Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-13
by Merri. Taylor.
rms cAApalos OF 1869.

The national campaign of ISL
opened In Delaware with conditions
that drew d much larger share of time
and attention te purely local questions
than had been the case previously. At
the 1850 election the Democrats won "a
substantial victory on the Issue Of
convention to- reform the tunstitu-
ton of the state, electing William II
Ross governor and George Read RID
die Repreaantatfye in Congress. The
ga cst,,raien slogan was. Ross, Riddle
and Reform" It's alliterative character
no doubt adding to is popularity. The
General Assembly, at its session eafly
in 1861. ordered special eleetlon t1
he held the following October, on the
question Of calling constitutional
Convention, but. as was the case
when similar special election was
held In 1887, the sntiiciency of the AZ
nrmativa vote was questioned. The
whigs generally opposed the runYen4
| tion movement, as the then existing
state Constitution, framed IN 1881
was largely the work of their leader
John NJ Clayton. of whom Il was
afterwards asserted that he said he
had locked the door 20 future con
yentions and thrown the key dawn The
well" This charge was hased very
! largely On the peculiar provision sc
the old Constitution in respect to the
| sufIirienpy Of the vote to warrant the
calling uf a convention. which recon
niended as "an unexreptionai medea "A
| an,scial election on the third Tuesday
| ln MAY in any year. and said the af-
/ armattve vote should equal a ma
jority II the people having the right
to vote for Representatives IN the
| General Assembly How ~ aaear-
/ tain this potent fact was a problem
over which leading lawyers differed.
1 However. the General Assembly, at an
adjourned session held In 1859, voted
| that the people had called session.
and accordingly provided for one af
thirty Delegates. ten from each euun-
| fy, 10 be chosen AZ thp general plet.-
tion the following November
Convention an Issue.
The convention. therefore. was i
ipa9Jng issue of the campaign both
| rs 10 which party should haA,. II un-
der control and the work It should IL.
/ THAT campaign marked the first
prominent appearance uf gamuel
| Townsend Of Appouuinlniink tn state
and county politics. and he made his
/ presence known, by public utterahs .
and letterH 10 the newspapers, IN the
moet vigorous. il frequently ungfam-
Inaticsi and unconventional manner.
MANY viii remember sam" Townsend
az his activities in politics continued
until the eightiea. lie was hia.
blufT. clustering man, intnlerant Ia
his opinions and in their expression
and ready at ali times Ia ride rough
shod over all opposition. In either res
specie he was as large in heart az IN
body. and his deeds Of kindness were
numerous. For this reason he had
much personal influence. and at tim
was controlling factor in the poll.
tics of lower New Castle county. 4
very interesting story about him Will
be told in later chapter. one which
has never heen made public. and Il
known to very few persons
One Of the chief objections "a ths
Convention bill. in the mind Of sam.
Town send, wan the apportionment 81
Delegates among the three counties
but friends OF tho reform movement
knew how hopeless IL was al tina
tinis ta expect Kent and Sussex coun
ties ia consent 10 anything like af
eResss af representation for New Cas-
tie county, Even Townsend recognis.
ed ttais situation. but he wanted tn,
equal -siEed county delegations chose,
50 as ga give 20 each hundred IN,
right 10 select ito own delegate. II
did moi want 60 incur any danger =
wilmington 'hegging" more than IT
share ef the New Castle county dele
satien, and in fierce letter 10 the Ga
setts insisted that county jealousy q
the city was justified by the effort o
Wilmington TO have the court hous,
moved over from New Castle--a fruit
less move at that time. however. al
though IL came later-and a threat t,
prescribe the rest Of the county un
less Market street bridge across tn,
Christiana was made free: beside
grabbing the best offices. However
the Legislature made no difference /,
county representation in the law tina
was enacted.
Railroad and LOTTERY.
That special session of the f1egisla
ture was quite an exciting affair
: There was a big fight over the bil
! TO Techarter the New Castle & French
/ town Railroad CO. for twenty NOR
years which met with much opposition
]