Year: 1876

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TIE PARTY RULEs.-On Saturday
next the Democratic voters OF this
county will be called upon, to decide,
by their ballots. whether they will &C.
cept or reject the code Of rules prepared
for the party governance by the COM
mittee appointed for the purpose at the
late county meeting. We published
these rules last week and will publish
them again next week that our readers
may have a fair chance to read and un-
derstand them and SO be prepared to
vote intelligently. They have not yet
been adopted and are therefore not the
law Of the party, and whosoever takes
exception to any portion Of them has a
perfect right to make his objections
known and to vote for or against them
as be shall deem best, but it will not be
fair or just thing for men who may
dislike them to stay away from the polls
next Saturday and then, if they shall
happen to be adopted, rebel against
them and refuse to submit to them
While some of the rules Of minor i'm
portance will not cause much dissen-
ton, others Of them will meet with
serious objection. To the portion Of
Rule 4. which provides for the selec-
ton Of candidates for the Legislature
and Levy Court, we do not hesitate to
declare our unqualified opposition
There has long been desire on the
part Of the people to have these nomi-
nations made by ballot directly for the
candidates. The old custom of nomi-
mating candidates through convention
for the purpose, has been SO unsatisfac.
tory to the masses that the general SEN
timent for sometime past seems to have
been in favor Of change, and of such
a change as will allow all the voters Of
the party to have voice in the nomi-
nation Of the candidates. The present
proposed compromise-of selecting del
egates by ballot-will not amount to



thing in the way Of accomplishing this
desire Of the people. It will not come
one whit nearer to proving what are the
wishes Of the people than did the old
system Of selecting the delegates in
primary meetings. This was amply
proven in the late election Of delegates
to the State Convention at Dover. And
why should not the nominations be
made by the people? They are, as
mass, capable of selecting good candi-
dates, and are quite as good judges of
whom they wish to vote for as any con-
vention, no matter Of whom composed.
This is the method by which our oppo-
nents select their candidates, and it will
not do to say that their selections, by
the ballot Of the people, are not equally
as good as ours have been, though
made by conventions.


Another to which we object is that
which provides for the apportionment
Of the members Of the Legislature to
the different hundreds. While we would
not object to a legitimate increase Of
the representation Of the city of Will
mington in the Legislature, we shall
most assuredly object to such distri-
button Of the present representation Of
the county as will give to that city an
increase Of representation at the expense
Of the rest Of the county. She is BY
reason Of her population entitled to
more delegates to the Legislature than
she now has, but they should be given
to her BY the constitution Of the State
and not by an unfair and unjust appor-
tionment BY political party. Should
this proposed new arrangement be car
ried into effect there would always be
two Of the hundreds without any repre-
sentation in either branch Of the Legis-
lature.


We will not discuss the matter fur
ther at present We have said this
much with view to calling attention
to the rules. and urge all to study them
for themselves The manner of select
ing candidates opens wide field for
discussion. but we will refrain for the
nresent