Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-01-03
THE BOSS CAUCUS OF ALL
HOW THE HOUSE aPEaKERsuYp
WEET BEGGING.
DECLINED BY BOTH COUNTIES
TIE SENATE Also suRsEisss sny.
ERAI PE0f,IjE,@

ERAL pE6i.DE.
Z Dr. Lewis for speaker and SbrS -,
n vAndcgrifs for s,ierl-Kent mn,
Sussex Hepublicans Spa.rriuR fny.
Advantage in the sennt0r,nI EIzh
special Correspondence OF Gazette and ,Iournai
DOVER, Jan. The nninv,t,n,,
weather did not prevent crowd collect,
Ing here yesterday afternoon that taxsd
the capacity of Dover's three hotels. The
Capitol Hotel especially, as usual was
filled to Overlooking and rumors. more or
lsss definite of the fue work that me
friends of each aspirant for the poaitioDs
connected with the organization of the
two houses, kept that centre OF Doyer's
life In continual agitation. Combinations
and rumofs Of combinations were indus
tricusly set on foot by the ubiquitous
buttonholing brigades, but none Of tho
rumors would bear tracing to solid
foundation and, when shortly after 8 d,
M, the actual oaucusing hogan, the
safest prognostieators admitted that thew
were still at sea as to the outoon Q, or
courBe the situation was much compu
catei by the different political com
plexibnl OF The Two hodi5s, and the at,
teEdgpt crowd / wasia blsoi tho mos.
mixed that Dover ever saw on such et dtsf-
d bion.t nowevel,t eeYafYfhinke Must hsyk
on end, and the sefen DttaoaNip men !,
GERS o. tho Ser ate, Notwithstanding ii Was
understood tliAt they n|ent ihto cAuons
with four OF their nutAberl Mesars.
Orossan, Dorman, Ferguson and Lewis,
perfectly willing to be chosen to preside,
sitter being closeted in their chamber
about ~ hours, came out with the an
nouncemsnt Of tho following ticket
For speaker, DIR. Benlah L. Lewis OF
Kent county, nominated on the third
ballot.
For elerk, Ahram yandegritt Of New
Oastle county, nominated on the fourth
ballot.
For Bsrgeant-at.srms, Robert B. Work
man Of Sussex, nominated ON the second
ballot.
For chaplain, the Rev. Z. z. Williams,
Baptist, Of Dover.
For page Walter Stewards Dover.
speaker Levin issa hohajug over mem.
her, apd, preyiunB TO his els6tion ne saps
tor, was memhar,ot the lIGhae, ia 1888
4 He thus brings 10 the ohSir tho aid OF
three terms OF experiences in Legislative
Affairs. Ths contest WAS undarAtoUd dur.
ing the asssfnooti to lie bstween him and
Senator Dofilian, add rnmor kept sea-
saving FIRST ono and then the other, up
and down with something OF bewidering
i-reRulsrity. Faotionally, so far US tho
speaker and clerk are concerned the
Wolcoit men are conceded to have carried
of the honors.
IN tho House caucus the Republicans
held regular watch meeting and the
New Year bells had RING before any news
safe TO tie 10 came from the room Two
hours before the ruInor that MpKendrea
DownhaIn had been chosen for speaker
found general acceptance. Half all hour
after midnight il leaked out, to be con-
tradicted, reiterated, aud gradually ac-
oepted as Trustworthy, that John ii. Hof-
feeksr OF Smyrna, had carried OF the
prize. Precisely what this meant, and
how far II cnnld he takAn ma a pointer, In
ita bearing or the forthcoming struggle
for United States senator, gave rise to
considerable discussion. II WAS granted
that MIR. Ho1ecker ia personally In favor
of George V. Massey, Esq, and certainly
the friends Of that gentleman seemed to
have the last right to crew; but, on the
other hand, there were one or two who
urged that the nomination should really
be Interpreted as piece of fine work in
the interest of Mr.. Treat, the Sussex
members being represented Rs practising
self denial in the organization in order to
be freer to push their claims TO the privi.
lege Of naming the senator. The burthen
Of feeling, however, among the outsiders
was that there was really nothing OF this
sacrificing the bird in the hand for two il
the bush, to be set down to the credit Of
Sussex in this proceeding
At As a. IN. the House caucus is still
In session, but il has been given out thai
all the nominations have been made, al
follows:
For speaker, John d. Hofecker o.
Smyrna,
sehiF For clerk, William A. Gum of Sussex
For sergeant alarms, Robert b. Sim
F@ chaplain, the Rev. ,J.iEJ Kidney
Methodist, of Wyoming.
For page, JqsephtL Bonsah, Dover.
THEY DECLINED THE HONOR.
For long time during the protractet
session OF the House caucus there was 4
we'll defined and uncontradicted rumoi
that McKendree Downham of George
town had been nominated for speaker
And II was true. For Downham nae
been nomiEated--on the first ballot II Il
reliably statsd-by q vote OF to foi
John FL. Hoffecker.
But trouble instantly followed. The
Kent delegation expressed its cissatisfac
ton at the result. "Well, gentlemen,
was the reply from Sussex, name yeul
choice for clerk and we will nominast
him.
This was q poser for the Kent men
,1ta IN
= were Henry L. ,Hynson, son Of ReRteseE
tatiye HsnsSn, and Behiah u Watson
+, And the delegation did ,uct Want, for OBJ
yloua ressops, 10 choose either IL fact
Ii Kent did not want tbs ulerkship, ant
also did net want sgch tlistiaetiyhl'
Treat man as Downham for speaker. Ba
how TO get out Of the dilemma Kent di9
NO. era"'lr know.
Fna"y Do Suham settled the disaans
faus.o.. 40 fl.r as he YVES concerned Dl
peremptorily declining the Nomination
for speaker. Then it became poser wht
to nominate to succeed him, for by thi:
time both Kent and Sussex hsd become
afraid to accept either speaker or CLERK
Each wanted the other 10 take both, 81
as to leave a clear field for q reasonable
claim to tho senatorship. After awhile
Representative William e. Davis Of Ken
was nominated for speaker, by aeciama
ton.
But Mr.. Davis was not satisfied. III
is said TO be very much of free iahS'
on the senatorship = not psrtisulafll
favorable to either Massey, Higgins ~.
Treat. His nomination, even though !
was made without opposition, met WIZ
growing comments, which Mr: Dayi
promptly suppressed by following Mr
bownham's example and peremptorii!