Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-27

| az CuunEelt Waa rudelY showed down
the steps by some deputy marshals
1gnatius G. Grubb, more fortunate
made his way TO the office. and I'm a
few minutes the trouble there was
Strengthened out and Mayor whiteley
was permitted tu peacefully take his
| departure. What a shout went up
from the assembled Democrats down
stairs. who would have rushed Ia his
side in very few minutes had he
not appeared when he did. The ex-
element soon died out and the day
ended in peace.
JOY Followed by Despair.
Glorious was the Democratic vic
tory of 1876. The Democratic ma
iority In Della ware was more than
5000, with Legislature unanimously
Democratic. And that night Delaware
Democrats rejoioed most riotously I'm
the firm belief that not only had they
carried their State. bit that Samuel
| J. Tilden had been elected President
/. of the United States. Now we know
| how the latter expectation was shat
tered by the trend of subsequent
/ events
| But all Democrats were confident.
even hopeful. Of Tilden emerging
victor in the dispute over the elec-
torai votes of South Carolina. LOUISE
ana and Florida. Only one Iissenter
| lid | ever come across. That was the
late Edward II. Singles Of this city.
| On the way "a New Castle. the follow
| Ing Thursday. 10 attend the meeting
II the Board Of Canvass. he talked
| over the situation with me i'm the
most peasimistic manner There's no
use talking" he doioronaly declared.
the Republicans viii get all three Of
| those States and steal tho Presidency ;,
| ] laughed him to scorn, but he per-
sisted m his gloomy belief The Elec-
| toral Commission gave all three ~ tho
| disputed States 90 Hayes and Wheeler.
and they were declared elected.
How Majority Was Cut Down.
And now for the incident ~ the vote
In the Sixth ward. which was known
10 only three men at the time. was re-
veaJed Ia very few afterwards. and
now appears in print for the FIRST
time. II was somewhat disrapu-
table affair, but was entered into with
the doubtful plea that the end jus
tifies the means
The loo Republican ma ioritv in
Wilmington at the city election was
source Of uneaeiness 10 the Demo
cratic campaign managers. and they
atudied earnestly to discover means
for cutting It down hrrvily in Mo-
venber. The Sixth wfrd. with it's
Republican margin OF 2s3 in Sep
tember. was ono OF the objects of
their strategy. And there they ae-
eompiished a really remarkable re-
sulf. When the count Of votes was
completed there. in the early hours of
the next morning. the result was
found 10 be Il Republican majority Of
only 164 for the head of the ticket.
The Republican election officers were
astounded. and insisted upon n re-
count, and being in the majority, had
their way. The second count Tailed
exactly with the first. and reluctantly
the disa ppointed Republicans accepted
the result. They had confidently ex-
pected at least 400 majority there.
How was this voting miracle work
edY In very easy manner. A
trusty agent conferred with three
good Negro Republican workers of
the ward and made them an offer Of
s25 apiece down and SIS apiece
after the election, If the Republican
majority did not go above $50. The
offer was accepted
These traitorous Negroes worked in
this simple manner Provided with
packages of ballots-single tickets
We're used then--each tucked bunch
of Democratic tickets beneath the Re-
publican ones. As Negro approach
ed. he would be handed a ballot, fold
cd, which he accepted without aues-
ton, having no doubt of the source
from which 1t came. and deposited in
the ballot-box. The three conspirators
simply dealt from the bottom" and
they were not even suspected of
duplicity during the entire day
This Is how the Sixth ward Repub-
hcan majority was so generously re-
duced at that election. 1t was NOT
brought down to the limit agreed upon
IN the corrupt bargain, but the Demo-
cratic agent paid to each black Judas
the additional SIS. 1t was disrcp-
utabie trick, nevertheless, and it is |
a satisfaction to know that the Dem |
ocratic tide was so high and strong
that Democratic victory would have
prevailed in New Castle county even
without this unsavory transaction.
Republicans Knocked Ont.
The Republicans were so disheart-
eped by their crushing defeat at this
election that they made no real or
ganized opposition in the 1878 cam
paign. They placed no State and
Congress ticket in the field. and
those Republicans who felt an in
ciination to vote at the election voted |
for kensey Johns Stewart of Sussex
county for governor and John G. |
Jackson of Hockessin for Congress. thel
ticket of the Greenback- Labor party |
which the few faithful followers of
that erratic political conglomeration /
had placed in the field. With this
small Republican support that ticket |
polled about $500 votes, but the DEM |
ocratic ticket. composed of John w. |
Hall of F'rederiea for governor and I
Edward l.. Martin of Seaford for Rep /
resentative in Congress, was over /
whelmingly elected, after a duh and
spiritless campaign.
Court House Removal Fight.
The Legislature then chosen was,
of course, unanimously Democratic.
and its session, in 1879. was marked