Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-01-10
oLAYroN,s LIST rraHr.
The Famous Senatorial Contest
OF 1883 Recalled by tine Present


Fight.
Wilmington correspondence New York Times.
WILMINGTON, DEL, Jan. 6.-The pend
ing senatorial contest in Delaware. in it's
peculiar surroundings and important
bearings, Is almost unparalleled in the
history Of the State, and finds its nearest
counterpart in tho legislative session Of
1858, when John III. Clayton successfully
ended his great battle for return to tho
United States Senate in order to vindicate
his pet Clayton. Bulwer treaty from the
assaults that had been made upon it, The
Legislature Of 1868 had Wing majority
on joint ballot, but it was the last inter
ruption to complete Democratic Bu.
premacy in Delaware until Democratic
dissensions in the recent campaign fritz
tered away the power Of safe margin,
and deliberately presented to the Repub.
licans the control ofthe lower house and
majority of two on joint ballot of the
General Assembly, at a time when the
election Of United States senator i'm
parts national Importance to such an
unexpected and undeseryed victory.
The analogy between this senatorial
contest and the one which proved the
final desperate struggle Of John II. Clay
toms brilliant political career is
somewhat remarkable, and also serves to
bring to mind some hitherto unwrittsn
history connected with that interesting
event. For years Clayton was the ruling
power in Delaware politics, and Dela.
ware was one of the Dtanchest OF Wing
states but when, in 1919, Clayton left
the Senate to become President Taylor's
Secretary OF State, the loss OF his personal
direction proved sad blow to the Wing
party IN Delaware. The Democrats, under
the magnetic leadership Of the late James
A. Bayard, attacked the demoralized
hosts Of the enemy and Democratic
Legislature was the result of the exciting
State election in 1850. In TINT year Presi-
Gent Taylor died and Clayton. having
been left out In President Fillmore's
reconstruction Of the cabinet, returned
to Delaware with the intention OF spend
ing the remainder of his days in the en-
joyments of private life.
But political contingency soon arose
that caused o radical change in his inten-
tons. The Clayton Bulwer treaty, to
him the dearest and choicest episode OF
Ills public career, was rudeiy assailsd by
the Democrats in Congress and by the
Democratic press ell over the country.
Clayton was aroused He determined TO
return to Washington and defend his pet
treaty on the floos Of tho Senate. Unde
TERED by Democracy flushed with VIC
tory and the underhand opposition of
enyious leaders in the ranks OF his own
party, he put his great powers Of organ
ization at work, mapped out his plan of
action, and staked his all upon the cam
paigu of 1859, the one in which the Wing
party of the country suffered q defeat
that resulted in it's complete dissolution.
That campaign in this state was q most
remarkable one. The only issue was
Olayton'B success or downfall and the
great leader never made his personal i'm
press more indelibly upon the voters of
Delaware. On the I'd of November the
Presidential election came off and Della
ware, for the first time since ''the era of
good feeling" was inRu2ufated by the
second election Of Monroe, cast her cleo
toral vote by small majority FOR Dem.
ocratic President. A week later the'State
election. was held ana tho iubilant De-
mocracy were fairly astounded BY quick
political upheaTal that overwhelmed
them with defeat. Clayton triumphed.
Delaware nobly stood by the great Whie
leader and after rejecting the national
candidates of the party elected Wing
Legislature for the sole purpose Of send
ing John NJ. Clayton back 10 the United
States Senate.
But when the Legislature assembled,
+. gIs li,a.;, 1isf3s, I, Ta-iir -t-,-'-
encountered. At the election ia Noyem.
Ger the Wings hRd chosen tgto os the
th1so State senators, anu il OF the ri
members who comprised the House of
Representatives. OF the holdipp.oysr
State senators were Democrats and 9
Wings. The net result was that the
Senate was Democratic by,5 to and the
House Wing by ID to 8, leaving the
Whig9 with q majority Of 4 on Joint
ballot. The difficulty, however, was to
secure q joint ballot. The act of Con
gress regulating the election of senators
had not then been enacted, and for sew
eral weeks the Democratic Senate refused
to join with the Wing House for the pur-
pose Of taking joint Senatorial ballot.
~ looked 90 though Clayton would lose
the fruits of his great victory.
Finally, the deadlock was broken by
John Sorden, Democratic senator from
kent county, who voted with the four
Wing senators to 60 into joint session.
The session was held and Clayton was
elected. Tho romance of time has weayed
around Sordan'a act of party apostasy q
5iamor Of patriotism, and the story now
is that he was actuated by State pride anu
desire to vindicate the honor of Della
ware by permitting Clayton to reply to
his calumniat0rs upon the floor If The
United States Senate. II is also said
that Clayton years previous, without ask
ing any fee, had successfully defended
Sorden on an indictment for negro
stealing, and that personal grail
tude was the handspring OF his
vote. Bat the skeleton record Of the
sessions proceedings clearly indicates
that neither assumption is correct, and
that the preceding was political deal
that would compare favorabiy with the
deals Ok modern times. The same session
also had to choose, by joint action, a
State treasurer and State auditor, and the
record shows that this Wing Legislature
very considerably reelected to these
Offices the Democratic incnmbents who
had been chosen by the Democratic Leg.
islature two years before. The inference
Is obvious. However, Clayton was elected
and remained conspicuous figure il tbs
United States Senate until his death, in
1856.
To conclude the analogy When Sen.
ator Thomas Z. Bayard, following tho
precedent Of MIR. Clayton, left the Ssna,e
to enter the Cabinet Of President Gave.
land, the act proved tho entering
wedge that has ended with the defeat q
the party in this State. The election OF
bis successor in the Senate engendeged q
fierce faotiopql fight in the DemC cratic
party which has continued to this day.
80 bitter was the feeling that when SEM
tor Eli ssulsbury's ambition Tor fourth
term in the Senate was repudiated at the
Democratic primaries in Kent county last
summer, his followers openly revoltei