Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-03
THE POLITICAL SITUATION
Chances in Favor of Democratic
PIuraIities in Both Kent and
Sussex Counties.
THE REPUBLICANS DlSGRUNTLED
No Doubt, Except in the Minds
of Some Over-sanguine
Unionists, That George
Gray Will be Re-
elected United
States Senator.

StateS SENATOR
Dover, Oct. I.-Sussex county's Re.
publican chairman, Robert G. Hous-
ton, was interviewed over telephone by
a representative of the Gazette last
night, and asked concerning the politi-
cal situation in Sussex. He said: II
can only reitorate my statement Of q
week ago-that the Republican har-
mony ticket will carry Sussex county
with plurality Of 300. 1t was a
/ prophecy then; it is statement of
facts now. We have our men regis
tered, and these are figures from the
books. The Republicans will elect six
of the ten representatives and two
with fighting chance for three) Of
the Senators. We feel absolutely safe. "
But Mr.. Houston has heard only one
sided reports of the registration. 1t is
positively known that, instead of send
ing to him an accurate report of the
number of qualified voters. the Repub-
lican workers in many districts simply
wrote to their county committee: 1--WE
are 20 ahead, or 1--WE are so to the
good" or "They are only 80 ahead of
us. y =
Young Mr.. Houston also fails to con
slider that he has one Of the strongest
warhorses Of Sussex to combat with
former Clerk of the Peace Edward W.
Houston another Houston with an ex-
perience of twice as many campaigns,
and when the latter Mr.. Houston, the
Democratic county chairman, goes
about wearing such beaming smile
as has characterized his patriarchal ap-
ha yty1 ia
thing the matter with that 300 majority
of young Mr.. Houston's.
Democratic Chairman Houston is
said to have sent out this message to
all his workers: tive have met the
enemy, and they are ours; now, get
your votes in the box, and get them
counted. y
This elder Houston is known to be
the real leader Of the Sussex Democracy
in its halcyon days of undisputed sue
cess, working hand in glove with the
late Alfred r. Robinson, and when the
Sussex Democracy strayed from his
leadership, it invariably ran against a
stone wall.
Sussex county will certainly go Cemo-
cratic. The Republicans are dis
gruntled and : disiointed over the
methods of DIR. Caleb r. Layton earlier
in tho campaign.
In Kent county, however, no Re-
publican can be found who has the
temerity to say, from the registration
books, that the Democrats are defeated
"by 800 majority" or by any majority.
The facts are that the new registration
law has accomplished all the Democrats
intended, and more.
Two years aog, 1,670 negroes regis
tered in Kent county Some must
have lived in the back woods, or must
have been colonized, for they were ap-
| parent strangers at the time. This
year, the books show less than 1900
negroes registered There is a falling
off of $40 and more.
But that is not all in the way of Re-
publican '.safety" in Kent county
There is bitter fight on, and the
Regular Republicans are working hard,
and are going to show their hand
Such men as Isaac N. Mills, Manlove
Hayes, William r. Cahoon and John
w. Casson don't go into fight to ac-
complish nothing. Mr.. Mills said re-
Gently: @We are going to defeat Ad-
dicks this time, because the Regular
Republicans are going to poll a heavy
colored vote. The other fellows cannot
use any money, for the Democrats have
| traps set in every election district, and
the man who tries to WELD the dollar
or the greenback as a persuasive power
will surely do so at the peril of prison
bars.
Mr.. Mills has never been more active
in politics than this year. 1t was his
own idea that started the formation of
clubs among the colored men of Kenton
and West Dover hundred, each mem
ber of which paid 10 cents weekly for
10 weeks into the treasury, and then
withdrew his Stock having his own
dollar with which to register. The
Regular Republicans are not to be
laughed out of court by the Addicks-
or-nobody people. They are going to
strike telling blow in Kent county.
and that blow will mean much larger
Democratic plurality.
Summarizing the situation in Kent
and Sussex counties, it looks to the
disinterested eye that both counties are
doubtful, with chances in favor of a
Democratic plurality of 200 in Kent
county and 100 in Sussex. If the
Democrats work with their old-time
fervsr, convince the floating voter and
train the voters Oh age, these plurali-
ties will be greatly increased.
| There is no doubt, except in the
minds of some over er-sanguine Union Re-
publican leaders, that George Gray
will be reelected United States Sena-
| tor.