Evening journal., 1906-09-15
Saturday, September IS, 1906.
AN APPEAL TO VOTERS,

AN APPEAL TO VOTERS,
E EPUBLlCAN voters Of the city and county
IA should carefully consider the question of
the nomination and election Of members of the
coming Legislature 1t looks as though the Re
publicans would control the next session of the
General Assembly Therefore il is imperative
that men should be chosen to that body who will
make a creditable record The future of the
party in a large measure will depend upon the
doinss of the next Legislature.
There is wcll-defned effort on the part of
certain leaders of the Republicans to fill the Cen
eral Assembly with men who will obey the com
mands and behests Of those selfish influences that
put their selfish interests above the welfare OF
the party and the interests Of the people TO
these men the welfare OF the party is entirely
subordinate to the condition OF their own pocket
books The party to them is merely a means
through which they can guard their own inter-
ests and bring prosperity to themselves by taxi
ing what rightfuly belongs TO the people or by
placing upon the people the burdens which these
interests themselves should share.
The local gas trust. for instance. desires to
have a voice in the dongs of the Legislature 1t
is making no attempt to conceal its intention and
purposes. Any man who is a candidate for the
LEGISLATURE that the Gas Trust imagnes is not
Sound" that is, would not do as the Gas Trust
wishes should be done, will be fought tooth and
nail by all the methods of political warfare with
which such concerns are familiar. The Gas
Trust wants to enjoy its monopoly. It wishes to
be in position to give the people whatever SER
vice suits its fancy and compel the public to pay
whatever the Gas Trust says It shall pay
IN the large city of Wilmington are there not
thousands of citizens who are not concerned in
the Gas Trust more than merely getting decent
treatment from this company? Why should
they permit the Gas Trust to send its representa-
tives 10 the Legislature when it is known that
such representatives will labor only to strengthen
the monopoly of the Gas Trust and to prevent
any interference with its business.
The gas trust with the extraordinary power
which at times it seems to possess, choked off
the Otto Company from establishing a compet-
tive plant in this city. 1t also attempted to keeo
Out the'new Commercial Company that recently
secured a franchise. That was a sad blow to the
Gas Trust and it does not want to be defeated
again IT 1t can help it. Therefore it is setting up
its pins SO that it viii have friendly legislators
at Dover Should its scheme 60 through and
should the voters surrender to the Gas Trust the
people will have administered 70 them sort q,
laughing gas and they viii pay we'll Tor It also.
The trolley railway companies also desire rep
resentatives in the Legislature Street railwa,
companies are notorious throughout the countr,
for their attempts to esade their Just share O
taxation Their history is a history OF war witt
municipalities. They often owned or con
trolled by unscrnpulolis men who know the vau,
of public service monopoly. who know tn
worth OF what they have and who prey upon tn
communities in which they operate, like the buc
cancers Of old preyed upon the merchantmen O
the seas Ia few cities do they pay their taxes il
accordance with their wealth
In this city the career of these corporations ha
been simply constant effort to defy the inunci
pal authorities. 70 disobey or refuse to heed til
ordinances, and we have had a spineess set o
city officials that have failed TO compel thes
companies to do their duty AT this very hou
petitions are being circulated and mtnerousl
signed, asking these companies to comply witl
laws OF their own making. If they refuse to en-
force their own laws for their own service. rule
made by themselves, how much less ready viii
they be to comply with lie laws that a nunicipal
ity makes for their regulation The question o
tne taxation OF these companies should be one 70
the Legislature to consider.
The city OF Wilmington is in need OF revenue
do we want men TO represent Wilmington VIII
viii be untrue 70 tne eity, VINO wii look out 10