Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-22
relation Every I 1I00E
llenlng Yesterday / l4VOO
TUESDAY, MARCH -. 19@l
Tlt CHARTER Is DEFEATED
HIT NOT THE CAUSE

u
,ity charter measure went down
NAL iefeat in the House Of Repre-
,,i,.s at Dover. yesterday after
victim of partisan malignity
,,.suncd partisan expediency. And
his .snominious manner came to
+ for the time being, one of the
tpd Mt times most promising
.,pt for civic betterment and ef-
.Yunicipal administration that
III, Of wilmington ever entered
44ue on tho decisive vote was
nd unmistskallc. presented in
,snnrr that those who brought
ne fondost hopes Of Whining
nazt and most progressive element
r.-.pship could not conceal their
,.... ,.s, 4, hide behind any specious
4 being desirous ol yielding e
,t.ba= ~ this element and Of differ
., IS to the form and substance
.nding measure. The nnal vote
taken on the bastard measure
rator Robertson caused 70 be
.,.r.ed in the senate for the meas
preparcd and forwarded under the
. .a. - of the citizens Committee but
taat measure itself, just az i found
,,at ~ Dover after formulation 10y
t...o,. .1D,irabia agencies. and
amended 90 a s to meet the captious
,f,i.isns Of Senator Robertson. The
l.tte, after giving unqualified and un-
su,ited approval to the committee
r.e4s,ire. and declaring that he would
II, all in his power to secure its enact
,4ert IN that form, suddenly became
Inverted to the purposes Of the insid-
ius and underhanded opposition, ana
,,,o5 forth az its enemy. The bill pre-
,ared under the auspices OF the Clu-
ms committee and changed TO suit
s.nator Robertson was presented to the |
,i,,so and il was this bill that finally |
ent down in defeat.
To say that the result Is disappoint- |
to- the friends Of good municipal /
,iristration-who in this charter
...,paien represented and spoke for
ia,.r. ma iority of the qualified vot-
lcas Of Wilmington. men and I
.r. mt lightly setting forth the /
u.t,., /, is far more than disap-
is humiliatinE and repug- !
evcry sense Of honesty and fair |
mo opposition was unmanly. |
.s..r ,ovardly shrinking from the |
b' throughout the campaign so
,udiy and With such fine public |
conducted by the Citizens Com /
...r.,,s. and dealing its blows under !
-bc cover of darkness. not even leaving /
f. the dupes in the Legislature who /
.qaitted themselves 10 be controlled /
abicctly hy this unsavory combna- /
., - partisan pirates a single plea
s,jcuuation to be advanced in sup |
rest Of their indefensibIe opposition |
there been fair and open con-
~ .1er the charter measure. with an /
position fortified by arguments that
.,elid afford the slightest ground for /
,uesi dissent the feeling would have ,
lacn different even with the result un- I
aanged But to have such move /
cent. conceived and carried on from +
Tho highest sense of civic duty and de
sire for public service defeated by the i
insidious and secret manipulation OF /
selfish partisan agencies, without the /
shehtest scrap Of public probity sup
porting them, is indeed far more than
most humIliating to al who have the
interests OF the city AT heart
But il is not to be supposed for an
Instant that this movement TO secure
iof the people Of Wilmington q charter
measure under which their municipal
administration may be conducted far
more efectivel! than it has been in
the past, and with guarantee Of prac-
teal and permanently beneficial re-
suits. will be defeated by this sordid
triumph Of grossly partisan interests.
The movement will live, the campaign
for municipal betterment will continue.
And. supported as it is by not only the
best elements OF our municipal fellow
ship. but by an undoubted majority OF
as voting power, it surely will succeed
two years hence. Reprisals may or
may not be visited upon the faithless
ones and the troacherous ones who thus