Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-09
ny Merris Taylor.
THE CAMPAIGN OF is44.
tContInue4.l

fContInu~a.l
Late In January, 1s44. the Delaware
Gazette advanced from weekly to 4
semi-weekly paper---issued Tuesdays
and Friday ys---and thus doubled It's OPP
portunitiea. and probably it~ capacity.
for doing service to the Democratic
party. 1t was at that time owned by
]. Newton Harker. who as editor WIS
able to hold his own with the best men
Of that dnv I'm the profession. and
Caleb T.. Johnson. subsequently sole
owner. and well-knovn 70 many OF
our citizens of today.
Sore and sorrowful was the Della
ware Gazette over the campaign of
iss0. when Van Buren, was 80 over
whclmingly defeated for President, bur
II entered upon the 1874 campaign
with high hopes, valiant courage. and
confident expectations of victory in
the country. IL not In Delaware.
Democrats were counting on great
ieal OF advantage from the uncer-
tainties and unsatisfactory results nf
the Tyler administration. and they did
not count in vain. With it's entrance
upon the field of scmi-weekiy publica-
ton the Gazette gave consideration TO
the Presidential campaign by inviting
attention to the call for the meeting
OF the Democratic National Conven-
tion at Baltimore, on the fourth Mon
day in May.
Early in January tire Delaware Cka-
xette printed long editorial, severe
ly criticizing John G. Calhoun's public
letter in which he declined nomina.
ton for President that had been
rendered him by his State and also
peremptorily refused to permit his
name to go before the National Con-
yention. The editor, in this deliver.
ance. resented Calhoun's condemna-
ton of the convention system OF NOM
mating candidates for President and
said: We do not know that the press
ent ystem Of nominating candidates
for the Presidency is preferable 10 the
former mode. but II has been been
adopted by the party and appears un-
obtcctiona Bile" The former mode was
nomination by State Legislatures and
party caucuse~ i'm Congress- Demo
cratic Republicans" was the name the
Gazette applied to those to whom IL
appealed, thus showing an inclination
TO still adhere to the name '.Repuhli-
can" given to the party as formed by
jefferson and changed TO Demo
cratic" under the leadership OF An
drew Jackson.
Some Partisan Ethics.
The frst paniic evidence of Demo-
cratic activity was a mass meeting at
Newark. at which strong favor wa.
extended to a bfll then pending in
Congress to have all the States vote
for President and e-President on
the same day. which the Gazette in
dorsed editorially. Also. IL praised the
Newark meeting and urged Democrats
throughout the State TO take an active
interest in the campaign and convert
their State, so long out OF the Demo-
cratic camp" ending with the conf
dent prediction. set in italics: "Deia-
ware Will be a Democratic State in
November next" But this prophecy
was doomed 10 failure.
The Whig National Convention in
Baltimore, was held first. and the Ca
zette belittled il in advance as "the
Whis. alias the coon gathering" 1t
said the general belief was that Hem
would be nominated for President. and
that he would rush to inevitable de-
feat in October and November next /"
This prophecy proved correct. The
convention and the accompanying
parade also were treated with right
eous scorn. the street demonstration
as having some features that would
be taken by stranger as the funeral
obsequies Of a great man" Also, that
the entire affair was THE death kneIl
Of Henry Clays prospects"
The Whig parade in Wilmington
after the return of the Delaware dele
cation from Baltimore with the prize
banner and big ball, was an object Of
the Sazette's sarcasm and ridicula.
saturday last was great day with
the coons Of this city and State" IL
said. IL charged that mills and fac
tories We're closed and their employees
compelled 10 take place I'm the line of
march. In fact, according 10 The
Gazette it was a complete failure i'm
every respect"
About this time John NJ. Clayton.
he Whig leader, moved from Dover
10 his Buena Vista farm-named in |
honor OF President Taylor in remem-
brance Of one of his signal Victories
in the Mexican War-near New
Castle later the home of Francis \. |
Buck. la this change the Gazette |
saw sinister design for New Castle |
County to control all the whig nom |
nations in the State
Such We're the partisan ethics of |
journalism in Delaware-and else
wherein those days.
Nomination of Polk.
The Democratic National Conyen-
ton assembled in Baltimore on Mon
day, May 81, ard nominated James X /
Polk Of Tennessee for President and |
silas Wright or New York for Vice.
presidnnf In rs isstIo 1.f H. f.Il1,.,.