Smyrna times., 1886-07-07
WHOLE NO. I,6I5.
The Present Status of Politics in
New Castle County.

A writer of the Wilmington Sunday
Star says:
THE big end of the Temperance
platform is that which follows the tenn
perance plank, and it is the end that
attracts the most attention. The re-
forms therein advocated are bound 10
come, but it is doubtful ifthey will be ef-
fected in the year 1887, as the temper
ance folks are fOndly hoping. Local
optlon IN making up the tickets for
Levy Court and the Legislature is an
attractive and growing idea, which.
IKE all good ideas, is bound TO advance
Ideas never go back, fact which the
rooster never understands. The
Democratic rooster of Wilmington fans
his jaw with the most impudent sort Of
sneer when it is suggested TO him
that Secretary Bayard's system Of as-
sesslng and not collecting taxes must
by and by break down; and vet moth.
ing Is more certain in politics than that
parties go up and down. The Repub-
Acan rooster is no wiser than his Dem
ocratlc prototype. He, too, sneers AZ
the idea that reform is going 10 win
even within the next half dozen wears
lie laughs loudly at the temperance
novices and is already rubbing his
Oemptyl hands at the rare prospects Of
seeing them bowled out by a Tenth
ward cyclone of ballots. Nor are the
older men among the Republicans Of
wilmington any more hopeful or more
anxious apparently for the success Of
the Temperance--Reform movement
than are the rOOsters of their party.
They refuse to be enthused by the
Democratic temperance candidate for
Governor, and regard the Congressional
half Of the ticket with that not un-
natural affection which the Republi-
cansall over the country are supposedly
have for the st. John crowd. Notwith-
standing that the State and the county
committees of the party have declared
against the putting up Of a ticket for
next fall, the city is full Of restless Re-
pubhcans, especially among the older
men and the politicians, who a.e won
dering if we oughtn't to put up a
ticket after all
THE Sheriffalty nomination IN tbis
county, disclosing as it did the fact that
the federal patronage in the hands Of
Senator Gray and Secretary Bayard IS
potent enC2gh to convert the best Lore
man, after he has attained a position OF
influence in the party organization.
into secret but effective administra-
ton worker, is gradually shaping the
politice in the form the writer prophe-
sled three months ago that it would
take' namely, away from Lore and
towards Gray. The Saulsburys are so
thoroughly alarmed BY the way in
which Mr.. Gray's friends scooped the
Chambers and Smith inspectors for
Giles LambsOn that they are beginning
to dicker with Gray men in Kent. The
Saulburys want the Governor, and thus
secure the Court House rings Of the
three counties, and they are trading
Lore representatives in the Legislature
for Biggs delegates to the State eOnven-
tlon. To them one Governor is worth
ten Senators. They had the Governors.
practically, from William Burton down
to Charles c. StOckley, with the slight
interim of Governor Cannon's half
term during the war, and the still
slighter obtensiOn of Governor Coeh-
ran in the seventies. But during ali
this quarter of century they gave the
Bayards the largest latitude in the
United State Senate, asking Of them
nothing, except that they shOld be left
in the undisturbed enjoyment Of the
county offices and that the New Castle
Democrats should not insist on repre-
sentation according to population.
Thomas F. Bayard had less seruples in
renOuncing the latter claim than had
his father before him, and 1t was not
until Mr.. Bates took it into his head
to reform the State that the Democrats
of this county ever dreamed Of crossing
the Saulsburys. Mr.. Bates was so bad
ly backed that he returned to his lava
disgusted man"