Evening journal., 1910-10-19
WEDNESDAY. OCT. Ie. 1910
LoCAL nEMoCRATIc REvoLT.

WELL may the Democratic leaders and news
w papers show alarm over the insurgonr move
ment IN the Democratic party OF this city which
hiss taken the form OF naming Mr. Thomas +.
ODonneIl as the Independent Democratic candi-
date for the Legislature from the Fifth Repre-
sentative district.
The Democrats try to pooh-pooh the candidacy
OF Mr. ODonnell as a political move designed TO
give one more legislative vote for Colonel dupont
for United States Senator With characteristic
Bourbonism the organ of the Democracy sneers
at the platform Of Mr. ODonnell, speaks of the
initiative and referendum as absurd and passes by
other statements in Mr.. ODounells declaration,
such as direct primaries, and home rule charter
for Wilmington of no importai
Ii is inconcevable to the Bourbon rcactionarles,
who are endeavoring TO conduct gum-shoe CAM
paieu so far as platform is concerned, that any
number OF Democrats should revolt against the
reactionary crowd and come forward with plat
form more in accordance with the attitude OF the
Democratic party throughout the country.
Ii has been supposed that national Democratic
sentinenk In Delaware had been entirely suppress
ed and sandbagged into silence by the boss methods
which controlled the Dover convention, But the
surprise is that the revolt of the local Democrats
against the reactonaries has not been more wide
spread than il is.
Mr. O'Donnell can we'll 60 before the people OF
the Fifth Legislative district with bold assertion
that his platform, brief though il is, is more in
accordance. with the declarations Of the National
Democratic party than is the Dover platform
framed under the guidance of a State Committee
in which there was only one vote for the income
tax amendment 10 the constitution. Mr. ODon-
nell declares for a Home Rule charter for viii
mington. In this he undoubtedly represents the
sentiment of a vast majority of the Democrats Of
his district and of the city
Until the Democratic State. convention met We
had assumed that there was no,serious opposition
to new charter for Wilmington. Notwithstand-
ing the discussion Of the matter, and notwithstand-
ing the fact that a new charter has been favored
by all the newspapers of the city regardless OF
politics some mysterious and subtle influence pre-
vented the Democratic State convention from ap-
proving a new charter. What was this influence?
Who we're the people that threw sand into the
machinery Of progress and now declare in effect
that Wilmington should stand still?
The initiative and referendum has been widely
approved by the Democrats throughout the coun-
try. Probably a majority of Democrats favor it,.
We would not make this as a positive assertion,
for we have not the accurate information at hand,
but certain il is that state after another has
been adopting the plan,
Mr.. ODonnell declares for direct primaries For
some queer reason probably because direct pri-
maries would lessen the influence Of the railroad
and corporation ring in control Of the Democratic
party, the recent Democratic State convention re-
fused to speak upon this question, refused TO give
the Democrats of the State a chance TO express
their opinions as TO who should be United States
Senator
he party has persistently refused to make all
nominations in this county by direct primaries and
there has been no serious agitation of the matter
by Democrats of either Kent or Sussex Yet il is
well known that hardly in another Democratic
State is there opposition to direct primaries by
Democrats unless in. those States ring-ruled
Even in Maryland, which is popularity supposed
TO be as conservatively Democratic as Delaware
nominations are made by direct primaries.
How preposterous then is il to assert that the
platform of Mr.. ODonnell is of no account and TO
intimate that Democrats Of the city are not
concerned in any OF these matters of which Mr..
ODonnell speaks.
Mr. ODonnell has effectively unmasked the
Democratic campaign. He has given platform
more IN accordance with the National Democratic
idea than that made by the qubbIinq LAWYERS \,
Dover His is one voice crying in the
Democratic wilderness and whether he wins or
loses his attitude shows that the campaign cannot
be put through by the Democrats on reactionar,
Line without Democratic protest
II n he