The Morning herald., 1876-05-02
SLATE MAKING IN DELAWARE.

stood in front Of stove with his coat tails
parted, "the times have changed wonder
fully, sir. Things are by no means - they
used to be. Men with mechanism seem To
have improved. The dawn Of reason ap-
pears to have shed its 'ustre upon some po-
iitical tricks that were both dark and vain.
WHY, sir, can well recollect when the time
was that one man held the whole party Of
which he was member In bis hand. He
pulled the strings, and the others danced,
h. ato all the plums in the political pudding,
and the others smacked their lips in appa-
rent satisfaction. He blew the trumpet,
and the others answered"
|. "Now, sir, talk about too much power
being centsred in an oflcial, and the CEN
traliSation of power, but If this 'aint cen
| tralisation of power, why don't know
what 10 opposed by the principles of de-
mocracy, and this kind Of business certain
" isi This old fogy style Of politics has
prevailed here though, cir, until the people
have become pretty we'll sick of It. The
self constituted leaders formed themselves
| into caucus, and said Mr.. - IL going to
Congress, and that settled 1t. If they sail
Mr.. Blank was to be the next Congressman,
such had to be. It made no difference
whether the mass Of the party liked 1t or
not, ss they were only secondary consid-
GRAFTON. King Caucus did the work, and
the voters had to swallow the dose whether
it was bitter or palstsble." .,... a
"That was what they called slate making,
sir. But the old Slate has of late received
one or two very severe cracks, and there 10
a very strong probability Of Ito being broken
entirely, for the voters are entitled to ~
MANY privileges 40 these self-constituted
leaders, who have been the dictators to the
party" r :.
"Do you not suppose that l want to have
some choice as to the person who is to re-
present my interests in Legislative bodys
Am ] not as capable of selecting thai
man. as any one or two men gathered to-
pether for that purpose In the name Of the
partv tbey represent9 Is it not right that
every American citizen according to the
constitution of his country has power to
exercises Then sir, is 1t to be presumed
that one or two men or even halfs dozen,
should delegate to themselves this prerogra-
tive, suit their own choice, and pay no At
tention to the thought Of the voters.
"This school of politics received harsh
censure when old Hickory jackson was
nominated. He was the choice OF the peo-
| ole, and not of caucus. Until that time
the people seemed to lack confidence In
themselves and were imbued with the one
political thought that old leaders OF the
party were the only persons capable OF
making selections. Accordingly what these
leaders said was law for that partyto which
1t was dictated. There was no appeal, un-
less as It was styled, you bolted the nomi-
nation, But If we are to submit to this,
why not have q monarchy at oncea Why
not If such political tyranny 10 to be tolera-
| ted tear the constitution into shredss Why
not stamp political freedom 40 q lie, which
It really is under such control a. thisP'
| "Ihaye been Democrat from my boy
hood, through principle. have voted the
ticket for thirty five years, and l must con
fess that I have done 20 often and often, fol
the very reason that could not bolt the
ticket without receiving the condemnation
of the party, bnt am sorry now that
never showed pluck and Independence
enough to do what my political suffrsge'
told me was right and just, and not lister
to the dictation of these self-constituted
leaders, whom the party Is bound to obey
by force of this very species OF tyrAnn,
which have mentioned to you. !, for one
shall hereafter act to suit myself. II thes.
slate makings are to be kept up, and sui
me, why l will support them faith
fully, but If they don't suit mi
/ shall oppose them bitterly"
"But l am opposed to.the practice by
well tempered sense of distinction between
right and wrong, and I know this 70 bt
wrong, for in politics a man is the best
Judge Of his favorites as much 90 40 he II
of the religion he shall confess"
"But as have said before the old SLATE
has been badly cracked, and I firmly believe
will be taken down from the peg and laid
away with the musty archieves Of old fogy-
ism. Mark my words, sir, the time for II
is near at hand, aud the sooner 1t comes
the better will political freedom be served
and made independent of the dictation Of
few self.constituted leaders"
This conversation occurred In store ON
Market street, and in the presence Of half
dozen others.
THE IATE JYD4 4EGHPIN.