The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-10-01

cuulu teaCh you IL taiHe0 tlll utOnlt uaN :
and every man who has TO work for his liv.
ing-and am among the number has
learned the lesson well. Mr.. Clevelands 8
''object eseon," which, early in his admins,
tration, and with beartlessness unsurpassed,
he said this people must be taught, has been
a thorough and an effective one; and from my
humble station | can only say: Mischief,
| thon art afootl now let it workl''
| But, my friends, the Democrats have been
SO generous and unstintng in their criticism
of our candidates that ! propose tonight to
ana1yze one of theirs little-just little bit.
There is one question which is agitatng the
minds Of the people at this time--and es-
peciaily the minds of some Of our Democratic
friends-and that question Isl "When, and
how, and for what reason did the Democratic
candidate for Congress leave the Republican
party and join the Democratic party2'
Some of Mr.. Bancrofts Democratic friends
are unkind enough to say that he is not
Democrat and is entitled to no consideration
or support from them as such. think that
this is very unfair. Mr.. Bancroft says that
he is a Democrat, and he ought to know. 1t
is unquestionsbly within the domain of his
privilege and right to be Democrat if he
wants to. Hosea Biglow says: "The right to
be cussed fool ia safe from
all devices human,'' and this ap-
plies just as much to Mr.. BancroFts
right to be Democrat as it does to anything
else. But when and why did this political
Transformation of Mr. Bancroft take placer
There have been many solutions of the prob
lem offered. Some people have said that he
suddenly became so honest that he could
no longer consent to be a "robber
baron;' that he could no longer continue the
nefarious practice of "piferng the pockets of
the farmer and the workingman,' and of
STEALING portion of their hard earnings to
put into his own pocket
Another reason given was one which will
pass for the present with the simple remark
that it was enough to make mule laugh.
But all Of these reasons, however creditable
they may be to Mr.. Bancroft's head and
heart, do not, think, embrace the correct
explanation of his political change of front.
The cause of this important event has
never yet, l believe, been publicly stated; and
SO propose, confdentially of course, to dis
close it to you this evening.
Reduced to its simplest terms the reason
why Mr.. Bancroft became Democrat is be-
cause Mr.. Bancroft is poet. Now poetry
and Democracy seem like curious combina-
| ton, admit, but | think can show you that
| they fit in this instance.
| In the first place this thing took place
twenty years ago. Some of you may remem
| berthe older of you certainly will-that en-
the 10Th day Of October, 1874, receptio
was rendered to the Hon. Bayard Taylor-one
of Americas most distinguished literary men,
who had just then returned from Europe-by
his neighbors and friends at Mount Caba near
this city. Among those who participated in
| that reception was our Democratic candidate
for Congress, who contributed to the enter
tainment by reading an original poem.
There were some doubts expressed. re-
member as to the originality of that poem,
but ] think that they were without founda-
| tion. read the poem, and i feel cafe in say.
!! ing that 1t was entirely original-purely Bar
croftan But whether it was original or not
the poem was well received. Among others
who were charmed with it was the Hon.
Thomas F. Bayard; and so delighted was Mr..
Bayard that he wrote to Mr.. Bancroft a note
of effusye, not to say gushing, eongratula-
tion and praise of his poetic effort, and the
result was that almost Immediately Mr.. Ban
croft renounced his Republcanism and
became Democrat. The hands of the tan
nointed" were laid on him and Mr. BancrOft's
conversion to Democracy was thorough radi-
cal and complete. Mr.. Bayard surrounded
Mr.. Bancroft, captured him and took him into
camp; and the tariff, the moral status of the
Republican party, and all the rest of it had
no more to do with the case ''than the flow
ers that bloom in the spring" Applause.
General James II. Wilson chairman of
the Republican State Committee, was the
last speaker. General Wilson made
ringing speech in which he reviewed the
origin and history of free trade. He
charged the free-traders of the Demo-
cratic party with having brought on the
war of the rebellion as a part of the free
trade scheme to impoyerish the North and
retain control of the nation. He said the
Democratic party was the party of slavery
and that in support of slavery and free
trade 1t was against the old flag.
He appealed to all classes Of foreigners.
asking them why they should vote the
Democratic ticket when it is the Republt-