Middletown transcript., 1874-07-25
Letter from VIM. Dean.

Letter from VIM. Dean.
Mn. EpIToR Friend Townsend, in your
paper of III inst, goes into historical review
of the operations aud changes of the Rules gov
erning the Democratic party of New Castle |
county for period of time long before | came
into the State OF Delaware, and for aught know
may be all correct and true, but yo1r correspon
dent, signed W.. in your paper of 18th inst,
does diisr with him in regard TO many impor-
tant points, and he says that Friend Townsend
can find out, by applying at your Office, not only
who lie is, but authority for his statements. No
doubt the advice given by Friend Townsend in
his letter of 9Th inst. to young Democrats was
well intended, but is he the proper kind of man
to give advice on political matters? Let us ex-
anime some of his public political acts lie tells
you plainly that in l858 he got up an opposition
party to defeat the Democratic party, and gories
that he accomplished his object. Let me give
you his own language. " called meeting in
Middle,own and proposed the organization of
Union Democratic party" the result of which
meeting was ." went to Dover held Il state con-
venlion and organized Peoples Party
We went into the campaign that Fall and had
the pleasing satisfaction to defeat the corrupt
tyrants who had treated me and my Hundred SO
badly two years before" What party WAS il
that Friend Townsend had the pleasing saiisfac-
ton Of defeating? Was it not the Democratic
party OF Delaware in l8502 Did he not take an
active part in the johnson movement of 1866
Was that Democratic movement Did he not
on two occasions since that time try TO throw
overheard the name of Democrat and substitute
The White Mans party? Did he not go into
the Greeley movement with rush and at thai
time, Mr.. Editor, did he not refuse to longer
take your paper because you would not sacrifice
your Democratic principles, and put at the head
of your columns the name OF Horace Greeley a
man who never would agree that he was any
| thing but Republican, and one who died in
tl,, a., Ii Al.
principles adopted at Cincinnati were either the
principles of the Democratic or of White Mans
party? Yet when he endorsed Horace Greeley
did he not at the same time adopt his platform?
Did he not in County meeting at New Castle
June 9Th, 1874, say, while discussing the rules
governing the Democratic party of New Castle
county, "damn the rules In a meeting held
| in Wilmington Of the committee appointed to
| prepare rule to govern nominations for Repre-
sentative and Levy Court commissioners by ba'-
| lot providing the September convention should
| see fit to abolish the present method Of nomnat-
| ing the same Offices, did not Friend Townsend
take his hat and say before leaving in language
| which he no doubt thought more torcible than
| pleasing, we might do as we pleased but that he
| would get up another ticket to defeat any ticket
| that county convention might nominate?-
| After short interval he returned and said che
| thought he would come back and the damn
thing out" What was that threat intended for
except to try, when he found any argument that
| he produced could not force the committee into
his measures he wonld try to scare the committee,
| but it would not scare worth button. Friend
| Townsend in his letter of 9th inst in speaking of
| the above named committee says that The COM
mittee have met; | was one OF its members and
we passed resolution in favor of nominations
| by ballot now must beg leave to correct my
| friend We did not pass any such resolution
| as was present from the time the committee met
| until it adjourned. The only duty con6ded to
hy th.a man finn nf
was to prepare rule to be presented to the
County Convention, to be held at New Castle on
the first Saturday in September next, for the
| purpose OF nominating Representatives and Levy
| Court Commissioners, which convention, If they
saw 6t to change the present method of nominat-
| ing by convention to one Of direct vote by bal
| lot then our rule would be in full force. IL no
| change is made the work of the committee is of
| no account. In regard to what he says about
Wilmington having but five delegates the
County Convention of September two years since
| did alter that rule and allow Wilmington ten
| delegates. Now let me proceed to Friend
Townsends letter of 9th inst: be says in refer
ence to my letter of July 9th, :" it seemed TO hold
| out the idea that it was intended to nominate
members of the Legislature and Levy Court by
| ballot throughout the county on one ticket as
, sheriff and coroner. What ignorant nonsense
there are nine members of the Legislature and
six Levy Court Commissioners" Friend Town
send cannot comprehend my language, though
always try to make it as plain as possible. To
prove that did not try 10 convey any idea of
my own, but simply asked a question, here is my
language, should the County Convention de-
eide that our candidates should be nominated by
direct vote, should they not like the candi-
dates for sheriff and coroner be voted for in NOM
ination throughout the county2" Let me give
Resr rluiou g. passed at county meeting June 6,
1874, for the benefit of Friend Townsend, "Such
amendments to the constitution of our State as
shall provide for increased representation of this
county in the Lower House of the General As
sembly and the election of Representatives and
members of the Levy Court by districts" Yet
he says Therefore, if the next Legislature passes
such law, does not common sense presume that
each of said districts will have TO nominate its
candidate The man who will tell you that
the Legislature can alter or amend the conslitu-
ton of the State of Delaware by single vote of
the Legislature and who knows so little of the
governmental arrangements as to say that the
Legislature of the State is composed Of nine
members of the Legislature from each county
while it is well known thar the House is compos-
ed of seven members from each county, and there
are three senators from each county, this is
the man who in speaking of my letter says
'eWhat ignorant nonsense Then away with
such nonsensical trash as that Newark letter.
Friend Townsend in his letter of July 9Th says