Year: 1878




being in tavor of making Middletown
the county town of the lower county, in
case New Castle county should be di
=. vided, and he further says that he
shall ever oppose making Middletown
tho capital of the lower half OF the
county Having always found Mr..
Townsend to be truthful and horest
man, we take him at his word and be
lieve what he says. We find in read
ing his artlcl, that after all he does
not differ very much from our views Ill
regard to the necessity OF increased
representation, and W. lind that he Is
in favor of district representation in
the Legislature and Levy Court, but as
Kent and Sussex counties have al
ways opposed it, he favors a division
of the county that the representation
desired might b- obtained in that man
her, which is denied III any other way
Inis is where We take ISSUE with our
friend Townsend, and We contend that
if We should have increased represen-
tation, and no falrlnin4ed man will
say we should not, we ought to have 1t
pure and simple, without being com
prllel to accept with it all the attend
ant evils which must necessarily flow
from division of the county. suppose
the county was divided simply Tor the
purpose of getting increased and equal
representation, the equality could not
last long. as the upper county would,
according to the present ratio OF IN
crease, soon double the population OF
either of the other three counties, and
would want to divide again. 1t is hard
to tell where this principle, if carried
out, would lead us TO, and the future
man may be already born who may See
the day when Wilmington city may
lave to be divided into three or four
counties, to entitle her to equal repre-
,pntation with tive lower counties. We
ouly mention this supposable case to
show tLat division OF the county for
the sole purpose Of getting Increased or

equal representation can be but tenn
porary relief. There is no fairer prln
cple in the world than representa- on
according to population divided into
districts just as Mr.. Townsend wants
it, and just as every State in the Union
except Delaware has it. and we would
respectfully suggest that 1t We're better
for rs to worry along Will longer
with not quite half representation than
to accept iull representation under
an unjust principle, which in tht
course of twenty or less years would
leave us as bad off as ever,


1t is true that Kent and Sussex conn.
ties may still object to either district OF
Increased representation for New Cas-
tie county except by division but they
will not always be opposed to it. New
Castle county now has considerabl,
more tlan one half the population o
the State, with only one third Of til,
representatives, and in ten years mo =
twenty any how with the present rati
OF increase in population she will hav
two thirds. IL is uard to conceive tha
the people of Kent and Sussex woul
ong.r sutt, r the people of New "a, !
TO suffer such manifest injustice. The.
would surely find key with "h'ch t
unlock the constitution, and gran
representation according to populatio
or at least approximating it. live hav
to wait upon these two counties
grant US our Just rights we might d
we'll wait for them to give them to u
in a reasonable and legitimate manne
instead of receiving our rights trol
them by the compulsory and obnoxior
process of division Of the county. No
if our friend Townsend was trying
divide the county on the plea of a
excess Of territory that would be quit
different motive, bu. even then tn;
reason would apply more Justly to bot
Kent and Sussex, either Of which
largpr in area than New Castle. "
are clad to find Mr.. Townsend such
friend to increased representation al
hat by representation by districts. v
oAly differ after all from til" mode


procuring it, and we can only que
the language Of the poet when h" Il
sired to stay the blow Of the w""i"'u
axe appraised to strike down II" 0
family tree as expressive OF oar eIInI
when applied to the division Of Il
county;


"WOudman, spare that tree,


Strike not a single blow:


In yOut. it sheltered me.


And I'll protect it nOw.'


A MORE DfsAGREEABLE day than la
Saturday pas i hard to be imagine