Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-18
CHARTER DEFEATED
BY ITS ADVOCATES
IN STATE SENATE
They Were Repe'Ied by Partisan
Amendment Which People
Are Opposed To.
CHANGED PURPOSE OF BILL

stan Correspondence OF Every ttNenine
state House Dover. March IS
After shroudiuc il with an amend
mont that changed il from a non-parti-
san 10 bipartisan measure. the Re
puhlican Senators. Yesterday afternoon,
buried the Senate hill providing a new
charter for Wilmington. President
FRO Temporc Handy and Senators Alice,
Bennett. HiEhncld. Lutz. Palmer, Prot-
lyman. Richards Robertson. Short and
Walker. Republicans. served as active.
II not honorable. pallhcarcrs and SCna-
tors Hopkins, IuSlry. Latta. Mclutire
Murphy and Price Democrats. were
mourners.
hut charter advocates should not sor-
row without hope. because non-parti-
san hill has been reported favorably to
the House. The bill Yet to bc acted on
is identical with the original Senate bill
The House bill will put the Representa-
tivcs on record respecting a non ~parti-
san charter and should 1t pass the
House the Senators would again he put
on record Should Wilmington nor OBJ
tain new charter the Democrats would
place the blame on the Republicans.
The senate chamber was thronged
during the funeral ceremonies ycstcr-
day afternoon.
The fatal amendment provided that
each commissioners should be- chosen un-
der a partisan designation.
senator Robertson asserted the
amendment was necessary to get votes
for the bill.
Senator Murphy declared tho amend
mont destroyed the buls entire intent
Substitute Adopted.
The Senate substitute for the original
hin and the amendment were adopted
by vote Of II to 6. the Republicans
voting aGiruatively and the Democrats
negatively.
Senator Murphy asked Senator Rob
crtson If the main object in the minds
OF those who drafted the original bin
and those who ardently advocated il
was not 10 get away from craftsmanship.
Senator Robertson replied that the
committee which drew the bill was never
n unit in support Of IL. that NJ times
the members of the committee did not
know Just what they wanted
Representative Kramer was granted
the privilege Of the Senate floor
This bnl As originally drawn wns
supported by the citizens committee
ny the accredited representatives OF tho
Republican and Democratic parties and
by q large majority of the citizens of
Wilmington, and they have repeatedly
Representative Kramer said This
amendment has not becn endorsed by
them. They know nothing about IL
It's arm is to destroy tho intent OF the
whole charter
Representative Kramer alluded 20
eortain REMARKS made by n Senator in
Wilmington concerning the bill.
Name him. name him Senator Rob
0tson requested.
Senator Robertson" Representative
Kramer replied.
Representative Kramer referred 70
ortRtn objections which he said Sena-
t~ Robertson had made TO the bill
President Pro Tempore Handy asked
him 20 confne his remarks 70 the hill
"A little over a week ago" Repre-
sentative Kramer stated, ~ali the diff
fercnoes over this measure were IN
dcrrtood TO hcve been ironed out at a
meeting with the Chamber Of Com
u,erca- II was agreed that the bill as
drawn would give Us the best form OF
sovcrnnsent ohtainable. This eleventh
hour amendment simply means a re-
version TO the old system. It is not
satisfactory, and ii IS not what The peo-
Pile of Wilmington want"
Senator Robertson said: When volI
get hnl down here you have TO raodi-
Is necessary TO get the votes l have
been a member Of this body for several
years and II has been my experience
that you never get just what you want |
My plan has been TO get near what
j. wanted as possible.
Senator Robertson detailed the chang !
es that had been agreed upon several
weeks ago.
With reference 10 the change in the |
method Of electing the commission, Sem
ator Robertson said: This feature is
the bone Of contention. The nornina-
ton and election provisions of this bin |
have engaged the careful consideration
" everybody. and there has been CON !
siderable protest against the nomina- /
ton by petition. The election laws OF 1
the city OF Wilmington are without a 4
blot. They have always worked salts 4
factorily. Some people object TO poll /
tics. ] don't I admire man who takes 1
his stand firmly on one side or tbs 9TH