Evening journal., 1908-11-07
Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL
GEORGETOWN. Del, Nov. 7-One
hundred years ago a court bailif at
Georgetown. on the day after election
stepped upon the court house balcony
and addressing the hundreds Of country
folk in the square facing him, cried out
the returns Of the general election. as
they had been prepared by the canvass
court OF Sussex county. Thursday 5000
people OF Sussex county with visitors
from the adjoining counties Of Delaware,
gathered in the same square and awaited
the returns that should have been placed
upon a sheet about the county building,
custom having long ago relinquished
the election crier.
II was Sussex county's return day"
In all the Union there is not such another
day and nothing else, probably, better
expresses old Sussexs devotion TO GUS
tom than this peculiar bi-annual OBJ
servance. Return day" Thursday was
not the less successful because no re-
turns were made. All day Judges Boyce
and Grubb, in the canvass court had
tailed Off the ballots returned from the
county election districts only to be
halted by contest over ballots from tho
First Of the Third and the Second OF the
Third in the Second Senatorial District
1t was not until after midnight that the
court completed its work and hours be-
fore return day had accomplished It's
purpose.
Like New England Meeting.
Nothing Is 50 like the New England
town meeting as "return day in sus.
sex Everywhere from Sussex hundreds
Of farmers and their families came in
gigs. coaches and farm wagons and by
train From Harrington a special train
came in the morning with several hun.
dred visitors. while from Wilmington and
way stations at II o'clock came a crowd
the most important OF whom was Gov.
ernor-elect Pennewill himself. debonairG
and quietly triumphant with body
guard OF politicians known the country
over
Return day" is a relic of old party
iubilatlon after each general election. ant
at least fourth Of the big crowd al
Georgetown yesterday were politicians
Two other fourths were farmers and theil
hands and the rest were girls. the big
eyed handsome breed Of Sussex, showing
their thoroughbred Anglo-saxon ances
try in blooming cheeks and flashing
eyes.
The last two return days have beer
rather tame Days were when a Demo
cratic or a Republican victory brough
coherts OF the faithful to rejoice owe
the returns. to parade, TO brag and t.
shout. and when the old town was wet
well "a jubilation was jubilation then
Had No Parade.
There was no parade on Thursday. Per
haps the Republicans are somewhat stoli'
now. At any rate. they made little show
OF the victory in Sussex and the day
served rather as a Sussex county 'hom
coming" than as a Republican celebra
Sim over glorious returns. In the Cour
House Square In the afternoon the Boys
Band. OF Lewis. occupied a stand an
s9aved At times also, a colored ban
blared htfuly. When the townspeople an
: visitors were not listening to the banC
many we're looking for stray relatives
The majority. however, just ''stoo
- around" which is an old Sussex custoT
= Nobody in tho world can beat a SUISSE
county man when Il comes to standing
3 the cold on a court house lawn for n
} particular purpose.
From noon until super time a crowd c
red checked farmers and their laborer
iostled about the Court House lawn, know