Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-10-30
IN WESTERN SUSSEX.
Democrats Aroused as They Have
Not Been for Years.

|
Republicans StiIl Worried Over the Col
ored Contingent--C Claiming New Castl
County for Effect.
stafi Correspondence of Gazette and Journg
STAFFORD, Oct. 23.-The western tie
of hundreds in Sussex county compris,
Northwest Fork, Nanticoke, Seaford
Broad Creek and Little Creek, and il
all OF them the Democrats are aroused
this year as they have not been foi
years, If any man can find trace O.
fractional feeling among the Democrats
of Sussex he must needs search for i
with a powerful magnifying glass. i
is certainly not apparent on the surface
AS in eastern Sussex, the Republicans
here are in state of worriment oyei
the negro vote. 1t is getting decidedly
obstreperous, and the idea Of having tc
pay their colored voters, who have al.
ways stood by them so faithfully, is
very obnoxious to the Republican lead
ers, Besides, il bids fair to take great
deal of money out Of the campaign fund
intended for the purchase of venal
white voters, and thus far the financial
condition of the Republican machine
has not been as good as was expected.
The golden stream has not poured forth
as recklessly as was predicted when the
State ticket was nominated. 1t is whis-
pered around that Henry p. Cannon,
the Republican nominee for Congress,
was assessed $4,000 for campaign pur-
poses by the Republican county com
mittee, but kicked like a steer and re-
fused to pay such price for an empty
political honor. What Candidate Rich
ardson will put into the party Golfers is
not known, but it is pretty well adj
mitted that he is not disposed to shell
out literally unless he is given positive
assurance that his financial investment
will result in giving him possession of
the coveted Office. As he sees his
chances growing beautifully less each
day, his campaign contribution is likely
TO decrease in size, in like proportion.
But the negro voters are clamoring
for money, and if they insist in their
demands the Republican treasury will
be bankrupt before the polls open on
election day. To counterfeit this unex-
pected move every possible exertion is
being made to keep the colorod vote in
line. Those negroes who are Indifferent
about voting are threatened with dire
bodily harm ii they do not support the
lANlfAbAlNAli liOlillilHts. III StllllG lOtHll-
ties IL would involve Il risk of life for
negro TO refuse to vote at all or to init
mate that he intended to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket. The negro preachers and
Republican leaders generally are now
working desperately to keep the negro
vote intact. One move in this direction
was the engagement of the Bridgeville
band for the meetings to be held in diff
ferent parts Of the county, with the
understanding that Ed. Bacon, of
Georgetown, is to act as leader. Between
toots Baron will devote his surplus wind |
and energies to Strengthening ont all |
kinks existing among the colorcd con
tingent of Republicanism in Sussex.
A favorite trick of the Republicans is |
to boastingly assert that they are morally |
sure TO carry New Castle county by a
large majority Everybody in New
Castle knows that this claim is utterly |
absurd, as the Republicans have no more
chance of carrying that county than the
Democrats have of carrying Vermont,
but you can hear of the absurd claim
all over the county. 1t is only done to
bolster up weak-kneed Republicans with
the idea that their party is morally sure
to win this year, and that those who
kick the traces will simply get left.
There is no doubt that the main de-
pendence Of both parties in Sussex
is the use of money at the polls for
the purchase of votes. Both sides
will indulge in the nefarious traffic as a
matter Of course, and it is asserted that
there are in the county at least 1000
'fioaters,' or men who expect to be paid
money for their votes. Among them,
strange as it may appear, are men who
will vote the Democratic ticket if they
vote at ali, and who could not be in
duced to vote the Republican ticket by
any amount of money; but before they
deposit Democratic ballot they expect
to receive a small pecuniary considera-
ton. There are many others who will
sit ON the fence and allow themselves to
be bought in by the party willing to pay
the higher price.
The Republican gloom is as apparent
in this section as in eastern Sussex, and
it seems to be born of the recalcitrant
negroes and the prospective paucity Of
the campaign fund. Without money,
and great deal of it, the Republicans
might as well give up the fight in ad-
vance, and this they well know. Natur-
ally, the Democrats feel much elated nj
the outlook. They now know that moth.
ing but the most wholesale use of
money can defeat them, and if this
money should not be forthcoming the
extent of the Democratic victory in
Sussex will merely be question of the
extent OF the majority.