Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-05-12
F L u u L E d .
The white Men" Visit Dover.
Shameful Apathy--No Convention.

For several weeks past call has been before
the people of this State for State Mass CoHven-
lion of white men to organize :" White Mans
Party" which should absorb all the Democracy
and that large number of Republicans, that Demo-
Gratis 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 AHt-Sausbury Democrats there, to be
put up, but said bills are believed 10 be, as yet,
peacefully sumberiag in the desks of the gentle
men aforesaid, and Dover has not. to this day had
official notice of the honor Intended TO be con-
ferred OF her.
The gentlemen interested In the proposed con-
venlion, expecting to have all the " White Men"
OF the State hockiDg to Dover, urged the Railroad
Company to make suitable preparations for car
rying the host, and the Company accordingly is
sued balf tickets, put extra cara on the morning
train down and issued orders Tor the afternoon
train which stope at Harrington, to continue on
10 Seaford; all this, that the ACCOMPLISHMENT of the
ecldt.
Iue train started from Wilmington with three
enthusiastic white men," without regard to
party, and one enthusiastic "Democrat," without
regard to color, r,who proclaimed himself a locker
oD.
New Castle contributed another delegate, who
is pretty good fellow, il he is white" in the
party sense OF the term.
Al Middletown it was expected that large
delegation would come on, and everybody's head
was out the window looking for the waiting
throng OF white meB. Not seeing them 1t was
Smiths excellent restaurant. When the train
stopped one individual quietly stepped on, and
that was all. This was surprising; nay, alarming.
The Middletown Democracy have. for years, had
but one cause for pride and congratulatiop. and
that was that they " weren't niggers," and If
they failed to respond to such call, who would
respond2
Well, there's hope in Townsend let us wait
lxuas f.,T -T a..
is the Grand Mogul of the new movement, and
ne 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 looked 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
Bayard9 Smyrna will doubtless do its duty.
The train stops aud one man gets on to represent
Smyrna and Clayton too.
This completes the delegates, and nobody says
anything for q mile or two. Somebody suggests
that the upper portion of the State Is no longer
much OF place for raising peaches, and all the
" delegates" doubtless quietly think with hitter
pang that it is a poorer place still for raising
white men, and say-"wait till the train from
down country comes"
We oil get 10 Dover and curious crowd of
boys Is at the depot to see the ghostly array of
white men, doubtless expecting to see process
sion uniformed in winding sheets. Seeing ten
men in ordinary garb get of, the Juveniles turned
away disgusted.
Dover wore its usual Sunday like aspect and
the imperturbable cain was not disturbed by tue
Convention. 1t appeared that all the Democrats
had concluded TO stay In their houses, ard this,
OF course, left the strte.s of the town ilmost
deserted, as the group of white men went
quietly aleng, painfully conscious of the fact that
many pair of eyes were looking through the
blinds at them.
The DeidUaredn Office had out TO banners, the
State House. doors were not open, Governor
salisbury did not make his appearance on the
streets, and brother Eli quietly watched the thing
from his den on the corner of the State House,
while not an ex member of the Legislature. was
to be found 10 the town.
Presently the train from below arrived and
with II from thirteen to fifteen more "whte men,
and that was all.
The ffteen looked at the ten, and the ten looked
at The fifteen, and then all looked at Sam
Townsend, and then all gazed on the ground. Pre-
sently some bold man said. Lets go home"
and as soon as opportunity offered, they went.
And thus ended the White Mans Convention
at Dover.
Sam Townsend says the white men of Delaware
will live to regret their apathy, yesterday.