Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-08-06

Wednesday afternoon, as announced in |
The Gazette. Mr.. Birds speech of
notification was applauded at several
points and at it close. In reply, Mr..
Higgins spoke as follows
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of
the committee: am profoundly sensi-
BILE of the compliment involved not only
In the nomination of which you now
officially apprise me, but also in the
kindly and considerate terms in which
you have SO gracefully conveyed it.
The action OF the convention came as
the unexpected. had no intimation
OF such wish or purpose on the part
of any One. Much less had i sought
to Obtain 1t. You are good enough to
say that ii came as the spontaneous and
united wish of that convention. Be-
lieving that it truly represented the
people who sent it there, its voice is
theirs, and / am constrained to accept
its mandate as call to duty; and to
one who desires to be worthy son of
noble state, such call is impers-
tive. We are not without our political
troubles and they place added obliga-
tiops for such services. Delaware.
with q population not much above that
Of Lancaster county, Pa, has two SEN
ators and representative in Congress,
ptdlO ohlCOEb duu tuIcG GOuntJ OISdDl-
cations with all the offices that are APP
purtenant thereto, to say nothing of
municipal affairs. Is it any wonder
that Delawareans are politicians and
that during election periods the politi-
cal furnace sometimes gets hotter than
its won't, SO that those who are too near
Its flames or too Jealous in their efforts,
become sacrifices to its destructive
forces2
1.-THE very embarrassment OF our po-
litical riches thus becomes dividing
and weakening element in the conduct
of political affairs; and times are when
men take a decided stand for what
they believe to be the welfare Of their
State.
For love Of country and to preserve
the Union, sons of Delaware freely and
ia large numbers gave their lives in
our great Civil War. Many, too, are
to-day its lingering victims whose
shortened lives are, we trust, made
tolerable by the action of the republic
whose life they helped to save. If SC
great price was paid for national
unity and to protect our liberties, what
shall be done to preserve themY This
is the supreme question that every
good citizen is bound to answer. II
he fails to do it in manly and pa.
triotic way our civilization is doomed.
He may secure an office for few years
perhaps, but for that mess of pottage
be will have exchanged the nobles
birthright ever vouchsafed to man.
What a heritage it is! With de-
lightful climate, a well-drained, we'll
watered soil, fertile, easily cultivated
of wide range of adaptability; con
tiguous to many noble cities; witt
go s.,l, 4.
and commercial development; will
charming towns, villages and hamlet
to concentrate population, and givt
consumption to an agriculture that cal
not anywhere be exceiled for skill, in
telligence and enterprise; with ocean
bay, river, creek and lake teeming will
fin, fur and feather, where can Della
ware be surpassed? lis population j
spirited, intelligent, neighborly and In
dustrious. Its school system from tn
primary to the college is well de
veloped and needs only an organzin
hand to become the equal of any. II
churches are as numerous and as We
supported, probably, as those of ar
population of similar size anywhere
and l believe that whom the history {
this financial depression shall be writ
ten a chapter will be devoted to th
lLub NtEO " carry U
the works of religion and charity.
"Our people desire progress. A
much, possibly, as any man in th
State, for the past 10 years | have beu
thrown into intimate relations wit
the people of the whole State, and
know whereof / speak They hay
given much of their time to the stud
of civil, social, economic and educi
tiona questions. They have for mar
years begged for Constitutional Coz
vention, which if sooner obtaint
might have prevented some of OF
present difficulties. They have had o
OF the earnest yearning for fittin
and therefore, free, honest, equal al
unselhsh administration Of State affai
that comes to every one who for m
ment considers its necessity. Tn
knew there had been u drifting awj
from the purity and simplicity of O
first estate and they did, and do, wa
to return to them. They want to hal
their birthright unimpaired to the
children.
'Time after time campaigns ha
been fought upon such issues and fol
time expectations ran high, but in t
main the people feel that polite
schemes have Jared better than t
aspirations for better admluistrati
of the laws and equality under thel
Many are looking forward to 1896 as
year of the beginning OF better thing
Tho Constitutional Convention
come; the people arc about to mai
their wisest and most trusted, who sh
prepare Fundamental law replete wi
all that our sister States have yot 1
=, vised and approved, together with wi
shall be original with themselves a
especially applicable to our condition
"If sir, we shall be 80 happy as
conduct the coming campaign up
broad principles, with a strong alV
caoy of these reforms, inviting and
yoking the aid Of all good men, we N
engage tho confidence md assistance
those of whom we have been spealsir
Parties are breaking up, as in go a
'Gi party ties broke like tiame-touct
cords, 80 our own people are in de
concern for the future of our natiol
government, and party ties will
longer hold them.
Fortunately the Republican pai
has for its leader a strong, cguable una
massive in his citizenship and all |
characteristics that go TO make
human reliability. and he standsy ur
plain, just, conservative, patrio
and unequiyocal platform His co
petitor is comparatively young and l
friad Tho Dptipn has nnpar nivnf, n