Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-06
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1914.

| Clay for President. This was in ac-
cord with the popular party demand,
and at great Whig meeting held In
Philadelphia on Wednesday, Novem-
ber 20. IS43, Clay had been placed in
nomination, with John Sergeant of
PENNSYLVANIA for Vice. President. Tho
Journal, however. did not indorse both
of these suggestions, but carried at the
top of its editorial columns this tick
| ct.
| For President--HENRY CLAY.
For Vice President - JOHN NJ.
CLAYTON.
| Clayton was the Journals real
preference for President. but IL was
compelled to yield to the clearly ex-
pressed sentiment OF the party. and
solaced itself by holding out Clayton
for second place. But he did not sue
ceed i'm gaining even this minor honor.
Inspired by the hope of repeating
the victory of four years before, Della
ware Wings made an early start I'm
| their campaign activities. In January
| a Clay Club was formed I'm Whining
ton, at a meeting held In the Glazier
building, northeast corner of Third
and Market streets, with Jeremiah w
Duncan as president and Joshua s.
Valentine as secretary. Valentine In
later years held the office of mayor OF
| Wilmington for three terms, keeping
on running almost continuously until
! he was defeated, in 1875, 10y William
/ g, Whiteley, Democrat. The Clay
club had large and active member
ship. and its members felt sure OF
holding the State. Also. assuming that
Van Buren, would be renominatcd for
President by the Democrats, they
were equally confident that he would
be defeated again.
The Whig National Convention was
called for Thursday, May ., at Balti-
more. and Delaware Wings made
| great preparations for sending a large
delegation 70 the Monumental city. to
forward Clayton's chances and par
ticularly to contest for splendid silk
banner which was offered as a prize
of the great Whig parade during the
1 convention session. to be awarded 20
the State having the largest number
Of participants. estimated on the basis
/ OF population and with due cunsidnra-
tion 10 distance from the convention
city. Tho movement was formally
opened az the Whig county meeting.
/ held At New Castle on Thursday, Feb
ruary -. at which Clay and Clayton
were enthusiastically indorscd and
the previous slogan. One term in the
| Presidency" reiterated. The journal
said the attendance was "A thousand to
| twelve hundred. but the Delaware Ga
zette estimated it at only about s50
| Mr.. Clayton was present and made
one Of his mastery and inspiring adj
| dresses. which. Of course, was attack
ed and ridiculed by the Gazette An
/ incident illustrative of the bitter
| character of party feeling in those
days is found in an attack upon Hen
Try Clay by the Delaware Gazette be-
cause, during his stay in the city OF
New Orleans. a short time before, he
had permitted himself to be feted and
! dined upon the sabbath day" THE
falsity OF this statement" rejoined the
journal. has long been proved and
the Gazette knows IT,"
Won the Parade Banner.
All three Of the counties joined in
building up the Delaware delegation
at Baltimore, and as a result the prize
banner was awarded TO this State.
which had an attendance in the
parade OF 993 persons. A special train
was run from Wilmington. at a fare
Of two dollars for the round trip.
which was an attractive inducement.
Henry Clay was nominated for Presi-
dent. but Clayton received only a few
votes for Vice President, the nomina-
| tion going TO Theodors F'relinghuy sen
of New Jersey on the third ballot.
Then the national campaign of 1874
started in earnest throughout the
country, and in ne State was it more
vigorously conducted than in Della
ware. 1t lacked the picturesque
features and the wild enthusiasm of
i the Wings, born Of their great victory
in the previous campaign, but il was
marked by intense earnestness, and
by the application to the Democratic
campaign of an efficiency in party
management and direction which had
been painfully missing four years
before. The National Democrat tic
Convention, also held in Baltimore
nominated James X. Polk of Tennes-
see for President and Silas Wright OF
New York for President, which
drew from the Delaware State Jour
nal a sarca site regret that Clay and
FTelinghuysen have such inferior men
- run against. an opinion that was
in no manner altered after Wright had
declined the nomination for Vice
President and it was given 10 George
NJ. Dallas of Pennsylvania.
Campaign Poetry.
Among other stirring features oil
the 1914 campaign was the Invocation
oi the aid of the muse TO an extra
ordinary extent. Every State bad its
political poets, and those Of Delaware
iield their own with the best of the
aggregation. The favorite Whig re-
frain. sung with joyous emphasis
everywhere, was:
"Hurrahi Hurrahi the country risin
For Harry Clay and Frelinghuysent
And for a while it seemed that this
was what the country was doing. Buf
the Democratic poets were equal Il
the demands upon them, and it /.
doubtful If any of them sent forth Z
more appealing and popular effusior
than a Delaware Democrat did in =
poem that contained this attractive
and convincing reason for supporting
the Democratic nominees:
1T only was the other day
heard a lovely lady say
She surely would prefer beau
Who did for Polk and Dallas go.
The inspiration of the Wings eoult
not equal this, not even their De.
! rlsiye refrain. very popular here ant
IN Philadelphia.