Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-11
liz Merris Taylor.

and frantic appeals but nothing that
seems like out of the ordinary I'm the
knowledge OF the present day. In
deed, at times there WAS n respite In
the exchanges of press artillery, and
In one issue the Gazette even went 50
far as To- compliment John NJ. Clayton,
then ia the United States Senate, for
voting for the Compromise bill. which
arranged to extend some Of the provi-
sions OF the Missouri Compromise 10
the western territory acquired from
| the Mexican War.
The whig state Convention Of that
| year was held at Iewea, although.
what influences prevailed to send IT
to that then far-off town are not re-
veaied IN the current publications. 1t
was a somewhat difficult matter to
| Journey to Lewes TN those days. How
ever. the Convention met there, July
| 2s. and for the third time John w.
Houston was nominated for Repre-
sentative In Congress. Philip Heytuld.
Samuel Cats and Gardner II. Wright
wer,, nominated for Presidential Elec-
| tors, and the convention indorsef
| Taylor and Fillmore and the Whig ma
tlonal platform.
whtteley For Congress.
| The Democratic state Convention
met. as usual, in Dover. on "wednesday.
August 23. and nominated william q.
whiteley for Representative in Con-
gress. This was the beginning Of his
| political career. and from that day
until a short time after the Civil War
he was an able and popular leader Of
the Democratic party of Delaware. lie
served two terms in CongressF al
| though his first attempt met with
| failure. After several years OF retire
| ment in the quiet practice of the
| legal profession. he was, in 1875,
nominated for mayor by the Demo
Gratis of Wilmington and defeated
| Joshua s.. Valentine by rs majority,
quite political accomplishment at
| that time. Later he served for brief
| period In the office of prothonotary of
| New Castle county, by gubernstorial
appointment. and then was appointed
a Judge of the state courts, in which
position no remained until his death.
| Colonel whiteley was q man of splen-
did ability and enjoyed an unusual
personal popularity, even among his
political opponents.
The Democratic state Convention
nominated for Presidential Electors
John ID. Diiworth. Caleb II. sipple and
| George Hickman. Major Christopher
| vandegrift was chairman OF the con-
ventfon. John Dale. Robert W. Rey-
| nolds and William Cannon--thc lat
| ter was. in 1862, elected governor by
the Union Republican party--were
vice e-presidenta, and John l.. Bewiey.
James Ponder and Thomas NJ. OgIe.
| secretaries. All these are familiar
| names. and 1t will be recalled that
James Ponder. as the candidate OF the
Democratic party. was elected gov
ernor in 1870. The State convention
| lndorsed Cass and Butler and the
| Baltimore platform.
At the public meetings held through
out the campaign, the Democratic
party managers made special efforts
/ TO secure soldiers OF the Mexican War
as orators, and they were, as rule.
enlivening speakers. The old City
Hall. on Market street, below Sixth,
was a favorite place for holding night
| meetings in this city.
Democrats Were Hopeful
The little election" in October,
| gave considerable encouragement to
the Democrats, as they carried S1ls-
sex county by majority of los and
cut the whig majority in New Castle
down to 115. and that of Kent to Is.
leaving a whig majority in the State
of only %. The Van Buren Barn
burners" were not in evidence at that
election.
| The Democratic ticket in New
Castle county contained names that
may sound familiar to readers of to-
DAY. 1t was as follows:
State Senator-James Delaplaine.
/ sentatiyes-Thomas Clyde,
Abraham Boys, Alexander Nj. Biddle,
Nathan T. Boulden. F'redus Pening-
ton, Christopher Brooks, Auley Lore.
Levy Court Commissioners-John
n Lewis. Wilmington hundred.
F.! Isaac s. Elliott, Brandywine; Benja-
min Hartley, Christiana; John Smith,
New Castle; David McCaliister, Pen
cader.
Sheriff-Isaac Grubb,
/ Coroner--Isaac Janvier.
While the "Barnburners" did not
figure in the local contests. they put
an Electoral ticket in the field, con-
sisting of jeremiah w. Duncan, Jo-
seph Lindsay and Alexander I'll. Dixon.
1t was meagrely supported. however,
receiving only rs votes in New Castle
county and &C IL Kent, a total of IA.
Anothe Triumph.
Election day. 5iay. November I,
witnessed another Whig triumph. The
usual advance tactics We're indulged
in; the issues of the party papers
bristling with admonitions to party
workers to get out the voses and
watch sharply for fraudulent tactics
by their opponents. 1t is quite signifl-
cant in view of these regulation warn
ings on the eve of the election, to
note that there were no serious intima-
tions afterwards Of actual fraud or
violence. 1t is to be presumed, there
fore, that the election was fair.
The Wings, as usual. carried the
state, giving General Taylor "a ma
4 iority Of 374 in New Castle and 161 in
Kent, while Sussex went for Cass bv
10, leaving a net whig majority of
522.
Bitterly the Delaware Gazette be-
moaned the defeat of the Democratic
party in both State and Nation. II
charged that in Wilmington 'the
manufacturing and moneyed inter-
ests We're against us. and that eve
were defeated by detection in our own
ranks among those of whom it wa I