Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-10-23


walked eut together in confidential CON.
ven saiion snd proesedsd without the
slightest hesftation to prepare the resolu
tioDs themselves, ignoring the other
members till they were ready to read to
them what the latter were to Join in
reporting. Tom sat at the head Of the
table and suggested with profane empha'
sis the dsnunolation Of "the d-n
Radicals" aud the declaration Of "Dlmmi-
cratic principles" which Bill Sloan
shaped into decent English minus the
oaths. There was but one hitch when
Tom insisted on denoupoing the Radicals
fot trobbing honest men Of their slave
property Sloan assured him that that
would not do, as 4 good many old Repub-
licans and war Democrats voted with
them since negro suffrage had put diff
fsrept set OF men In control Of the other
party, and suoh a resolution would offend
them. The otherwise supeiauous mem
bers Of the COMMITTEES being now appealed
to sided with Sloan, and Tom submitted.
The resolutions were then copied In
clear round hand by Sloan and handed
to the chairman Of the committee.
As the committee on resolutions entered
the court house = young lawyer from
Wilmington was making speech which
he quioSly brought to close, and old
Tom thereupon took his neglected post
as vice president, and doomed up big
and red 40 in stentorian tones and with
occasional clips In his pronunciation he
thundered out the resolutions cne by one
pausing as each was finished for the
noisy applause which never failed to
greet alike every denunciation Of the
Republicans and Rlorifioatioh OF "the great
Dimmiorstio party" as old Tom called IL.
30 far as Tom Landstrest WAS concerned
he meant every word he read, but there
were many present who maintained the
closest social and business relations with
their political opponents, bat they all
Joined with delight In applauding set
VI resolutions which If strictly true
ought to have made IL impossible for
coming county conventions to appear in
the court house except as preliminary
to permanent retirement to the gloomy
stone jail at its rear, and We may rest
assured thst when the Republicans did
meet 10 convention In the same place
somewhat later, they were not whit
more charitable nor . whi. less under
the IL Il aence OF whisky and excitement
as they shouted their delighted approval
OF the resolutions denouncing "the base
Bourbon party, the friend OF rum and
slavery" and expressing their "detesta.
tion Of the noisy, drunken mob, that had
dsfied this sacred temple Of justice" some
weeks before, and this too though the
chairman OF their convention was the
bnsineas partner ard cosu friend Of 3
Democrat who wss in laieter way 81
bitter a. Ton Landstseet But this is o
phe ON ,n9n of parsisauship not conhied
to Auericsn politios.
After the meeting was over youns
Harry Jones' askrd Bill Sloan II thar,
was no way to do something with Tom
l. .Ldstfeet.
why Khat do you want to do with
right" continued the politician, "I'm
always glad to see him raise row over
tIifiss IS he did to day, IL makes
things look spontaneous like and keeps
him from interfering where he might do
harm. It lie always well to have some
men OF known courage and honesty who
will denounos boss government"
Harry Jones went away mystifsd. He
knew that II there ever was boss In
Durham county Bill Sloan was the man,
and he had not grown old enough In
politics yet to learn that the trump cards
in the pack Of all hosses are the honest
but not wiley men,wEo denounoe boss gov.
errment without knowing exactly who
the bosses are or how they work, but
who welcome the aid OF certain sagaoious
polit oians, who sol course are not models
in politioa you know, but whose shrewd
sense can be depended on to prevent
them from offending an aroused public
| sentiment" Somewhere In the ritu Of
bossism, il 1t has one, are these bestitudes,
BLESSED are the honest zealots, for without
them we should not be, They are our
strength in prosperity and our refuge
and defence In time OF trouble. Blessed
are the pure Of heart and clean OF hand,
for they do not understand.