Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-20
A REFERENDUM ON THE CHARTER

Yesterday in it's editorial columns:
The organizations of the party
are for the ticket and Republican
voters will line up behind the ticket.
Meetings so far held show Rcpubli-
can unanimity.
We win not dispute the statement |
that the various Republican organiza- |
tions are supporting the Republican |
| ticket. II is their business to support |
| their ticket. Nor would we quibble over |
the statement that Republican voters |
will line up behind the ticket Ger !
| tainlv those unthinlxing voters who per- |
nit d certain gentleman now sitting in |
| Washington TO do their thinking for
them will fall in line when the party |
whip is cracked. 1t is not the duty
Of the common people" 10 even think
when their lords and masters ia the RI |
| publican councils speak. Theirs but
/ to do-and vote 'er straight. But we
do wonder il the News is entirely cor
rect when il says that meetings. 50 far
held show Republican unanimity?"
A few days ago a group Of Republi-
cans gathered at $40 King street and
adopted one Of the silliest, most childish
and bornbastic resolutions that group
( Of thinking men ever indorsed. One
paragraph stated that certain Republi-
cans who were falsely callins them
selves the best citizens were e DC
/ crushed, fearlessly and relentlessly.'
If there was SO much Republican unani-
/ nifty in Wilmington. then why was such
/ 4 bloodthirsty resolution passed b. such
i i gathering Of Christian leaders? IL
/ t,rotherly love exists among the Repub
hcans-and the News tells us that il
does exist-then was that resolution
PASSED merely for the run Of the thing?
Did those gentlemen think that they
| would gain the approval Of the com
nunity BY becoming bloodthirsty over
| night? was that bombastic statement
indorsed merely ia dtnlato their sense
Of Nietzschean power? or does dis
sension actually exist il the Republi-
can ranks? If it does exist, then the
News IS il error: if it does not exist,
then the gentry Of $40 King street made
themselves foolish by passing resolu-
tioa which sounded as L it originated
IL Wnhelmstrasse instead Of III the
ONCE of certain gentleman sitting III
washington, according to rumor. Either
the News or the gentry Of $40 King
street are in the wrong. Roth cannot
he right at the same time. TO judge
by the News frenzied manner. we
should say that the lady doth protest
TOO much
In addition to the above statement,
the News said recently that the coming
election is not a referendum on the
matter of new city charter. our
esteemed contemporary is again in the
wrong. This election is a referendum
on the charter. unless logic has been
thrown to the four winds.
some months ago a bipartisan COM
raittee was formed, which drafted new
charter for Wilmington. When pre-
sented to the Legislature, that charter
was knitted in the back By Republican
party leaders. Not only did the local
Republican politicians fight it, but ma
tional leaders went out Of their way
to hinder It's passage. 7. Coleman du
Pont, a former candidate for the Re
publican Presidential nomination, and
brother-in-law Of Leroy Harvey, came
out against the charter. Senator Ball
who does not even vote in Wilmington
for some unaccountable reason took an
interest in our municipal affairs, and
threw his influence against the bill. There
is no telling what effect the statements
Of du Pont and BAN had upon the wob-
bling Republicans in the Legislature,
who at the last minute decided that our
city did not need q new charter.
It was the influence Of the Republican
organization which defeated the char
ter. The citizens Of Wilmington de-
sire that this charter be adopted al
the next sitting Of the Legislature. But
, if the same old Republican crowd IS in
power what chance viii the charter
stand?
Leroy Harvey heads the Republican
ticket. One man who was in At the
charter death in the Legislature is also
running on the local ticket The latter
helped to smother the movement.
Mr.. Harvey is making his campaign
not on municipal issues. but on national
ones which have absolutely nothing 70
do with Wilmington. He pleads for
support because the Republican party
is ia power in Washington--and be-
cause at various times the Republicans
have ruled the country. What has that
: to do with Wilmington?
q