The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-07
THE "wHITE MAN,sv CONVENTION.

spicy Account of the Delaware FizzIe-shame-
full Apathy OF the White men-Ns Convention
Held.
For several weeks past, says the WILMINGTON
Commercial of last evening, call has been
before the people of this State for State Mass
Convention of white men to organize q white
Mans Party" which should absorb all the De-
mocracy and that large number of Republicans
that Democrats believe to be lying around loose
outside their party.
The convention, it was said, was to be held at
Dover and bills announcing the fact were sent
to two of the anti-Saulsbury Democrats there, to
be put up, but said bills are believed to be, as
yet, peacefully slumbering in the desks of the
gentlemen aforesaid, and Dover has not, to this
day, had official notice of the honor intended to
be conferred upon her.
The gentlemen interested in the proposed
convention, expecting to have all the "White
Men" of the State focking to Dover, urged the
railroad to make suitable preparations for
carrying the host, and the company accordingly
issued half tickets put extra cars on the morn
ing train down. and issued orders for the after
noon train, which stops at Harrington, to con-
tinue on to Seaford all this that the accouche-
ment of the new party might come off COM
f0rtably and with eCLdt.
The train started from Wilmington with three
enthusiastic twhite men," without regard to
party. and one enthusiastic democrat with. h.
out regard to color, who proclaimed himself
looker-on.
New Castle contributed another delegate.
At Middletown it was expected that large
delegation would come on, and everybody's
head was out of the window looking for the
waiting throng of white men. When the train
stopped one individual quietly stepped on, and
that was all This was surprisng nay, alarming
The Middletown Democracy have, for years.
had but one cause for pride and congratulaton,
and that was that they weren't niggers," and
if they failed to respond to such cali, who
would respond?
Well, there's hope in Townsend! let us wait
till we get to Townsend. Samuel, of that name,
is the Grand Mogul OF the new movement, and
he will bring crowd.
The train stopped, and our venerable friend
Samuel and his brother John and another man
got aboard "Only this and nothing more"
Things is serious now, and the nine white
men look into each others eyes with alarm
but stop! there is yet hope Smyrna lies ahead
of them, and has not all the white flesh of
Smyrna been made to creep by the extracts
recently read there from a French book by
Senator Bayard? Smyrna will doubtless do its
duty. The train stops and one man gets on to
represent Smyrna and Clayton too.
This completes the delegates, and nobody
says anything for a mile or two. Somebody
suggests that the upper portion of the State is
no longer much of place for raising peaches,
and ali the delegates" doubtless quietly think
with bitter pang that it is poorer place still
for raising white men, and say-"wait till the
train from down country comes"
We all get to Dover and curious crowd o
boys is at the depot to see the ghostly array o.
white men, doubtless expecting to see a process
sion uniformed in winding sheets. Seeing ter
men in ordinary garb get off, the juveniles
turned away disgusted.
Dover wore its usual Sunday-like aspect, anc
the imperturbable calm was not disturbed by
the convention. 1t appeared that all the Demo
Gratis had concluded to stay in their houses, anC
this of course left the streets of the town almos
deserted, as the group of white men went quietl,
along, painfully conscious of the fact that man!
pair of eyes were looking through the blind
at them.
The Deld,odridn Office had out no banners
the State House doors were not open, Governo
Salisbury did not make his appearance on tn
streets, and brother Eli quietly watched tn
thing from his den on the corner of the Stat
House, while not an ex-member of the Legisla
ture was to be found in the town.
Presently the train from below arrived, au
with it from thirteen to fifteen more whit
men, and that was all.
The fifteen looked at the ten, and the te
looked at the fifteen, and then all looked at Sar
Townsend, and then all ga2ed on the ground
Presently some bold man said, 'Let's go home,
and as soon as opportunity offered they went
And thus ended the White Man S Con yentio
at Dover.
Sam Townsend says he white men of Dell
ware will live to regret their apathy yesterday.