Evening journal., 1907-05-29
716 MARKET STREET.

heartily endorse every word he has
written. AS a taxpayer ] second his
call on the voters of our city to make
the vote for those five Questions now
before the people unanimous. We the
people, who bear the burden Of gov
ernment, who must pay all taxes, must
certainly vote for measures that will
tighten our financial burdens From
even a financial motive we SHOULD sup
port those measures. But to me. and
1 feel 'tis so with the great mass of
our citizens. there is a higher motive.
Let us for a moment consider the first
question:
No. !. "Shall the Mayor and Council
memorialize the next Legislature of
the State 10 enact a law enabling the
people of Wilmington to govern them
selves. delegating TO the Mayor and
Council subject to the Initiative and
Referendum as fun powers Of govern-
ment for municipal purposes as are
vested IN tho Governor and Legislature
for State purposes"
II there he e. citizen of Wilmington,
aside from the "maehinists." bosses
and their henchmen. who viii vote
mo" on that proposition, then / mar
vel The only explanation of such
vote would be that he has not given
a moments thought. What is il but
home ruleg What is it hut self-govern-
ment? If A. We're possible to fancy
our citizens defeating such PROPOSE
ton. every intelligent man In the city
would blush for very shame. 1t would
go out to the country that the people
Of Wilmington had publicly confessed
that they were incapable of self-gov-
ernment. What would any member Of
a lodge, or society, or labor union think
Of a proposition that 1.-The local body
should consent 20 ask The general Of
ficers, the grand lodge, for permission
to change their place of meeting, Or
change their ianitor, OF alter their by
lawsg" The idea that We of Whining
ton. a city Of 10000 people. presumably
sane must needs ask gentlemen from
Seaford Bridgeviile, Dover. Lewes, OF
Georgetown. whether We shall be per-
mitted 10 alter. change. decrease, I'M
crease. raise CT lower salaries Of our
public servants. IS simply preposteroJs.
What a fruitful source of ''tobs' and
schemes" such conditions have been
i'm the mast and viii be I'm the future
unless abolished How often have the
viii of the people been nullified by ana
through existing conditionsl Wh@
were the guilty parties2 The bosses
of tho machines" Both parties alike
If the city went Republican, the Demo-
cratic .losses." = the State govern
ment was Democratic. went TO Dover
and nuiHhei the votes of the majority
of the citizens Of this town. If the city
went Democratic, the Republican
bosses" if the state was Republican
vent to Dover and untitled TIE votes
of the majority of the city. The sys-
tenn in vogue is infamous; source
Of "jobs"; un-Americar; destructive
of good citizenship, and productive OF
such a brand of so-called politicians
that the ver,, word politician" is o
stencil in the nost-ils Of the Dublic
We have often held mass meetings IN
town in favor of "Home Rule" for
Ceneeambia. the Philippines, ireland
ana other parts of TIE globe. For
heavens sake let us have Home Rule
for wilmington. Let us try II any
way. If we are so dumb as to be un
able TO govern ourselves-weh let Us
ask for a board of supervisors from
Washinpton. AS one Wilmingtonian
I am heartur IN favor of Seatord'
BridgeviIe. Dover, Lewes or George
town running their own business, 1
don't want to butt in" as to their town
constable or dog catcher, and toi
heavens sake I want 70 know II thosc
"peaches" IN lower Delaware won't
give us tho privilege to run our town
OF course. if the voters Of this town
saw h. their ballots on June lst that
"they don't went Home Rule" then
il is cutie evident they are not NJ Tor
self government. ana ire peaches of
Dover. Iewes Georgetown, Bridgeviile
and seascrd a-c right But Il Is un-
thinkahle that such WI be the vote.
ask fer and look for Ire same splen-
aid intelligent voting IN the five que -
tions now before us as was Given lasi
fail
Yours,
A. Tax Payer.
Wilmington. May 20.