Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-25

the term uf Senator Riddle. and his
son. Thomas p. Bayard. for the full
term beginning on the fourth day of
March ensuing. ON that day. in the
Senate at Washington, James A. Bay
ard completed his service and gave
way to Thomas 2. Bayard. who then
entered upon HE successful and not
able public career which shed such
lustre unun his state. and made him
one Of the conspicuous and popular
leaders ~ the Democratic party Of
the country.
Disaster In 1879.
But disaster came upon the Demo
cratic party. Ia State and nation, two
years later, at the Presidential cleo
tiun Of 1879. The opening prospects
we're most promising. The country
was deeply stirred al the scandals of
the Grant administration. and despite
the popularity of the President. there
was open revolt In the Republican
party. The Liberal Republican party
was formed. with many prominent
Republicans in its leadership. and
might have proved furmida Bile but for
its disa appointing nomination Of Hor-
ace Greeley. editor OF the New York
Tribune. for President. stIi. this open
revolt gave announcement 20 the
Democrats
Most amazing vfas the sequel. N
was not supposed the Democratic Ma
tionai Convention. which met in Bal
timore. would dream of indorsing such
t..sI
party as Greeley had been, such an
ardent Abolitiunist, but that is what
the convention did. Senator Bayard,
as a delegate from this State, vigor-
oualy protested against such an un-
democratic course, but n sort of mid
summer madness, like unto that from
which the Democratic party suffered
disastrously years later. seized upon
the convention delegates. and the fatal
step was taken. The convention in
dorsed Hosace Greeley and his as
sociate on the Liberal Republican
ticket. II. Gratz Brown of Missouri.
Great Democratic Revolt
Disastrous was the result of this
folly. Democrats everywhere re-
preston in the nomination, by a ma
tional convention, of what was called
"Straight-out" Democratic ticket,
with Charles O'Connor OF New York
for President and Charles Francis
Adams of Massa chusetts for Vice
President. The bulk of the Democratic
vote at the election, however. was
cast for Greeley and Brown, although
thousands of Democrats did not go
near the polls. There was an O'Con-
nor and Adams ticket in Delaware, |
but il received only a small vote.
Delaware slumped. as Well as other
States. Grant being Overwhelmingly
reelected, and placed itself in the Re-
publican column, also electing James
X. Lofland, Republican to Congress
by majority of about GOO over Custis |
W. Wright, of Georgetown, the Demo |
cratic nominee. who had been Secre- |
tary of State under Governor Sauls- |
bury. The Democrats. however, saved |
their legislative tickets in Kent and |
Sussex counties and thus kept the |
Legislature out of Republican control. |
Enter the Assessment Law.
assessment law, primarily designed TO |
make 1t difficult for Negroes to vote.
1t made payment of county tax
prerequisite to voting, with provision
that a taxable returned as an error for
non-payment could not be restored to
the assessment lists for two years
thereafter. Negroes would not pay the
tax and Democratic collectors would
not allow the Republican party to pay
for them, insisting upon payment in
person. and thus the Republican party
lost the full value of its otherwise
faithful Negro contingent. This law
was a subject of bitter contention for
years, but so good Republican as the
late Anthony Higgins once publicly
declared that il was a fair enactment.
Frequently Democratic collectors were
put TO much difficulty in evading
Negroes who desired to pay their
capitation tax and thus save their
votes, and the late Archibald Givin,
collector for the Northern district In
this city, was indicted in the United
states Court on a charge of obstruct-
ing Negroes in this manner, and on
conviction was fined $4,000. This.
however, was the only case OF the
kind under the law that got into court
It remained the bulwark of the Demo-
cratic party in Delaware until it gave
place 10 the present laws, and, strange
10 say this radical change, from
partisan point of view, was under
Democratic authority in the Constitu-
tional Convention of 1897.
Back to Victory In 1874.
But despite the severe reverse of
1872. the ensuing State campaign of