Smyrna times., 1889-02-27
The Higgins Reception
sPkEcHEs. ENTHus1As,f. BANorEr.

Thursday night was big event for .
Smyrna The reception 10 Senator /
elect Higgins was most cordial and /
the meeting AZ the Opera House large /
Is attended AID enthusiastic. L was . 4
new aspect for Republicans 20 be in.
and IN another sense equally as new 10 =.
their opponents. No such meeting
had ever been held preceding an elec- E
ton betOre-Certainly not after one
Il was an occasion that brought out I.
those who wanted 10 see and make the I.
acquaintance Of the distinguished gen .
tlema1 who was 10 take MS seat in
the United States Senate 10 represent
Delaware as a Repubiican-the first Of
ais party The Senator. members OF
the Legislature aud other distinguished {
guests were met a. the depot on the
arrival OF the , O'Clock train and es-
cCrte1 10 the homes Of their respective
hosts. After supper, between seven
and eight O'clOck. q levea or hand
shaking vas had IN the rooms OF the
Duck Creek Republican Club where
many avaIied themselves OF the on
pOTtuuity to greet the new Senator.
At eight o clock a large number had
assembled at the Opera House. The
colOred people having the balcony
The delay IN the arrival from the club
room was hlled IN by some excellent
music from the Smyrna orchestra.
" len the speakers, membe OF the
Legislature &c, had all taken their
eats on the stage Alex. G. Cunmir.
was introduced by chairman Cats 70
make the address OF welcome which
ne did gracefully. extending hearty
welcome TO the Senator and the other
guests. closing with a humorous r,Isy
upon their names eu.Wined together
with the ingenuity Of a string Of nuns
Senator Higgins followed. He com
menced oy friendly greeting TO the
citizens Of smyrna and alluded 10 the
recollecti0us Of bis earlier life when he
u-et 20 visit the family ofthe late
senator Presley Sprlance. H also
adverted 70 the fact tina. Dack Greek
Hundred was a stronghold of the
Wings, that under the lead Of ex-Cioy.
ernOr Temple, during the war. II had
strayed away from the teachings Of
the Fathers, and be appealed 10 them
% come back 10 first principles. He
said he was convinced that the yictorv
Won b. tae Republicans Of Kent and
sussex counties was only the bAg;n-
ming Of the wonderful changes that
| were taking place in the political his.
| tory Of Delaware. IN speaking Of the
WORK tnat mad been and vas vet 10 h.
| accomplished be promised 10 give his
| attention 10 our Greek and 10 the
/ 0tner waterways Of the State. He
Wa5 reminded by a voice in the audi.
| ence Of the change Of the name Of
| creek - river and bOwing low he
most humbly but smiliuglv begged
pardon for the slip-the audience ioiD-
ing in the humor with hearty an
pianse- He made a good impression
on his audience.
Chas. H. Treat followed in fluent
speech 81 which he described the pal,
sussex tOOk 10 the late canvas.
Rev. J. ;. Willis was mex. intro
duced. He told Them be had come
iirectly there from a religious meeting
IN another part Of the town in which
ne mad been taking part. Some Deo-
pie he thought might think strange Of
tais and the close relationship he held
between the two. He said in religion
some people looked only on the God
side: he in addition took in the Man
side as well;-good politics meant bet
ter citizenship aud better religion and
be thought he was doing bis duty
when he advocated those things that
tended to the moral and spiritual ele-
vatlon Of the people. In reviewing
the history Of the nation for the past
quarter Of century and seeing what
the Republican party had done and
mad marked out before it vet 10 do he
believed it had been raised up bv God
10 advance his kingdom among men
James Pennewill. chairman of the
Republican State Central Comnittse
made one Of the most elO0uent sneecb.
Is OF the evening. During it he allud-
ID TO James q. Dlaine's selection as a
member Of Harrison's Cabinet and
laid It was a guarantee that no foreign
power would dare insult Us. Al the
mention OF Blaine's name the audience
broke out in that particular veil that
seems to have been borrowed from the
south, and is rarely heard in coDnec.
ion with any other name than that of
Blaine.
Beniah Watson followed in a speech
tnat IN the sense of rhetoric. was gen.
orally considered one of his hest He
vas never more earnest in the Drinci-
pies Of his party, and never more hone
full Of success.
Geo. I. Baggs, of Baltimore, lin the
familiar phrase a Smyrna bow on be-
ing introduced, was received in an
ovation of prolonged applause that
could not have been otherwise than
gratifying, coming as il did
from the friends Of his earlier davs.
This was gracefully alluded TO. the
I rapid gain that had been made in Re-
publicanism in Maryland and in Bal.
tlmore in the nine years he had been
living there, and the firm assurance
that it will be in the Republican col.
umn at the next Presidential contest
The speech was universally denOmi-
mated a good one, and he took his seat
amid a round Of applause.
Washington Hastings Of Whining.
ton was next called out. He looked
surprised, moved with unusual delib.
Grafton, and took several minutes tc
tell he had no speech, though he man
aged to get in several what were gen.
orally considered good points,
Watson r. Sperry, editor of the
Morning NeCs followed in a speech
that was a mixture Of comicali'v and
vigorous sense, striking, for the way il
was put. He said they always bring
him IN on snch occasions at the last.
he supposed for ornament, for it was
not because he was fluent. In the
course Of his address he alluded to the
strange fact that a preceding speaker
had come into this meeting, a political
meeting, from a Methodist PRAYER
: meeting. At this the audience prickef
;; up its ears with the evident expec
fancy of hearing, probably, some mild
structures on prOprieties when, catch.
ing his breath, he stammered out.
where do you suppose a Democrat,
orator would have come from ?" The
Democrats and Republicans alike
, laughed at the point Of the witticism
and the speaker had time to catch hi
breath for another aphOrism before the
z laughter died out.
J. Frank Bacon, of Georgetown, wa
introduced but in a half minute grace
fully excused himself from making {
speeok because of the Iateness Of the
hour. The chairman announced the
meeting closed and that the guests anC
those holding tickets would repair {,
the banqueting room.