Smyrna times., 1888-10-10
z. 7. Cooper on the Situation.

The first Democratic banner was
thrown TO the breeze Monday morning
and the first political meeting of the
campaign held last night. Hand bills
were circulated last Saturday inviting
democrats only, the expectation then
being to hold the meeting in their club
room, no meeting having been held
since the night of its organization, but
when the speaker had arrived and the
time came, the place was changed to
the Opera House, the fact being made
known by calling out the brass band
and marching thther. After two or
three tunes had been played and about
100 persons assembled, Col. Robert
Hill as chairman, announced a busi-
ness meeting of the club on next Tues
day evening, and then introduced f..
I. Cooper, Esq, of fDover, as the speak
er Of the evening. Mr.. Cooper, who
spoke deliberately, as weighing his
words with care, said this was the first
time that he had ever addressed a
Smyrna audience, but that Smyrna had
always spoken on election day with a
strong voice, and he hoped to hear of
no faltering on the 9Th Of next Novem-
ber. After endorsing Mr.. Cleveland
and claiming superiority for him as an
executive, he stepped down to a review
OF the Democratic party of Kent county
in its factiOnal divisions. He said he
too had been factionist and believed
that Senator Salisbury had filed his
place ably and should be returned and
so fought at the Primary election until
the window closed, but the majority
deciding against him, and as a democrat
it was his duty to cease any conflict and
submit to the popular will. He said Hen
ry w. Cannon, editor ofthe Sentinel, who
for some reason had a great deal to saw
about him and was doing his best to
sow dissensiOns in the democratic par
ty, when he gave his support to the
ticket nominated, called it changing
his baggage to the WOlcott camp" but
If he had been a factiOnist, he was so
no longer and was going to keep in the
fold. He said when ticket was nom
mated by a majority vote it was the
duty of every voter of the party to sun.
port the ticket and those who did not.
or abstained from voting or gave aid to
the opposition ticket, were no longer
democrats, and could not expect to be
acknowledged as such. He spoke in
very decided terms against those who
would aid or cOuntenance in anv wav
the Republican ticket or any part of it.
and read such men out of the partv
He pictured what would be the result
whether by apathy or the direct work
OF Democrats, of the election of the
Republican county ticket-negroes on
the jury, negro collectors, mixed
schools &c.
He said if the Republicans were thus
aided in getting in power, the Demo-
Gratis would never get there again, pre-
sumably, that if the Republicans got
the assessors and collectors they would
run the machine as the Democrats had
done the past fifteen years. He said
any Democrats who opposed the reau-
lar ticket now in the field did it from
personal and selfish ends, and must be
treated as outside the pale of the party.
When boy he did not see daiiv
paper; the only two papers he saw
were the D0y Book and the Delawdreaa
These he read through and through.
and thoroughly imbibed their doctrines
The first was now dead, the other had
turned its back on its principles and
was doing what he never expected to
see in its pages-advocating the cleo
ton of Republican ticket. When n
boy, on pole-raising day at Willow
Grove the Democrats would come in
wagons and on horseback in crowds
and they would have a big time. There
was only one Republican in the village
and he often thought he must have a
lonely time. Now he said this same
man was running for Sheriff, and ex-
pected to be elected by Democratic
votes.
Mr.. Cooper closed few minutes
short of a half hour. not attempting to
elucidate the national issues of tariff
reform, &c, but urging a united sup
port Of the ticket.
The other side Of this Kent County
question, as given by John F. Sauls-
bury in the DelGUdreaR, will be found
quoted in our editorial columns.