Evening journal., 1888-12-13
THE SENATE SPEAKER.
The Ridgley-R Contest Aban-
doned-The Contest for Speaker and
Clerk.
BY Letter:to EVENING JOURNAL

doned-The Contest for Speaker and
Clerk.
BY bettersto EVENING JOURNAL
DOVER, Del. Dec. 13.-A meeting of the
anti-Saulsburyites was held on Tuesday
last to consider the question Of contest
ing A. B. Richardson's seat. Taat this
band of brigand politicians actually con
templated the grand larceny OF a
senator is proved by this meeting.
The thought that entered their heads a
few months ago and which was consider.
ally injured by an EVENING JOURNAL.
correspondent at the time has never left
them. Almost weekly consultations have
been held, having in view
this contest. Tuesday was the last
day upon which notice could be served
upon Mr. Richardson. the law requiring
contest TO be made twenty days before
the sitting Of the Legislature At the
meeting of these mares nest discover
1t was communicated to them that the
Judiciary was against their scheme as it
against all other larcenies
The contest for speaker of the Senate
among the seven Democrats in that body
/ grows in interest as New Years day ap-
! proaches Dover town will have It's
liveliest New Years eve in its history
this year. The caucuses of both parties
Will be held that evening. The contest
Tor speaker has narrowed down to Sena-
tors Dorman and Lewis Senator Crossen,
! Of New Castle county ii is understood. IS
out Of tho fight and will not make any
contest for the position, feeling that he
has no show, as Kent county is deter
mined to secure the earth" If she can.
The brilliant little scheme of Hawkins Of
Camden to make combination with Son
ator Ferguson of New Castle county. to
elect himself clerk has panned out like
his brain shallow.
The contest between Dorman and
Lewis therefore bids fair TO be settled on
the first or second ballot and no odds
what other candidates may appear one Of
these gentlemen will be the next speaker
Of the higher body Of the states law
makers Senator Lewis is admitted bv
nearly everyone that was in Dover two
years ago to be by far the best qualified
man for the position. He is pre-. emf
nently the superior OF his associates, both
in intelligence and ability and would
make an impartial presiding officer In
Kent county he will secure the vote Of
his colleague, Collins, in your county.
Ferguson and lie has but one moro vote to
secure from Senators Donahoe Bacon and
Crossen, and as these three gentlemen
hold the key to the situation, it is at
them that both Senator's Lewis and Dor
man are bending their energies. Dor
mans hope lies in a great measure in the
fact that the contest for clerk among the
Kent county candidates for the position
will be apt TO force the speakership out
of that county and into Sussex and as
Senator Bacon is not a candidate, his
chances would be by far improved This
is not likely to occur however.
This fight for clerk has its amusing
| features Here are FIVE candidates saving
all manner Of hard things about each
other. all belonging to the same faction
and all claiming that the Office belongs
to them as a matter Of right.
Frank Dunn has the best show of the
five, there is no doubt. The other four
have little if any show for the position.
Hobson is a barnacle,that has clung to the
party for position since the memory Of
man runneth not to the contrary.
He has been both Salisbury an |
anti salisbury as occasion suited. Ker-
bin, we'll he is young and can wait.
Hawkins, the man of "gsll" is useful as
tool, that is all, nothing more, and Roe
who completes the quintette has become
such chronic office-seeker that his can
didacy has been looked upon as part Of
the usual program in q contest. Sussex
has two candidates, John Gray of Bridge
VILE John is clever fellow, but unfor-
tunately there are not enough votes of his
kind to elect him and his only possible
vote is Bacon's and should that be needed
elsewhere it win travel in that direction.
Robert C. White, Esq, Of Georgeto xn.
is ain the field and confident. He has
been in Wilmington the past few days,
doing considerable hustling and is liable to
develop into candidate of some strength.
In New Castle county Abram Vandegrift,
brother of Lewis Cass Yandegrift, is the
only announced candidate, but he like
some Of the Kent men don't draw much
water. There are severly dark horses in
| fight and there need not be much sur
prised that on the night of the caucus
there should appear a candidate who
should get there" who has not yet been
mentioned