Peninsular news and advertiser. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1872-1904, 1876-05-26
THE REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION.


be found on the first page of this paper |
with some of the comments of our con-
temporaries on the subject. The inge-
NOUS manner in which the Ring leaders
overruled the preference of the Sussex
county delegates for delegates to the
National Convention at Cincinnati
is the most remarkable feature of
the proceedings. The Convention was
well known to be controlled by the old
Wilmington City and Dover Rings in
combination. and it was anticipated by
many that they would prove to be reck-
less and narrow enough to arbitrarily
crush down and rule out anything and
everything that did not harmonic with
the narrow and selfish notions of their
unscrup ulous leaders. While this was
expected, even to the extent of striking
down the free and independent express
ion of the will of the people of Sussex
county, it was supposed that they would
be manly enough TO do itin an open, fair
and square manner. But this is not
their way of doing things. They are not
in the habit of doing their work in man.
ly, but in the politicians way.
From time immemorial it has been the
custom in all the State Conventions in
this State for the delegates from each
county to assemble together in county
caucus and select, each for itself, two
delegates and two alternates to be repor-
ted to the Convention, and by it ratified
and confirmed as constituting the States
delegates to the National Convention.
The selection Of two delegates by each
county constitutes the six to which the
State is entitled. All the counties did
this in the present instance, but as one
of the delegates selected by Sussex county
did not happen to be man suited to serve
the purposes of the Ring leaders, it was
determined that he should be ruled out
at all hazards, and if Sussex would not
zoe tame, humble and obedient enough to
be Ring leaders to do their bidding she
ould be snubbed and punished for her
Independence. Now it was contrary to
all custom and all precedent to directly
override anu override tile work of the
county caucus, and it was feared that
this precedent, once set, would return to
trouble its inventors; but the cunning
and adroitness of the old political rats
qualities acquired by long practice-were
equal to the emergency, and as the man
they wished to strike down was an Office
holder, in spite of their efforts to keep
him 4,
first place, and to free him from it after
he was weak and foolish enough to vol
unfairly take such trammels upon him
self-they were smart enough to avoid
the appearance of overriding the will Of
the county, and yet do it. 1t was dis
covered that the man they did not want
was a Federal oiiice-holder, and the only
one of the delegates selected who was
though they had tried their best to make
and keep others of themselves Federal
office-holders and specially to prevent
this one man from being. This hap
ahpy thought opened the way to the ac
of their purpose in such a
say as would enable them, in politicians
hNlA Nf w nPPOa4 w bhO WCll hllOWI
dices of the outs against the ms. A res
olutien was therefore concocted and put
before the Convention that no Federal
office-holder shall be sent to Cincinnati.
The contest over the resolution was main
tanned by the Sussex delegates as agains,
the Ring leaders for two hours, and un
I'll their purpose and the animus which
inspired it was fully brought out. Know
ing then that the whole thing was pre-
determined and that the machine would
work out the result foreordained by the
Ring leaders the vote was permitted Il
be taken and the resolution was adopted
DR.. Prettyman then asked the permits
sion of the Convention to allow the Sus
sex delegation to withdraw and select il
caucus another man to fill up the lis
of delegates. This was about to b
denied when the delegation threat
ened to leave the Convention and tn
Ring leaders yielded. In caucus the o
fice-holding delegate that had been II
J iected, named lit, man to take his plaC
and he was electvd.
The duplicity and false pretences III
der which the job was accomplished b,
came so apparent in the discussion, thu
even the Ring leaders themselves willie
down and showed to all present that the
felt the meanness of their work. The
did not care so long as the large aud
ence did not see it, but it became s
apparent that the leaders, who ha,
commenced the fight in a bold and dast
ing manner, full of clap-trap and pr
tended patriotism, felt they were expose
and that their disguise of false pretense
had been seen through, and hence the
wilted down under the consciousness @
their own duplicity and meanness. 1t VIZ
mean, wicked and unheard OF act thi
no fair men could be guilty of that full
comprehended its import and animus.
There were honorable men in tn;
Convention both from Kent and Ne
Castle who voted for the resolution b
cause they did not fully understand IL
spirit that inspired it or the motives
It's authors. They could not believe bl
thai she resolution was offered in goo
IL was important that the
r. not understand it and hence Il
*z ~ under which the motive WI