Year: 1876

|


Mr.. EDITOR Since the very distin-
J. guished gentleman who has the honor
to be the candidate for the Sherifalty on


the Republican ticket has shown fond


ness for newspaper notoriety as we'll as


his friends for him, having had the use


of two papers all the time and sometimes


three, ever keeping bis pane fresh be-


fore the public in some shape-but the


most noticeable feature of which is the


speech made by himself at meeting in


Brandywine Hd. some days since, pub


lished verbatim for bis beneft-he will


certainly not complain if we take part


in something of the same sort. Some


times people show their wisdom by keep


ing quiet, and we are inclined to think


it would have been better for him had


he done SO. Why, we might suppose


from the tone of that self-extolling


speech, that his trumpeter was dead, or


that he thought everybody fools except


himself, and that no one had any recol-


lections of what transpired within the


last fifteen years of which he speaks Of


carrying a mortgage of $40, 900 on a


nice farm, and keeping the interest paid


like man.


Since he has taken SO much pains to


show how very poor and deserving he is


and that Mr.. Grubb had. or would have


had at some time, (and be failed to show


which, about $4,000, let US look back


little and see what be has had to pay


his interest with. In 1868 to 1864 he


was Collector and Constable of New Cas-


tie Hundred, out of which with his good


management and industry we would
suppose he would have saved near
$4,000; after the expiration Of the term
Of Office there was no opportunity Of his
getting hold of the public tit again until
after the election Of Grant. But on the
4th of March, 1869. Grant was inaug-
urated and in less than four months Mr..
McM. was appointed to better Office
Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue
which be held for four years. That
Office being vacated and all others being
occupied, there seemed to be no alter
native but be must be relieved for
awhile; but how long was he contented
with his nice farm and no Office? Why
in less than sixty days from the time he
made his last draw upon the public
funds for the balance of his 48 months
pay and which being the last Of little
less than $500 he had drawn from |
that same source, be announced himself |
as candidate for sheriff, and will, no
doubt, think it hard if poor, worthy, |
industrious fellow like him should fail |
to capture that amount of the public
money awaiting the next Sheriff.


Now, We would like to know if this
amount Of public money. in addition to
the annual income of nice farm, would
not loosen the grip Of that mortgage
which he has used as an electioneering
pretext for the last three years. In the
name Of common sense and reason, what
kind Of fastening has it? And another
objection We might offer to the gentle
man being elected to the Office be seeks
is the hope expressed by some Of his
colored friends, little over two years
ago. Of having their color represented in
that Office in the form Of deputy. in
the event Of bis election, in order to ex-
plain how this hope became known, it
will be necessary to refer to a meeting
held at Browntown by some Of the col.
ored men, for the benefit of a certain
candidate, and which was not intended
to be public, but made SO by the intru-
sion Of some of Mr.. McMullen's friends
who being over jealous for his success
and for the defeat Of other candidates,
availed themselves Of this opportunity
Of putting up a job on them and Of
which the Every Euening gave us brief
account at the time. At the meeting
alluded to. colored man by the name
of Peter S. Blake. who was at the time,
and is yet, we presume. in the employ
Of, and at the disposal Of John M. Dunn,
Esq, who is, no doubt, one of Mr.. Nc
Mullen's friends, put in an appearance.
and. in the form Of a speech. made quite
an effort to excite the candidate present
to a reply, but failing SO to do. showed
plainly by his actions, after the meeting
that lie had not yet fulfilled
the mission on which his master had
sent him, and placing himself between
said candidate and the door made per-
sonal attack upon him as he came out,
to which attack the candidate indig-
nantly replied:


"Blake, l have no talk for you, am
at the full extent of my errand. These
people invited me to come cut here in
order that some of them might have an
Of seeing me, and l know
rs much about what you are here for as
they that sent you-to pick something
out Of me that you can run around this
town with. making capital against me,
and | want no clash with you." To
which Blake replied:


II don't want any clash with you,
Mr.. Candidate, but we did think you
might answer our questions. All we
want to know is, if you are elected
sheriff, would you make colored man
your deputy ?"


Candidate-"If 1 was your choice,
'r, if your candidate was here, there
would be no questions asked"


To which Blake clearly and smphat- (
cally replied:


"Wo have waited on our candidate
ind be answers all our questions salts
actorilly."


Now what did all this mean 2 Was
I to get some hold on the candidate
present by which to defeat his nomina-
ion, or was it to secure a pledge for
another candidate for the colored de- +
,uty, in case the first should not be 9
nominated


The reader must draw bis own con-
,lusions. But to say the least, it was
.ertainlv the strangest. If not the sharn-