Daily Republican., 1880-03-30
SUSSEX poLITros.

8USkEx POLNTKOs.
why sussex II Democratic - Th'
Present Political Aspect - 4
Glance over the Field - Possible
Contingencies Depending upon
the turn OF the Political Whirli.
gig - Probable chances for tins
Republican.
Special Correspondents Of the Republican.
GBoEa Erows, Sussex so., March 29th.
The political situation 10 Sussex is
now the all absorbing topic Of conver-
sation not only amongst politicians
but amongst large number Of those
who but seldom think much about pol
itics. For some years past there has not
. fair been open contest in Sussex, and
the Democrats were generally allowed 10
carry the county BY default at lar
ger portion Of the opposition vote has
been pollsd here than in either Kent
or New Castle. #5
Sussex in the days Of John n. Clay.
ton was Q whig county but with Clay
ton gone, the party disrupted, and
with but few exceptions the county
has been giving Democratic majoritiss
ever since. II might have been differ.
ent had the opposition found leaders
able 70 cope with the Saulsbury dynas.
ty which came into power and which
has ruled for many years past. The
war breaking ont made the break be.
tween the Democrats and their oppo.
nents still wider, IS many who had uI
TO that time acted with the opposition
openly abandoned II and cast their
fortunes on the side in which their
|sympathies were enlisted. The eman-
cipation proclamation still further sour
cd many who had held slaves
but who had up to that time
voted with the opposition to the
Democracy. 1t must not be supposed
though that there were no recruits to
the party that stood by the government
in It's efforts to suppress the rebellion.
In the Democratic party were number
who in 1860 voted for Stephen Doug
las for President, who when the war
broke out and when they saw the rebel
proclivities Of the Democracy, promptly
Joined the Unionists, thereby making .
respectable opposition to the Democrats
but not enough to beat them at the
polls.
The war being over, slavery abolish
ed, and the slaves enfranohised
the heated prejudices Of the people
have been getting weaker and as there
has never been perfect accord and har-
mony in the party the Republicans have
reaped the benefit Of these dissentions
and are now standing up squarely be-
fore their opponents in such force that
there are indications Of serious alarm
amongst them. Since 1876 there has
not been any thing like a full assess
ment of oolored voters nor even Of
white voters If they happened to be
Republicans, but this spring the case is
different, though there are probably
some 500 persons entitled to be assessed
who are still left of the assessment,
two thirds Of whom are Republicans.
About HOO have been assessed by the
Hundred assessors and by the Levy
Court which adjourned on the 18th In
slant after being in session only two
weeks. Had the Levy Court remained
In session until the last week Of this
month or had It adjourned over TO near
the last week Of this month some 200
or 300 more who had been returned at
the March term Of 1879 and who have to
remain of q year before they can be
put on again would have been reas-
sessed. This however the Levy Court
did not see proper 10 do and the
consequence is that the Republican
party Of Sussex County is TO that
extent weakened. Under all adverse
there ia II We are rightly
informed much fuller assessment in
Sussex than in New Castle. Here, the
assessors still cling to the old idea that
they were elected to assess the people,
and collectors Of taxes also had an idea
that 1t was their duty TO collect the tax
es from whoever would pay it, Demo.
Gratis or Republicans. Owing TO the pre-
valence of this old tangled idea there
has been much fuller assessment made
here and the collectors have collec.
ted the taxes much closer than appears
from reports to have been done in New
Castle county.
The assessment has been so full
that there can be but little doubt Of
the election Of the Repu blican assessors,
in North West Fork, Cedar Creek, In
dian River, Baltimore and Gumboro
Hundreds, with a chance Of carrying
Dagsboro and Lewes and
but with better chance for
the Democrats to carry them.
As it Is my desire to write truthfully
I am endeavoring TO keep myself from
holding out any false hopes for the Re.
publicans Of Sussex. There are Re-
publicans here who are infatuated with
the idea that they can carry the county
this coming fall but the most shrewd
and calculating shake their heads and
say that that time has not come yet
but is surely coming In the not far dis
tant future.
1t is admitted however that combina-
tions can be effected at any time which |
would result in o partial defeat Of the |
Democratic party, and it is this that
some Of the astute and know.
ing leaders who see the trouble in the
distance. Sussex is pre.eminently the
land of Saulsburies, though there are
many followers Of Bayard including
the Hon. Edward L. Martin, Delaware's
present Congressman. 1t is well
known that between the two very little
love exists-indeed we think we are
speaking within the bounds Of reason
when we say that there is more genu-
Inc feeling Of sympathy between the
salisbury wing Of the Democratic party
and the Republicans than between that