Daily Republican., 1879-04-24
Mr.. Bates'C ndidacS

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agines we have cast upon him in an
article relating TO the appointment OF
Insurance Commissioner. Our cores
pendent states that in no strict sense
was Mr.. Bates candidate, hut that he
was brought out by his friends, those
most interested in insurance and that
80 far as he was concerned he was alto,
gether in the hands OF his friends'
The communication elsewhere however
will explain itself, and to it we would
call the attention of our readers. Ic
do Mr.. Bates an injustice was the far
thest from our thoughts, and that We
have done SO admits OF a difference Of
opinion. Ii Mr.. Bates was really not
a candidate for Insurance Commissioner
and We are assured that he was not
OF his own accord, the canvass was
certainly carried on in a very spirited
manner in favor of one who was nc
can lidate. 1t is no doubt true that he
was brought out by his frisnds and
urged TO accept the appointment against
his will, perhaps against his best Judg
ment, but generally when a man con
sents to allow the use of his name by
his friends for an Office, that moment
in our estimation he becomes candi-
date, and his candidacy is as much
open to criticism, both favorably and
unfavorably as if he had been before
anxious to receive the appointment anc
had urged his friends to advance hi
claims for the office.
We wish to say right here, that Mr.
Bates stands high in his profession as
lawyer, and is a gentleman entitled t'
the grsate:t respect in the profession il
whic he il engaged, and under othe
circumstances would have made al
unexceptional Insurance Commissioner
but at the present time it cannet be de
MED that there were very strong rea
sons why he should not have receivec
the appointment. and also reasons VIII.
we should have written as we did abou
his failure to receive it. Perhaps ther
are many who like US will wonder VIII,
Mr.. Bates should have been singled
out and urged to accept the appoint
ment, when there We're so many othe
gentlemen in Wilmington as well qual
flied as lie. Benjamin Niplds, Esq.
and r. c. Fraim Esq, are said to /
amongst the b'st and most expert cal
cu'ators III insurance matters in tn
CITY and then there are NJ. NJ. Child
Hon. VIC. WAiteley,I. c. Grubb, Esq.
H. R. Pennington, Esq, W. H..Rrynold
and q number more we might nam
. fully qualified, who might have beel
, brought forward by the friends of hon
est insurance, and against none Q
them could the obi ,ctions be brough
that could be against the appointment
of Mr.. Bates. 1t is generally accepted
fact that the latter gentleman is one O
the main stock holders of tie "Evel,
Evening" Printing Company, and get
the credit sometimes, of writing man
Of the editorials which appear in tina
paper.
1t is also well known that the Ever,
! Evening" is at variance with one O
t the Insurance Companies Of this city
and that every possible effort has beel
, made by that paper to crush the Irsu
rance Company referred to out of exis
tence, and unless they have been with
drawn there are even now several lbe
suits pending between the real edito
. of that paper and several officers of sal
f company. This naturally, of course
c stirred up the friends of that compan
to oppose the appointment of Mr.. Bates
. and we are not surprised at that whe
we take into consideration the tremer
) dous efforts made by the paper wit
0 which Mr.. Bates is prominently connet
ted to break up the Delaware Stat
a Fire Insurance company. Under thes
= circumstances it should not be though
{ strange that there were many person
, who doubted whether Mr.. Bates coul
e be an impartial Insurance Commis
= sioner. In support Of this we have til
e best of authority for saying that Nj
Bates wrote 10 the Governor in suppOl
y Of his claims for the office, saying j
! substance that the only opposition
Y his appointment as Insurance Commi
n sioner came from the Delaware Sta
d Fire Insurance Company, and that W;
a company Of so little consequence TIL
it should not be taken into consider
tion.
It This smacks little like being
: candidate. Mr.. Bates and his frienc
e should not wonder at the opposite
e raised against him under all these CT
= cumstarces and the fact thathe shoul
= have been singled out for appointmel