Evening journal., 1916-09-05

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL
DOVER, Del. Sept. 5.-More politi-
cal periscopes doomed up in the turbu-
lent sea of Democracy here last
night than have appeared on the no.
rizon of a Democratic State Conven-
ton since the good old days before
the State was redeemed by the Re-
9ublicans.
They were not shrinking periscopes,
either, eager TO dive under cover at
the least suspicion but were the
watch towers of drifting Democrats
anxious to be spotted by the conven-
ton delegates, and hoping they would
be gathered in and given a harbOr
by the ticketmakers,
Many years have elapsed since the
Democrats flocked to Dover in such
numbers as they did last night on the
eve of their convention. They came
from all parts of the State, and they
brought with them e multiplicity Of
booms There was an abundance of
men willing to become martyrs to
the extent of being nominated on the
party ticket. The candidates we're
not backward. either. and as a result
IL was expected that each county eau
Gus will nominate candidates for near
" every Office on the ticket, leaving
the delegates in open convention to
sift them out and build up the party's
ticket
One noteworthy absentee last night
was Senator Willard Salisbury, and
nobody could say definitely last night
whether the Senator would attend
the convention itself Many other
Democrats prominent in their party
affairs we're here, however. and from
early in the evening until midnight
there was a revel of buttonholing of
delegates. attempts at trading and
dickering in the jammed lobby of the
Hotel Richardson. Candidates we're
made and unmade every minute or
two during the night and out of all
the political dissection the fact was
barred more and more that it would
take a great big fight on the floor
OF the open convention to nominate
the ticket And it was evident, too.
that the matchmaking was to leave
its sore spots that would rankle so
hat they would not be healed by
election day Woven through the
situation was a determined attempt
by certain Democrats to topple over
The leadership of Senator Salisbury
by naming for United States Senator
and governor candidates not classed
as Salisbury men"
Early in the evening an attempt
was made to put over a deal where
by Kent and Sussex counties we're
TO combine to apportion the principal
offices among themselves and freeze
out New Castle county. This at
tempt failed, however. because no
body could deliver the Kent delegates
who were widely divided in their
choice Cor governor and Senator and
we've unwilling to take a chance on
such a manipulation After that. the
situation shaped itself so that each
caucus intended to make its own nom
nations for nearly every Office. not
stopping with the offices which il
really expected to get or felt itself
entitled to.
Friends of former Congressman L.
Irving Handy were clipper here last
night Mr.. Handy was claiming
as high as 81 Of the So delegates of
New Castle county and 40 of the 60
delegates of Kent county. and there
fore he commended he would secure
the endorsement Of the caucuses OF
each county. On the other hand
friends of Henry Ridgely, of Dover
we're claiming 40 of the so Kent dele
gates for Ridgely It was evident
that somebody was mistaken. At any
rate, the pre-convention strength of
Mr.. Handy astonished the rival can