Daily Republican., 1889-06-12
MIR. HIGGINS SPEECH.
He Reviews the Situation In Delaware
Before the Norfolk Club at Boston.

day last, and he was royalty welcomed.
1t was the first time, says the Boston
journal, that the members had been able
to see Republican representative of the
State OF the Bayards at their table, and
they showed by their greeting how well
they appreciated the political fighting
which has made the new order OF things
possible. Senator Higgins sat at the
right of President French; at the presi-
dents lett was Senator Hawley, Of Con-
necticut, an old friend OF the club, while
near by sat the Hon. w. w. Crapo and
the Rev. Minot j. Savage, who also were
present as guests. And at the same
table, or at the long tables in front, sat
over 100 club members, with here and
there personal guest.
President Asa French introduced Mr..
Higgins. The Delaware Senator received
a most cordial welcome, every gentleman
present rising and joining In hearty
cheers and applause After this demon
stration OF good will Senator Higgins
said: .
Mr.. Chairman aud sGen.3emen of the
Norfolk Club; l would be less than
human if d d not keenly appreciate the
kiRdliness and the warmth OF your recep-
tloD. But feel that l would be subject
to the imputation OF ego.ism if | felt that
this was in any large sense due to me in
dividually. 1t has fallen to me to be-
come the representative in the national
councils of the Republicans in Delaware;
but l feel, and think you ought to feel,
that not only your congratul lations, but
your gratitude is due to them for the con-
Il ct, the successful conflict that they
made during the last campaign under
ha alu
than that, for the heroic effort that they
have never ceased 10 make since the first
day that the Republican party was or
ganized. GGreat applause Aud there
10 a peculiar interest attaching 10 this oc-
casion by reason OF the old-time relations
between the Republicans oil Massachu-
sets and those OF Delaware. Your lieute-
nant-goyernor In kindly utterance has
said that this marke new era In the
history of Delaware and of the Republi-
cans of that state, but I beg u 20 back
to an era of deeper Interest for you as
we'll as for me. The first Republican
meeting held in De- ware was In the
year 1856. Three hundred aud six men
in that state at that election voted for
John G. Fremont, and the initial meeting
held by them was addressed by that man
to whom you have n peculiar claim, but
whose memory belongs TO this whole
people = Henry Wilson. Great ap-
plause.
From that day to this there has been
the keenest and the deepest sympathy be-
tween the advanced Republicans of
Delaware and the radical Republicans of
Massachusetts,. Applause. Aye, we
can go back before that. We can 20 to
the day when William Lloyd Garrison
lighted the torch Of freedom within this
commonwealth for a whole nation and
an enslaved race. And nowhere, either
here or In any other State, were services
rendered to that cause more touching in
their simplicity and their earnestness,
more trying in the suffering that they
caused, or more heroic throughout than
those that were rendered against an
overwhelming public opinion at home by
that simple Quaker OF Wilmington, Del.
Thomas Garrett. Applause. From
l8h6 ultil row the Republicans OF Della
ware, in the struggt they have made,
have always experienced and realized the
kindly sympathy aud countenance and
support OF the Republicans of Massa.
chnsetts. Applause.
Then Senator Higgins spoke as to the
Southern question. The son of slave.
u
state to address the meeting, and he out
lined what was being done and what
changes were taking place In what he
termed "the border states" oil the South,
portions of the country where ''the
blacks are not in excess OF one-hith or
one-sixth of the population" He spoke
of election frauds which had been perpe-
trated by Democrats in the State which
he has been elected to represent in part.
Since 1870 there had not been fair vote
iu the State, he said. He told how Demo.
cratic collectors had returned all the
blacks as being dead or having left the
State llsughterl the year after the blacks
had been granted vote. He told, too,
of an act which would be brought in re-
view before the Court of Errors and
Appeals this week, and under which "all
persons not being Democrats" who failed
to pay their taxes either IL or go mouths
before an election, as the case might be,
were disfranchised. In New Castle
county, a year ago, 1900 Republicans
had been of the lists, and conscious OF
the result that would follow their qualif-
caticn, the Democratic assessors had re-
fused to assess them, and but 400 or 500
were qualified. OF one case to which he
referred, he said:
a week ago to day q municipal cleo
ton was held In the city of Wilmington
for city officers. An act of registration
requiring registration of voters for the
purposes of city election had been
enacted by the preceding Legislature. All
the men who had been kept of the lists,
as L have explained, year ago had now
gone on by reason of the fact that the
4uadrennial general assessment came
into elect this year, when the delinquent
lists are disregarded aud everybody is
put on. The statute required that the
duplicates Of the assessment lists, with
the warrant OF authority to collect the
taxes, should be placed in the hands of
The collectors on the first day of April.
The registration for the city election oc-
cured upon the second and third Satur-
lays OF May, and the ell ction upon the
1rst Saturday of June. If these lists
Dr. duplicates had been placed in the
hands OF the collectors upon the first
of April, or even the first of May, the |
whole 1000 citizens could have qualified |
20 vote for city officers, but the clerk |
'f the peace, who Issues the duplicates,
'etained them until week before the |
lection.
Then the mem bers of the Levy Court, !
Who had to countersign them, kept away |
Until two or three days before the elec-
Ion. Then the collectors themselves
efrailed from getting them until the
lay preceding the last day of registration
nd although their time was filed from
tart to finish from the moment they got
heir duplicates during the official hours,
'ut 400 Republicans qualified and
$40 were disfrapchised. That happened
week ago, but In spite OF it we car
led the city by majorities ranging from
o to 2C0. [Grsat applause. don't
uppCse that any akatesninn irnm uhnt |