The daily gazette., 1878-09-24
Letter from Samuel Townsend.

was called for II o'clock a. m. | and one |
or two others did not get to Wilmington
until Il, and we started up the street to .
the place named for the meeting, corner
of Third and Market. As we went up |
the street, we met some members coming |
down, and they informed us that the
meeting had adjourned until half past !
one, we turned around went back and |
got our dinners. What transpired in the !
forenoon, L do not know, only what
have been told when we assembled at
half past one, the room was hot, and i'll
addition to the committee, several per-
SONS from White Clay Creek Hundred,
Red Lion Hundred, also Attorney Ig
natius Z. Grubb to represent Vim. Dean,
as the said Dean was not at home, and
therefore could not be there. At glance
| took a survey of the room and occu-
pants, where the farce was about being
played, and l proposed to adjourn to the
City Hall, and admit every person who
had the curiosity to come in, as | felt
sure the hall would have been much bet
ter ventilated and cooler than the cock
loft they were in; but majority favored
remaining and making a star chamber of
where we were. The farce commenced
by calling up the Dean case. Attorney
Grubb for Dean, and James Ray on the
part of Robinson, and O'Byrne as one of
the committee. | tried to get them to
discuss the whole thing, as the committee
had no power to act that a solemn cleo
tion had been held by the Democratic
masses by ballot, and that the Judges
who held said election, had been appoint
ed at and by the same Democratic Con
! vention that had appointed us the conf
mttee, and that the election of Dean,
had the unanimous signatures of the
three Judges of the two districts of
, White Clay Greek Hundred. | was re-
piled to that our party had gone. behind
Returning Boards, and asked what had
they made by it, but that our case was
different from the Returning Board they
. referred to, as the majority were Repub-
licans, here the Whole Board were Demo-
Gratis and belonging to the same party of
: the contestants. After good deal of
squirming it was proposed to adjourn the
! case of Dean until he got home; spoke
up and said it was not of such conse-
, tquence as to require adjournment or to
/ put the committee to the expense to come
} again, that then and there now let us dis
] pose of it. A member came and whisp-
cred to me proposing to refer it back to
the Hundred, told him no, we had no
4 right, that Dean was nominated; and
7 finally we took vote, by yeas and nays,
and as who voted yea or nay has not been
stated in the papers, i us one of the
committee supply this information, on
my own responsibility. In favor of respect.
:, ing the certificates of the Judges, giving
d Dean the nomination, yeas: Weir OF
Brandywine hundred; Chandlerof Chris
tiana; Baldwin, of Mill Creek; Weir, o
White Clay Creek; Herbert of New Cas-
tie; O'Byrne and Norton of Wilmington
: esquire Publ sick and not present,
Walker, st. Georges hundred Town
Isend, Appoquinimink; Deacon, Black
bird making 10 yeas. Nays: Sewell {
Biggs, Pencader, and Cheirs, Red Lion
- II. The vote on the McWhorter, Newtol
and Ash case, was the same, to confirm
;, Charles III. McWhorter, as Dean, excep
D, Mr.. Biggs voted yea making IL, and Mr.
, Cheirs, voted nay, l. Now, propose t.
add few words; it may be useful t.
3, young politicians.
. Although no one can doubt that tn
o true meaning of Democracy, is that it
essence was intended to admit and carr
q. out the rights of the masses, and will c
- the majority, but Notwithstanding tn
s Democratic Party had men in it from TIL
beginning who have worked, planned an
plotted, to give them undue influence
IS, and therefore in all the selections of car
didates have fought against the masse
d. taking part, 40 years ago the nominatio
a of Sheriff was wrested from these trick,
tiers, and the masses assumed the right
re select them by ballot, and that arrange
10 ment has continued uninterI1lptedly dow
to to-day in this County, the member
= of the legislature, these tricksters mar
aged to select by delegates. But 40yeal
ago 5 delegates was selected from eac
hundred to meet in convention, but in IN
hundred where 3 out of the 5 delegate!
named man for candidate, the conven
ton ratified the choice, but since the
tricksters become more emboldened an
cheated the Appoquinimink hundre
twice out of her choice, White Cla
Creek once, and Red Lion once. Then tn
proposition to nominate by ballot wa
clamored for by the masses, the trickstel
got alarmed then begged for committe
to report code of rules, hoping to stiff
the ballot nominotion with verbiage I
8 suit tricksters. A committee was appoin
- ed and a resolution passed that said con
mittee's report should be submitted to
vote of the party in the county and sal
election was held, a I'd the document PR
pared by the tricksters of the committe
:, voted down. A contingency then aro'
that the party was not prepared for, an
the party assumed the selecting of del
gates to make out a ticket, these assull
Z. ed delegates met, and not only made OF
a ticket but assumed the power to tai
up the voted down rules and recommen
them, and tricksters claim to-day Il
=, party is acting under sound rules. The'
" voted down rules could only have bee
\ acted on by the next County Conventio
Y held years afterwards, but in these cul
\ ningly devised rules they have Ill Two
] lthem agreed the people should nomlna
~ members of the Legislature by ballot
satisfy the clamor, and i'll the NTH ru
they state that the County EXecatl,
Committee shall hear all contests OF u
several hundreds, and determine who a. A.
the candidates. Is not this 6edutgW u