The sun., 1901-02-14
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY IA. 1901,
SENATORIAL pEApLocKs.

phia Inquirer ON how ito prevent dead
locks" As a matter and manner for
future consideration and action the plan
suggested-an amendment to the consti-
tuition making election by plurality vote
possible--is worthy of thought. 1t does
not, however, affect the Delaware case
as it now stands.
There never has been, so far as we
know, such a case as that now existing
in this State The Pennsylvania case,
in Colonel Quay's contest, was like it
only in that it resulted from factional |
revolt in the Republican party; it did not |
continue as long, nor was it in any por-
ton of its history, as violent, as UNI |
reasonablely violent and factional as
has been the Delaware case. There
Republican control of the State
was not seriously endangered; nor
was Democratic Senator forced
upon Republican State by fraud.
This danger and this evil have both re-
suited in Delaware; and now the same
State without any Senatorial represen-
tative because majority of the kepub-
lican members of the Legislature will
not permit the minority to name both
Senatorial candidates. mat is practical
ly the situation. The minority refuses
to vote for the majority candidate, al
though the majority has agreed to vote
for any one candidate The minority may
name, in a general Republican vote to
elect two Senators. The majoity is
manifesting liberal, loyal party spirit,
while the minority is mani.estiAg fac
tional spirit destructive or all party or
ganization and success.
The whole trouble IA this State seems
to arise from misconception of the
character and responsibility of iegisla-
tor in State ASSEMBLY who may nave
been elected from gwen legislative
district. Ibis m.sl oAcept Oh lies baek
of the present assembly, and really lies
at the door Of the iactionists III the re-
cent constitutional convention. these
factionists did not dare to ayow it, but
in adopting the district system they had
in mind the creation o. just such u
situation as now exists in the Assembly.
The good idea inyoived III the district
system, as distinct from the county sys-
tenn of representation previously III vogue
in this State, is in the prevention of the
defeat Of local candidate by the vote
Of the county at large. The fault of ii
lies in that the representative, i'll this
case, inagines himself only the repre-
sentative of the faction Of his party by
which he was nominated, instead of o
representative of the party as a whole
BY which he was eleC,ed.
The narrowness and uistructiyeness OF
this idea is apparent. Un.ess there is 1
common dominant sentiment in the pol
itics OF these district representatives,
sentiment Of loyalty to the State through
general party organization, and OH
strong enough to bind them together n
party representatives in the service o
the State, the system is destructive
Contrary to this the real object Of part
organization, of State organization an
legislative work, is constructive. uenc
it follows that there must be dominant
adhesive and cohesive principle in a.
good and successful party work. Repre-
sentatives loyal to the State, loyal t
their obligations to serve it, canno
frh Nv ham GaIx
from the great body of their party o
represented BY its majority represents
tives in the legislative assembly. Thel
must be a point upon which the indivi,
ual, although not convinced, must e..
render his judgment to that of the who
body of the party to which he belong
and Of which he is an accredited rel
resentative. That must be admitted,
the system of popular government fail
The individual would become dictate
So too, there must be q place, cond
ton and relation, in which the mnor
must, in right and honor, surrender
the majority. This is just as essenti
as the surrender of the individual to Il
party, and is just as reasonable. Othe
wise a mnorty,the few and not Il
many, become the dictators in COVER
ment This is the :ituation in the De!
ware Senatorial fght-it is the fe
against the many.
What is needed to prevent deadlocl
in Delaware is some authoritative d,
laration Of the superior relation of t
representative to the State, as agaiI
his relation to his district. In otl
words, we want local application
Republican theory, opposing the Sti
rights theory, to the local representa-
question-the supremacy Of the State
terest over the district intercst--wh
will cause Republicans in the Legislatl
to vote as State Representatives a
State Senators, in the selection Of
States representatives in the Uni
States Senate.
When representatives and Senat
will do that deadlocks will not occ
or if occurring, will soon be broken.
AND THE EDITOR WEPT,