Evening journal., 1917-03-22

showing that I am mistaken, why
should we put the people to the
trouble and expense OF this radical
innovation?
"Why have not the advocates Of this
amendment presented a measure abol-
ishing Legislatures altogether and
vesting the sole power OF passing all
laws in the people? There can be only
one answer. and that is, that there is
no reason for putting the passage Of
any bill up to the people except
where the Legislature has shown that
it will not express the popular will.
This being true, I ask you IL it is the
case that Delaware Legislatures have
shown themselves unmindful OF the
wishes of the people? I think that no
man can say so truthfully, and, if not,
then il mus. follow that there is no
real need for this amendment.
cit is no answer to say that GER
tain other States have found such leg
islation beneficial. What is one mans
meat. may be anothers poison. States
have their own Municipalities just as
do men in general. You must first
prove that our conditions are sim
liar.
"The fact is: Conditions in Delaware
are radically different from those in
the States which have tried the in
it:ative and referendum. The major
ity OF our citizens are gathered to-
gether in a single section. The city
OF wilmington has population OF
about 105. 900, while there are about
2i5 600 people in the whole State. Will
mington has about % 900 voters out of
a total Of 81 900 for all the state.
..'Now. no statesman and no student
OF polit,cs has ever cOntended that
IL would be a wise thing to put into
tbe hands Of the inhabitants of any
single section of a State the power
10 dominate or control the govern
ment of the State. II matters not how
numerous the population of that par
ticular section may be; 1t matters moi
how wise aud intelligent they are; the
fact remains that the only wise gov
eminent is that which insures anc
guarantees TO the inhabitants Of every
, norton of the State reasonable
share in controlling its policies anc
affairs. We in Delaware should %
the very last to deny such PROPOSE
( ton. II majorities alone are to gov
ern. regardless Of their location. wha
voice would little Delaware have IL
the affairs of this country? We woulG
be overwhelmed by New York and
, few Of he large cities Of the nation.
, 1--WE representatives OF the people i
Kent and Sussex and rural New Castl
are in duty bound to preserve to on
- constituents some voice in the legislatio
y Of this State. II is not because we ar
. hostile 10 Wilmington, not at all. Tn
% reason is lust what I have sad before
o. no state should be controlled from
single section. l am from Dover. an
4 this amendment would give Dover cor
e siderable weight over other parts OF tn
! county. That does not make me fave
e the measure. II should not do so.
know that there are other interests COT
b cerned beside these represented by IL
o inhabitants Of cities and towns. Cut o
& agriculture from Delaware, and whf
would Won have lcfti And yet tn
4 amendment would make the ayr cultur
n interests so much in the minority thu
s they might not he considered. such
A thing is unwise; it is worse. it is fatal
4 1T is no answer to saw that md
r our present system our state officers
q elected by maiorities, and we have n
8 found that Wilmington dominates the
n elections at the sacrifice of the rest
the state. There might be given sever
q answers TO this contention, hut one
sufficient. We have not put the CONT
IS of nominations in Wilmington nor
G. any other single section. BY our syst'
Of nominations, and by that unwritt
IS law which is as binding on us ms the &C
1t stitution itself, the unwritten law
d county rotation in nominations, we ha
been able TO do much against section
ID domination. But this amendment Wor
At not admit Of any such safeguards. J.
IS it become the law Of the land and Y
e. would be throwing wide open the door
N legislation Of, by, and for, single col
Id munity.
s. 'In my opinion, no wise man shou
ot want th'ss to happen, be he w
~ mingtonian or not After ALL We a
Mt all Delawareans, first. last and q
the TIME. Let us then keep to Il
at system which insures laws for all
ir Delaware; Delaware as a whole, n
IN a single segment of it alone.
I'd "The makers of our Constitute