Smyrna times., 1899-08-30
WOODLAND BEACH POLITICS,
KENT DEMOCRATS SHUN KENNEy AMI
RECEIVE HANDY AS LEADER
The iandy-SauIsbury Combine Accountable
to DemOcrats.-LaunCh Their Boom
on Wednesday.


itics, says the Wilmington SIM. That
fact long known to men in our public
afans was fully established at Wood
land, Wednesday.
There was meeting of Democrats
at Woodland Beach, Wednesday after
noon. The large gathering was COM
posed of party leaders from every hun
dred in the county. Among them
were men who supported Richard r.
Kenney for the United States Senate
in 1897; men who voted for him on the
floor of the Legislature-all of those
men to whom Kenney looks for sup
port in the campaign of 1900.
These men were once Kenney men.
They are not to-day. At their hands
the Senator received a cruel and de-
liberate snub. This cannot be en-
phasized too strongly Senator Ken
ney was badly treated. From the time
that he arrived at Woodland Beach
until he fled from the scene in disgust
at 3 o'clock, an hour before the meet
ing convened, the Senator lived in
frosty atmosphere.
Senator Kenney was actually driven
from the beach by the cold reception
be received. He had promised John
D. Hawkins, who seemed to be at the
head of the affair, that he would speak
and consequently was slated as the
first orator of the day.
All these arrangements were broken
when at the hour of 3 o'clock Senator
Kenney entered his carriage and drove
off toward home.
Second Blow for Kenney.
There was another reason for Ken
ney's hurried departure and one which.
in absolute chagrin, he was unable to
conceal. This was the popularity of
Former Congressman L. Irving Handy
who came down on the steamer Thomas
Clyde.
1t was Handy's day. He said he felt
at home in Kent county and the well
come accorded him by the Democracy
here assembled was proof that his feel
lngs were not without ground.
Mr.. Handy was greeted on every
side. Farmers who had driven five
miles to attend the mass meeting
grasped him by the hand and called
him Senator" His speech was
cheered to the echo.
Senator Kenney. saw and was con-
vinced. In the moment of Handy's
popular reception Kenney realized that
ne is no longer the leader of the De
mocracy even in Kent county; that he
is man without following.
Kenney himself acknowledged this.
As he drew off toward his carriage he
passed Mr.. Handy. Pausing for a mo-
ment he tauntingly asked: "W hen is
your meeting going to begin?"
Handy the Leader for Silver.
SO it was that Senator Richard r.
Kenney left the field to Congressman
Handy. 1t was the opinion that Handy
should become the accepted leader of
the Democracy of Delaware and what
the Democrats of lower Delaware say
snail be done is generally done.
At Woodland Beach as at Bowers
Beach, William Jennings Bryan was
hailed as the leader of the National
Democracy and the Presidential nomi-
nee for 1900. Free silver was the toe
Sin and secondary to it only was the
question of trusts and expansion.
Kent and Sussex county Democrats
are for William J. Bryan. This is alb
solute. With them the answer is that
given by l.. Irving Handy when asked
can 1t not be a Bryan MANI" Mr..
Handy answered: 'No it must be
Bryan.
The silver Democrats will tolerate
no compromise with the gold men.
ms was urged by Mr.. Handy. To
'nose who cry out against Bryan and in
SlSt that free silver will defeat the party,
mandy advised search of their coat
'siis, In which would be found, he said,
ne bloody knife which was used in
1886. Such men as these are not in
position to cry out that any issue may
bring defeat.
handy-SauIsbury Combination.
mere was on the beach considerable
'"ik OF the combination between Handy
ano Willard Salisbury, which is said
~ nave taken place. This combina-
s'Oh Is believed by many Democrats
rere to be fact and it is further be-
neVed that its opposition is directed
.O"ard John Biggs. AS against Sena-
WI henney the combination has little
rork. His star has fallen from the po-
litlcal heavens.
!, AN effort was made by some of Han
~ friends to ascertain just how the
P0Ople OF Kent countv wouid ac-