Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-12-03
THE DOVER CONFERENCE.
Representative Republicans Decide
10 do Nothing nj Present.


10 do Nothing at Present.
Special Correspondence of Gazette and journal
DOVER, Dec. Pursuant to call by
the Republican executive committee
large crowd of Republicans from the
three counties met to-day in Burton's
Hall. George w. Bush was elected chair
man and D. P. Barnard, Jr., secretary.
The doors were only opened to those who
had received an invitation from the COM
mittee, and the only information / have
of what was discussed and what was the
result of the discussion, is what / have
gathered on the street.
1t seems that the call was for the pur-
pose of getting the views of the leading
Republicans of the State as to whether or
of the party be advisable to put ticket
in the field next year. This was decided
in the negative, but not without some
opposition. A large majority of the
leaders present, 1 understand, heartily
endorsed and approved the no ticket
dodge.
Several well-known faces were absent
to-day. George P. Fisher, James r.
Lofand and Beniah Watson, Esqs., were
not present. In such gatherings in the
past these gentlemen have always taken
an active part in the deliberations of the
party, but to-day their voices were silent.
Anthony Higgins, ESQ.,, Washington
Hastings, George w. Stone, John M.
Dunn, George v. Massey ESQ.,, William
r. Cahoon, James Pennewill, Esq. Daniel
Layton, Benjamin Burton and Joseph
s. Truitt, with host of others, ran the
meeting to suit themselves and broke it
up with the reported determination MOTTO
put ticket in the field in 1886. If this
intention is an honest one it is all right,
but it strikes me that there is something
back of it. Why was it necessary for
them to call a meeting at this early day
to make up their minds not to make out a
ticket. They could have waited till later
in the season and have seen how things
developed, before they rushed ahead
to inform the people that they
had given up all hope of even
electing their ticket. 1t looks
as if they wished to mislead the
Democrats and at the right time nomi-
nate ticket with the hope, at the beat
ing of the drum, to march to victory.
was told by an active Democrat that after
the meeting was over leader, mailing
from Sussex, said to him, if the dissatis-
fed Democrats would, next fall, nominate
an independent ticket they could rely
upon the support of the Republican
party, as they would vote with any fac
ton to beat the regular Democratic
ticket.
THE RESOLUTION ADOPTED.
The Morning Ne,os' report of the meet
ing states that resolution of Mr..
Smithers, providing for the aboli-
ton of the raising of money to
procure assessments and pay taxes
by the party, was discussed and
voted down, as the general sentiment was
that in the matter of assessments and in
the cases of some poor men the taxes
would have to be paid by somebody.
The following resolution, offered by
George v. Massey, Esq, was adopted:
WHEREAS, The Democratic party Of Della
| ware, by series of cunningly devised
statutes, enacted for that purpose, has sue.
ceeded in depriving many OF our citizens Of
| their constitutional right to express theil
| will at the bnllot-hox, on account OF then
/ political faith; and, by an unjust discrimi-
\ nation in tho enforcement of such statutes
i has interposed impediments and difficulties
| to their qualification as electors, for the
sole purpose of perpetuattng its own power
and
/ WHEHEhbt OnubE bucu cuHultlOIb IL IL
| impossible to conduct a political campaign
against party possessed of all the ma
chinery necessary to effect the object con
templated by the said statutes, on fair OF
equal terms; therefore,
Res0lued, As the sense of this conference
that the State central committee be advised
that 1t is deemed unwise and impolitic Il
inaugurate an active campaign In the veal
1886, and that the committee should take
only such steps as in their judgment are
necessary to maintain the organization o.
the Republican party.
On motion of Manlove Hayes and
Samuel A. Macallister, Esq, it was re-
solved that the above resolution WINS NO
intended to mean anything in particular
specifically that it was not intended tc
interfere with theinaugurationa and prose
cution of active campaigns by the STATE
committee or by county or district com
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