Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-08-09
SHAMEFUL PROCEEDINGS
GROW OUT OF CECIL'S POLITICAL
FIGHT.


Special Correspondence OF state Journal
RLKToN, Aug. 6.-Democratic priulaii
were held in each OF the min. eiecron
districts of Cecil county on Saturday,
between the hours of 3 and s O'Clock =.
m. There were two tickets in the field
in each district. One which, il elected,
wonld nominate delegates to the next
Maryland Legislature pledged TO the re-
tention of James B. Groome in the United
States Senate. The other ticket would
do all it could to further the claims of
Albert Constable for the same position.
| The droome ticket was successful In
| six districts and the Constable ticket in
three. This district, the Third, WAS very
| hotly contested, and the scenes at the
polls were disgrsoeful. From the time
the polls were opened until the closing,
they were surrounded by a struggling
mass of humanity, making it at times
exceedingly difficult for voters to reach
the window. From the very start votes
were challenged by one side or the other,
the charge being that the person desiring
to vote was either Republican or non
resident, or else that he had not reached
the legal voting age.
At such times confusion reigned.
Several times these disputes ended in a
counters reported, one of which was most
Ridiculous, being between blind man
and a one-armed man. During one of
these rows revolvers were drawn, but
happily not used.
In local option town, like Elkton,
where liquor Is not TO be had G) this
fluid would as matter OF course be
strong factor at an election. Yesterday
Was by no means an exception to the
general rule. 1t is doubtful if ever in
the palmiest days Of King RUNS reign in
this whisky hole Of former days there
were as many intoxicated people on
a general election day as there were on
Saturday at the primaries. Managers for
one of the candidates, and probably those
Of the other, had stationed in different
places men whose business it was
to deal ont whisky in oopious
draughts to the thirsty Democracy.
Hence there were numbers Of drunken
voters staggering about some time before
the polls We're open. Some of these were
literally dragged to the polls, each poll
tician striving to make them vote his way.
In one instance prominent physician
took man up to the polls In this
manner. AT the moment he reached the
window at which the voting was going
on, and as the man was about to cast his
vote, some supporters of the other can
didate grabbed the drunken elector and
tried to pull him away. The physician
met with reinforcement in the person of
another writer of prescriptions, and they
had regular tug Of war. There were
cries Of "Let go of that man !" "You're
tearing his clothes," and the like, while
the druBken would-be voter whined like
= ha N l..
and the man was dragged away from the
polls.
During fights and struggles like these
every pane Of glass except one was broken
out Of the sash of the voting window,
and the sash itself was fractured. There
were but few arrests made. Votes were
bought almost openly. A man that
always votes for the Republican candidate
for President said that he had been
offered $5. 90 to vote in a certain way at
the primaries, and he wished he had ac-
cepted the offer. A politician passed at
that moment, and was asked
by the man how much he was
giving. They went aside and
this politician afterwards voted the self
professed Republican. An elderly man
heard to remark that he was 73 years
old, but had never Seen anything like
that before. A Democrat who had driven
in from distance to vote refused to do
80, because he did not wish to be pushed
and hauled and fought over. Doubtless
others did likewise. Notwithstanding
this the vote was about the largest ever
polled in this district, 534 ballots going
into the box.
In the Fonith district, known as the
Gibraltar of Democracy, the delegates
were instructed to vote for Jefferson scott
for sheriff. His opponent was Robert
Mackey. John T. Willis and Jesse Hug
gins were elected delegates to county
convention.
The following is a partial list of the
delegates elected to the county con-
vention to meet tomorrow First district
William p. Rowan. William NJ. Knight.
James s. Merritt, Albert Il. Redding,
George ID. Lofland. Second district-J.
Fletcher Price, DR.. Joseph V. Wallace,
b. Crawford. Third district-Morris
Dunbar, John S. Rossell, S. 4. Blake,
George R. Ash, D. s. Moore. Fourth
district-John 7. Willis, William Arm
strong, Jesse R. Huggins, James L. Steele,
George R. Ewing. Fifth district Alex
ander II. George, A. Anderson, Il. C.
Lowe, J.. G. Williams, J. 7. Cooper.
Ninth district-Joseph T. England,
William L. Mearns, Joseph Groves, James
A. Mearns, M. D., George W. Janney.
The following are the majorities given in
each district:
First district majority for Groome ticket
Second district so majority for Groome ticket
Third district 81 majority for Constable ticket
Fourth district 81 majority for Groome ticket.
Filth district ~ majority for Constable ticket.
Slxth distrlct II majority for Groome ticket
seventh district ia ma joritY for Groome ticket
Eighth district 40 IN bla