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The Democratic Primaries

About This Item

  • Title: The Democratic Primaries
  • Date: 21 September 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.00842
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 21 September 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Thara Michaelis Tara Ballard Stephanie Blalock Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "The Democratic Primaries." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.00842.xml (TEI)
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THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES—THE WAR OF THE ROSES.1—

Pursuant to the direction of the Vanderbilt and Bradley Standing Committees, their respective supporters in the wards and towns of the City of Brooklyn and County of Kings assembled last evening at their favorite places of meeting—the former between the hours of 5 and 7, the latter between 6 and 8—and elected delegates to County, Congressional and Assembly Nominating Conventions. This separation of the rival factions works well in several respects—it has a happy effect on the public peace and prevents that vile practice of stuffing of ballot boxes which is certain to be resorted to when each side assembles at the same time and place, and attempts to vote the other down. So far as we have heard, the elections were unattended by any disturbances. At each place of meeting some excitement was noticeable in the desire to poll as many votes as possible, so that each might claim to represent the majority of the party, but nothing of note occurred.

We have not taken the trouble to procure lists of the delegate elected, because in the main such lists would be uninteresting, and besides before our paper goes to press some of the Conventions will have met and finished up their business—there being a sort of scrub race to see which shall enter the field first with their nominations, and thus throw the onus of rejecting or confirming the ticket on the Convention which assembles last. Thus far the Vanderbilt men have managed to take the lead.

In the 13th ward Mr. Samuel K. Hoggett's name heads the County ticket of the Bradley men, and also stands second on the list of Congressional Nominators. We have heard it said that Sam is quite open in his denunciations of Wm. B. Maclay, whom he regards as a base ingrate in not having secured him (Sam) a situation in the Custom House.2 Maclay, however has set his heart upon procuring a renomination, and if he finds Sam's opposition is likely to endanger his prospects he will find means to quiet him. We have heard of the Honorable Bill giving to obscure gentlemen, formerly of the Emerald Isle, gold watches with their names neatly engraved on the inner case, in order to silence their rebellious tongues, and of such marked generosity having had the most sedative effect on its recipient. Mr. Maclay will get the nomination—never fear.

Notes:

1. Whitman’s titular allusion refers to the English Wars of the Roses, which denotes a series of civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster from 1455 to 1485. [back]

2. William B. Maclay (1812–1882) was a state representative for New York in the 35th Congress. [back]

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