administration needs the help
and strength which two Republican SEN
ators from this State would give it.
The people Of the State are clamoring
for their rights in the case, and the
National Administration is demanding
that the Republicans of the State As.
semby do their duty, complete the Ma
tionul legislature and complete the
States relations to the Nation, and yet
in the face of these demands men who
We're entrusted with power for this very
purpose, who are sworn representatives
of the people for this purpose, refuse to
perform that duty and do not even pre-
tend to give Il reason for their destructive
course. The people are demanding the
election Of two Republican United States
Senators. The Republicans, whose repre-.
scntativcs in the General Assembly have
the power to elect these Senators, are de-
manding the election of two Republican
Senators, one Of whom has been named
rs the majority Republican candidate,
Mr.. j. Edward AdIcks. There can be
no doubt about that being the overwhelm-
ingly dominant Republican sentiment of
the State. We have it on good author
ity, that in some of the strongest so
called Anti-Addicks districts of this
county, there is not Il half dozen men
who are opposed to the election of Mr.. Ad-
dicks to the Senate, and we are sure that
if an election could be held in this coun-
ty to indicate Senatorial candidates, Mr..
Addicks would be chosen by an al
most unanimous vote If these legisla-
tors are not void of WISDOM il they are
not entirely ignorant of public sentiment.
they must know Of tins condition. That
they do know of the situation, both here
and at Washington, is beyond doubt.
These facts make it difficult to find
any reason to assign for what appears
to be only political, or, what is possibly
worse, personal obstinance. That this
should be possible in Il State and nation
like this is incrcditablc and yet there
appears to be no escape from it, Men
are assuming that their personal pref
crences are of more Importance, and
their Judgment better, in questions OF
politics, than are the wishes of the pco-
pie and the decision of parties.
Under these conditions there should
be concentration of will and purpose,
by the people, during the present week,
that would compel respect for and
obedience to the popular will. 1t is not
conceivable that the people have lost
control of affairs in this State they have
not, they must not lose it. The men
who are members of the Legislature are
not masters, but servants OF the people,
They were not elected TO carry out
their schemes, but to do according to
established rules and methods what tho
people decided should be done aud what
the law requires.
Surely the people have this power,
tho power to enforce public will, to pro-
vent State and National injury at the
hands of the men to whom they have
entrusted the execution of the law re-
qurins the clction of two United States
Senators, and surely, too, the people have
still the power and right TO exercise it
to compel the election of Senators. in
accord with the decision reached at the
polls in November To do this, every
possible concentration Of thought. desire
and effort ought to he brought to bear
on the Legislature at Dover during the
present week. e..
Cold Weather