Evening journal., 1915-02-05
FRIDAY FEB. S. 1915
NEN cry QUARTER AND PUBLIC sENrmENr.

NEN CITY CHARTER AND PUBLIC SENTIMENT
4 does not seem be at all likely that a char
4 ter bill Tor the city of Wilmington win be passed
By Tie present Legislature that present system
Of city government will be changed materially by
amendment of the existing charter
Those WAC favor the commission form of government
have abored long and earnestly to produce something
that would be acceptable and the rresisti-
bic interest and support Of the people and also appeal
strongly to legislative favor Notwithstanding that
Ne feel sure those who framed the proposed char
ter providing for commission form Of government
have little hope It will pass at the present session The
more ardent of them may profess to be hopeful but
we suspect in their hearts of hearts they feel that
the charter they propose will receive I'm Dover the
friendly consideration they honestly think it de-
serves
Contrary their expectations earlier in the year
they have yet succeeded in getting il through The
chamber OF Commerce. to say nothing OF the Senate
and the House does likely that in its pres
en FORM it will go to Dover bearing the approval OF
that Chamber Il has developed that Wilmingtons
LEADING trade body leans more toward the amendment
OF the present charter than to the enactment of a
Before the civic Association can get such bill as
it proposes through the Legislature, it show the
political leaders in this State that the public demand
for IS so great that it cannot be disregarded. The
charte~ -roponents to ignore the political ee-
the auation and the potential force Of pub
opf pom those elements in causing them
Il. fork n given directions
ii is an wel enough for men whose patriotic disn-
tcrestedness is admitted by their opponents to
meet from time to time, frame proposed new city
charEr proclaim its provisions, and say that Il rep
res &ts public sentiment That however. is not
soroueh They must be able to prove TO the sasfac-
ton Of the leaders the political parties that 1t
yeally does represent such sentiment In essayins
that task. they must not forget that, rule,
litcal leaders have ample for ascertainng pub
Nc sentiment in a community OF this size and that
when they confronted by situation which af-
fects the established order Of things they do not
such to ascertain for themselves
what the sentiment really is. They not to be
fooled by noise general statements with respect to
sentiment Through their district leaders and work
ers they usually know what the preponderang sent-
men before the of reform have started
out to ascertain it. Sometimes their information is
wrong. AS a rule it is right.
Several years ago a bipartisan commission, appoint
by the Legislature for that specific purpose framed
new city charter. In compliance with the act.
referendum vote taken on the commissions work
in June 1912 II noise and general statement with
respect TO public sentiment had been worth their face
value that time the vote in favor of the proposed
charter would have been overwhelming. When The
votes we're counted. however, it discovered thai
in total Doll of S691 votes only 99i votes had beer
cast for the new and that 400 votes had beer
cast against it.
1t may be added that while the result of that speca
election surprised the men who had framed the pro
posed charter it did not surprise the politicians II
political circles the result had been discounted week
before the election was held. although 1t must be ad
mtted that some politicians expressed surprise tina
SC few affirmative votes had resulted from such
wealth of noisy assertion with respect to the state
public sentiment
we have no desire at this time to comment upo
the merits the demerts OF the proposed new char
the ion Tho old oh
tor amendments of the Chamber of Commerce Gu
sole desire call 10 the attention of both Of thos
estimabe bodies that unmstakable and widesprea
puolic sentiment in favor what they propose mus
be shown If either of them is obtain from the Legi
ature the legislation it seeks