Middletown transcript., 1876-06-10
Last Saturdays Elections.

Last Saturdays Elections.
The delegate elections, on Saturday
last, were conducted With rather more
warmth than is customary on such
occasions. This was owing. probably,
in some measure, to the anxiety of
voters for the choice Of delegates favor,
able to the election of their favorites to
the National Convention. yet, perhaps,
the fact that this was the first occasion,
for many years at least, on which an
open election was held for the delegates
to State Convention, had its weight
also. Hitherto it has been the custom
for number Of men, and generally a
very small number, to meet together at
some designated place and select the
delegates. And as those men usually,
as is but natural, selected delegates
who they believed would reflect their
ideas of right and wrong. this method
of procedure gave rise to the cry of
"rings and cliques." To remedy these
evils and obviate these complaints, bal
lot elections were rssorted to, as being
the fairest way Of obtaining an express
sion Of popular sentiment. In the sx-
ercise Of this privilege men voted for
such men as suited their preferences
for delegates to the State Convention.
In some instances this gave rise to the
running Of two and sometimes more
tickets In Wilmington, and some Of
the upper hundreds the candidates on
these tickets were said to be pledged,
or at least pronounced, in favor Of GER
tain gentlemen as delegates to the Ma
tional Convention. This caused sharp
contest, and in too many instances pro-
duced considerable bitterness Of feeling.
This feeling extended somewhat to the
country, and wherever opposing tickets
were run, which was done in almost all
the districts, the candidates on one
ticket were denounced by the partizans
of the other. as in favor Of, or pledged
to, some one or more men, as delegates
whom they considered Objectionable.
This was notably the case with the ad-
vocates of Mr.. Whiteley, who in their
earnest endeavors to secure the election
of their own ticket, did not hesitate to
represent the candidates on the other
ticket as in favor of Mr.. O'Byrne,
using that as an argument against their
friendly opponents. and this. too, in
many instances where they didn't know
anything about the views of those op-
ponents This was all wrong and no
such feeling or issue should have been
allowed to enter into the contest. A
little friendly opposition would do no
harm, but rather good, as it would
serve to create an interest and bring
men to the polls who but for it, would
in all probability have remained at
home.
Another effect that these misrepre-
sentations had was to lead men, who
didn't know any better, to believe that
the delegates elected who we're not the
pronounced supporters Of Col. White
ley, were therefore the advocates of
Mr. O'Byrne. This was very unfair
and unjust. for whatever were the feel
ings or preferences Of these gentlemen,
they had not declared them, and one or
two gentlemen have since published
letters 10 the Wilmington papers COM
planning of and objeoting to the false
light in which they have been placed.
Whether Democrats prefer to be repre-
sented at the National Convention by |
Mr.. Whiteley. Mr.. O'Byrne, Mr.. Gray. |
Mr.. -Biggs. DR.. Chandler, or any one
else. each and every voter is entitled to
the exercise of bis own free will and no
one has right to call bis motives into
question. If Democrats are going to
fall out among themselves, and quarrel
about such trivial matters as to who
shall be delegates to party conven-
tion, either State or national, then the
ties which hold them together will be-
come a. weak a. burnt tow. It has
always been custom in the Demo-
cratic party that whoever majority of
he county delegates. in caucus, pre-
sent to the State Convention as their
choice as delegates to the National
Convention, shall be elected as such by
he Convention, and on Tuesday next
his rule should be adhered to, and
whether Dir. Whiteley, Mr.. O'Byrne
VI anybody else is selected. let the rest
yield gracious subpissiop. accept the
situation and hold their peace. There
8 not one Of the gentlemen who have
'een mentioned as delegates who would