National Republican., 1880-11-18
TERRY AND BhODERICR.
why IA Democratic Eieotor was Defeated Il
luIiforniu,


California.
The defeat of one out Of several presidential
electors In q state is an extrao rdinary occur.
renee which has just been ofic tally declared
to have happened in California David $.
Terry is the democratic elector thus left out
in the cold" Had the pending election been
as close as was that of 1876 Judge Terry's dc.
feat might have changed the complexion of
our history for four years at leash. There
can be little doubt that the causes Of This
defeat lie far back of the pending cleo
tion, and must be traced to tho killing
of Senator David S. Broderick in duel
years ago by Judge Terry. Many old
residents Of the eighth ward remember
| David 5. Broderick as young democratic
boss" in that part Of New York thirty.fvo
years ago. Dave" the fire laddie" and
stone.mason's apprentice, just before he left
| New York for San Francisco, owned a popular
| liquor saloon, which was the headquarters of
the Tammany boys Of Houston, Spring 9nd
Varick street neighborhoods. The imme.
| diate cause of Dawes" leaving on the first
attack of the gold fever of ls40 was his unex-
pected defeat for congress in democratic dis.
trict, for which undoubtedly he was himself
| responsible. He had become thorough po-
litical organizer, and in his new home as
fireman and ward politician he almost imme-
diately acquired an ascendency In democratic
politics. No sooner had he secured a resi-
dence than he was chosen state sena-
tor, and by an accident during his
term was made acting lieutenant-gov-
ernor. Dave" Immediately aspired TO be
United States senator, and actually spent
seven years in persistent and undaunted
struggle for the prize. Three times-in 1851,
1855 aud 1S56-he prevented choice by tho
legislature rather than see rival chosen. In
1852 John b. Weller beat Broderick by only
two majority. In 1853 no election for scna-
tor occurred. In 1854 BrOderick hit upon
the ingenious plan of choosing himself In ad-
vance of the vacancy, and nearly succeeded
in the scheme. Believed to be in 1856 as dead
politically Us Denis Kearney now is and
actually so unpopular rs to be kept under
watch by the aristocratic vigilance commit.
; tee of that period, Broderiok, in 1857, by bold
political moves, was chosen United States
senator, and had SO much power as to he able
to dictate who his colleague should be
after obliging that colleague--Senator Gwin
in a memorable letter, which afterward be-
came public, to agree that Broderlck should
c enjoy all the patronage. This was an agree.
= ment which President Buchanan refused To
q acknowledge, and this led TO rupture be-
: tween the president and Broderick, who OIL
J Que occasion on the floor of the senate averrcd
: that "the presidents policy toward Kansas
Y should be ascribed to the falling intellect, the
petulnnt passion ana lne llemOlluB uOlapc OIL
an oil man on the verge of the grave" The
l rupture led to tho defeat in California Of the
= BrOderick democrats at the congressional cleo
tions. During that canvass David 5. Terry
the recently rejected Hancock elector made
campaign speeches, although he was justice
e of the supreme court. Frederick having
. claimed in stump speech that lie wat
following the lead of Douglas, Judge Terry
/ retorted by saying that "it was the lead no
f of Stephen hut of Fred Douglass" Brodericl
was breakfasting in the International hotel o
San Francisco with Mr.. Perley, friend boil
u of the senator and of the judge when thu
n speech was read out from morning paper
: Broderick was much nettled and impulsivel,
said II have said that Terry is the onl,
: honest man on the bench, but l take tina
: back" Perley spoke up sharply ut this ant
& left the table to 90 and pen u challenge, whicl
q Broderick declined, on tho ground that h
hud no quarrel with Perley, aud that If h
> had, Perley was not his equal Then Terr
II stepped into tho gap and, resigning his judge
l. ship for the purpose, sent Broderick chal
\ lenge, which was accepted. The duel wa
fought ten miles out of San Fraucisc
'e on the morning of September 10, 1855
e with dueling pistols, at distance OF te
10 yards. Broderick's ball struck the ground
lew PAGES Immediately In front Of Terry
Broderick's hGir-trigger falling him-whil
ID Tcrry'S ball lodged in Br0derck's left lun
~ and killed him within a few days His deaf
- was regarded by the Rnti'slavery democrats
" au assassination--a sentiment which the LAT
" general and Oregon senator, f. d. Bake
lt made the topic of celebrated funeral CRATIC
. over "Dave"-as his admirers continued
u call him to the day of entombing his remair
beneath a conspicuous monument in Lor
Mountain cemetery Terry WAS indicted f'
y murder and imprisoned, but never trie
le During the civil war he was in the confed
=, rato army. After the war he returned TO so
~ Francisco aud practced law aud re'entert
C. politics. In August 1879, ho unsuccessful
is ran on the Kearney ticket for attorney-gcl
a. eral This year hO was nominated US preS
deu tial ecctor.