Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-18
Circulation Every 1H0OH
Evening Yesterday i lfOOf
FRIDAY, MARCH is. 1921.
pp.Ir PARTISAN DEATH BLOW


DRALT A PARTISAN DEATH BLOW
The city Charter bill was defeated IN
the state Senate mt Dover. last even
,ng. under conditions which melted the
real friends of the measure TO cast the
votes that withheld frem It tho neces-
~ry two thirds majority The cause
uf its death was the fatal amendment
that withdrew from the measnre the
non partisan feature which had SO
warmly commended ct to the good feel
ing Of large una jority Of the people
sf Wilmington. and substituted the
strictly partisan element that has pre-
vailed in our system Of municipal cleo
uona since the city was first incorpo-
ratsd. and has proved a restrictive and
sebilitating influence. almost entirely
y~prssavs Of good administration and
real municipal progress. ever since.
Those who favored the injection Of this
rsultiy partisan system into the pro
,0szed new charter. notwithstanding the
plainly manifest desire of our people
or its absolute repudiR tion. voted for
the Charter bill on the 6nai roll-csll.
Jhos~ Who favored In. bin as il had
bean prepared by the Citizens Com
rnittee. after weeks Of consistent, ps
ii av1I Fot. RnnGiTzfu
don. voted for It's defeat 10 the horri
hly smesculated and distorted form In
which n was finally presented.
There "a no conc ealment OF the in
1uenc.. which thus operated to defeat
the bsst. most sincere and consistent,
most disinterested aud most public
spirited movement Tor nsinicipal bet
tarment upon which the people Of VIII
mington ever entered. From the first
the purpose of the movement was tn
prepare charter measure that would
lift our municipal government above
the disorga uizins, demorali2ins and re
troactive field Of partisan politics. To
this end. a non partisan organization
was formed to take charge Of the move
msnt aud that band ef sponsors very
wieely entrusted the framing Of the
uaa@ure 70 a bipartisan committee
composed of an equal number OF repre-
sentativea of the two leading political
partiea So well did THE bipartisan
AGENCY perform It's, important work,
ard &C conscisnhously did the non-par-
usan sponsors accept the result Of the
vrs.ktna committees labor and look
Atrer it's interests at Dover, that Sena-
srr Robertson Of this city, after pre-
sa~etns the bnl 20 the State Senate. last
month voluntarily made the statement.
Tor publication. that he was pleased
USeA the u,eEa~ure and would do all In
his power tn secure enactment in it's
prsaaaf form"
rsf Senator Robertson. IN the end.
uoved the deadly enemy OF this right
ecus movement to enable the people of
Wilmington To provide themselves with
shs veIl-proved and thoroughly tested
machinery Of effective, economical and
truly progressive municipal government.
He began to offer trivial objections TO
eaaie provision and that lie seemed
inclined to crsticise harshly what at
the outset he had freely and warmly
commended. The committee met his
criticisms Ia the most friendly spirit,
and made the changes In the measure
which hs suggested And then. st the
end. wtthou, any consultation with the
committee in charge, the biz wae re-
ported N the Senate with the dehilits-
ting. destructive amendment that con
finued In force the old Justly condemned
system Of partisan municipal elections
snd the unavoidable oorolIary of partt-
san administration. And this amend
usnt wns warmly supported b. Sen
49, ~eSSSA s~SH se2se@ tPSA~sthI A<AkZf Inc /
swo fnarnbsss who represent tho city OF
III tho State ssnats.
It was this amendment, 80 hostile 10 |
the underlying principles OF the new
ctaaitsT movement. that induasd tbs |
rsnl friends OF good TnuHiaipai aeysra- !
nant 10 vote against the charter snss-
surS. thus Fudhiy transformed from d |
Hli'aaurs q great i'T,trniss 10 d fnsre /
partisan arhsfsss 6f sFlta;i.aipai asysrr= |
naefit. AND u great majority o. taa |
people OF Wilmington whe knew what |
they wanted asd bod l1.ada faaif de- |
sire plain 90 the dsBeEai Assemble viii /
indorss fflGip a4uiads. RaF battag no /
Change W1a te*sF IN oSF asiids aad 1
rusty municipal machinery than one /
that Woh4a fetala the chief elements Of 1
destructioa. with greatly enlarged op /
l'''sf lf'i,.-e hf taaain# municipal Id /
u..nis,*as.1as il Winning, ,oa uuoaa ir