Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-09
THE DELAWARE REVOLUTION.
History OF the Compact Between the
Bayards and Saulsburys and How It
was Broken.

WIS DrOke0s
From the Philadelphia Press
The history of the revolution which came to
head in Delaware on Tuesday is a very inter-
esting one. About the year 1852 the Sauls-
burys-Gove and Eli in Kent, and Willard in
Sussex County-had complete control Of the
lower counties. The Bayards ruled New Castle.
The two parties made q compact by which the
Bayards were to have the United States Senator
in New Castle, while the Saulsburys were to
run the rest Of the state. That plan was car
ried out, and ever since Kent and Sussex have
ruled New Castle with an iron hand. As the
years went on the Bayards and the Saulsburys
got at iogserhesds to greater degree than
ever before, although, in spite of the agree
ment, they had been smashing for years at
each other. Still the republicans had no hope,
for, in spite of the democratic factional SQUAD
bles, the democratic voters stuck by the party
and obeyed the lash when the pinch came.
THE CRISIS OF 1885,
In 1886 there came crisis in the democratic
ranks. The Bayard faction wanted E. R.
Cochran for governor, and the Saulsburys said
that they wanted Benjamin 7. Biggs for gov
ernor. Not only that, but they declared that
they were going to elect Charles B. Lore for
United States Senator to succeed George Gray,
who took Thomas F. Bayard's seat when the
latter went into Cleveland's Cabinet. The
state convention was held, and Biggs was
yelled through as the candidate for governor,
and was, OF course, elected. The legislature
was divided between Salisbury and Bayard
men, with the advantage in favor of Lore, the
salisbury man. The Bayard and Gray men
were frightened, for it was deemed absolutely
necessary to elect Gray to hold the senatorial
seat for Bayard in the possible event of the
very catastrophe that overlook Cleveland on
Tuesday. It was generally understood that
Gray when Bayard should leave the Cabinet
would resign and give him back the seat that
three generations of Bayards had filled. The
Bayards looked upon the United States senator
ship as their personal property.
When the fight came in the legislature in
1887 it was generally believed that Lore would
succeed Gray. At the critical moment, how
ever member or two expressed a change Of
heart. Mr.. Lore was defeated and Bayard's
friend Gray was reelected. Mr.. Lore and
his friends were angry and disappointed. but
kept with the party. The third term of Eli
Salisbury will expire March 4, 1889, and his
friends expected to return him for the fourth
time. But more trouble arose for the Sauls-
bury faction. Another faction sprang up,
headed by James L. Wolcott, protege of 'Un-
Gle Eli" and backed by Bayard and Gray
This naturally angered the Saulsburys-the
idea of their being set aside or stepped upon
by WOlcOtt, to whom they had impaired all
their methods of practical, politics. At the
IL
Kent County, where Eli lives, got majority Of
the delegates. At the convention the Wolcott
men sprung the unit rule, and instead of per-
uniting each hundred to nominate its legisla-
tive candidate the ticket was named in a lump
and Eli was sure of defeat if the democratic
ticket was elected-and it always had been in
Kent.
BEGINNING TO CALL NAMES.
Then the fun began. Never had the republi-
cans and the democrats abused each other as
the Salisbury men and the Wolcott men
secrets Of the party, called each other traitors,
thieves. liars &c. 1t was war to the death
Upon the result of the fight depended the fate
of the Saulsburys' career and "Uncle Eli's'
seat The Salisbury men were between the
devil and the deep sea. To stick to the party
meant defeat; to elect the republican ticket
meant perhaps success for Eli, but abuse for
ever after from the rest of the party But they
went on and worked night and day to elect the
republican ticket They knew that republi,
cans would vote for Eli in return for the help
extended. The election took place, and the
Kent republicans sent eight republicans to the
general assembly. That was indeed a victory
for Eli, but only short-lived one With the
news came from Sussex it was found that like
Samson Of old, the Saulsburys had pulled down
the temple only to perish in the ruins.
There. was no fear the democrats thought,
but that Sussex would go as usual, and they
paid little or no attention to the sand-hiil
county. The Sussex republicans went on a
.'still hunt" and sent seven republicans to the
assembly to join the seven from Kent. Then
each of them contributed a senator. The re-
suit was unexpected both by republicans and
democrats, but it came, and the hour of Della
wares redemption draws near.
Uncle Eli will not go back to the Senate,
Cleveland is defeated and Tom Bayard will
soon be q private citizen