Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-10-28
TIE SATURDAY RIOT.


Danger TO be Appreciated - An
Appeal for the Assertion of Moral
Courage by All Men-EspeciaI Gall
Upon Christians.
Delaware Avenue Baptist Church has
had many crowded houses, but never in
the recollection of its members has il had
such an overlooking congregation as that
of Sunday night. The main floor was filed
both pews and sisles, the gallery was
jammed, the vestibue crowded, the choir
reserve usurped, the platform taken pos
session of and even the ante rooms on
either side of the platform, including the
pastors psrlor, were utilized for the
accommodation of auditors There must
have been l, 800 people present, and yet
very many were turned away. After the
usual opening exercises Rev. Mr.. Hslde-
man read as his subject the lines from
|. Kings I: 4l-"Wherefore is this noise
of the city, being in an uproar 2"
MIR. Haldeman opened with a recital of
the results of the cowardly, brutal as sault
Of Saturday night upon property in the
vicinity of the scene, and then he went on
to paint the scene which became perfect
bell a wild beast let loose in the human
heart scene that should bring the bis
tering blush of shame to every cheek
scene that should make every man rise
above his party and inquire into the true
causes for it.
What did cause it? Some say the
Democrats did it to form prejudice
against the negroes that would overcome
the Republican majority in November.
Others say that it is trick of the Repub-
licsns to create false issue of excitement
in their favor. l cannot say which is
true. So much of political work is done
after candle light that cannot understand
| hope there is no truth In either, but
| neither of them touch the cause. The
cause lies in the present methods of car
rying on political campaign, sort of
coal oil and brass bard combination with
| a ham sandwich thrown in. You will find
the people participating in these things
coming home perhaps at . o'clock in the
morning they have not heard the
| speeches the parade started too late.
You will find that they iwent for nothing
but fun aud to have bully time. Such a
campaign at the outset is confession of
weakness it is confession that brass
bands aud coal oil are more effective than
indisputsble facts Has the average voter
no larger conception of the questions be-
fore him? Have the press, the pulpit, the
rostrum no inhuence2 1t is weakness, and
when you open the door to weakness, you
open it to corruption and to wickedness.
This plan of campaign discrepancies bust
ness; it cultiyates sort Of holiday spirit
in worklngmen which makes it hard for
them to settle down to steady work after
the campaign is over. 1t interferes with
the family circle If you could prolong
this campaign six months more many q
I h.n. 10. ,.,t
responsible men give their sympathy to
disorgsnizlng forces they are opening the
door to outlawry..
Again, these methods appeal to the
e1ctable elements don't mean the
enthusiastic or the patriotic; there is 6
difference between patriotism and exeita
bility; / don't mean the mentality thai
makes a man stand like martyr; NEAR
that lower british thing that Can be raised
at the tap of "A drum or the cang of
, bell ; chat is aroused by a dog fight on tn,
the street. There has never before beer
| such al appeal to this lower element, ant
I | ask you, Is this thoughtful, intelligen
5 way of conducting thingsI DO you call i
1 intelligent, patriotic Never.
lie then went on to speak of the smirch
? ing of character which has been such
!. feature of this campaign, saying that h
[ was not Hancock man but he believed
he was good man, and yet, while be wa
:. not assaulted in the earlier stages of tn
I canvass, every little mean accusation
h., that it is possible to conceiv,
e is now brought against him
y Again, no pains have been spared
8 To stir up sectional strife. l am no sent
mentalist. l call stick stick, q rebel
rebel, a traitor traitor, and we shout
a teach that rebellion is never to b
9 acquiesced in. But there is right wa
g and wrong way Of doing things Their
l. is no need to descend to personality an
h bitterness. | sm Northern man throug
@ and through and through, but l think
]. can appreciate the struggles of BRAY
r. men. | do not call in question any man
IS honesty. The principle is wrong and
e do not countenance it, but these method
n only cultivate bitterness.
lie The Democrat thinks the Republican
ls his enemy and 0ice 0erSa. 1t lies in huma
ii nature to be partisan. But / ask you {
At remember that the children of this generl
lion were brought from the loins of me
rs who we're baptized in fire and smoke an
Is blood remember that murder, riot au
* sudden death have been rampant in tt
Is last IL years. With all these influences
J. work, he asked if the scene of Saturda
-e night was a surprise. On the contrar,
i. we might have expected it sooner
iii Who is responsible? 1t was not til
~ Democrat as a Democrat nor IL
IA Republican as Republican; n
6, the lowest elements; not the poo
nd ignorant negroes, nor the prejudice
I'd Irish. | don't hesitate TO say that Il
d, men who are responsible are the best me
in bn4 in ttu
at directly, not Intentionally, but indirectl
ld He had called the people to him ii
e because he believed what he had to 81
ir would stop tue course of the matter no.
ID but because he wanted to give shape to
IA public opinion that would protest again
N this system, and he believed such pub
no opinion necessary, for in the face of the
an scenes of Saturday night it is proposed
of invite a repetition on Wednesday al
no Thursday nights OF this week In Hpea
lily ing of the preparations made by tie va
IN GUS factions, he said the negroes, wi
he have unfortunately been taught that til
an are the balance OF power, have be
&C. worked up to religious zeal, tn
churches having been attacked, and til
feel that they have right to do az tn
white brothers do--rAise riot Tho
who come from distance will be nrmt
mr. for the report of thus riot has spread
IL wide IS that of Pittsburg, and has be
Just as much exaggerated. And then 81
M pose not shot IL fired suppose Sol
~ drunken or Irresponsible person sho,
re drop an ungugrded word or fire a shot
la the air Can any man guarantee that si
ap a thing will not happen There il danl
Nd in it. This walking magazine will OF
So require touch to ret il oil
70 lie protested against it, more espeoin
ra, the parade of Wednesday night, q
, ,ns claimed he had a right to do so because
a. o. was Republican, bora and raised SUI
n And again he claimed the right to prot
aid AZ minister. His particular reason, he
ore ever, for protesting against the Wedn
,an day evening parade was because it il
,aI first to take place after the riot.
Ha He then went over the reasons assign
roe for giving the parade and showed clea
re that while they showed physical cour
,,at they also showed moral oowardice.
,ta appealed to the leading men of the
M parties to assist their moral courage
,ast stop this thing. 1t was being pushed
Oh by two classes-the one composed OF II
fall who know it ID wrong but vino think tt
Mr. must take part because the parade
had going to take place the other is the Ii
tes who are always spelling for fight. Th
,yas might not be an outbreak WednesC
- night and he would pray that there shu