Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-22
OUR SENATORS side BY side
A Correspondent Pictures the
Sharp Contrasts.
HIGGINS SENATORIAL CAREER
1t is Nearly All in the Line of
Chasing for Office.
Some Anonymous Reckless Republican
Growers Sharply Answered by Bring
Ing Higgins Poor 4 achievements In
Contrast With Senator Gray's Brilliant
Career.

communications, believed to have been
inspired by the Higgins Literary Bureau,
have appeared in some of the obscure
down state Republican papers, aimed
ut Senator Gray. One article in ques-
ton sought to make a crime out OF his
connection, as counsel, with the Pennsyl-
vania railroad and had an unpleasant
word or two about an informal rccep-
ton given the Senator at Rehoboth.
Dr.. Edward Fowler, in the current issue
of the Laurel Gazette, takes up the matter
over his own signature and very cleverly
presents the contrast between Senator
Gray and Senator Higgins and their
official records. Much of it is quite
worth quoting:
"* OF course 1t would have
have been more satisfactory, possibly to
this imaginary farmer himself had the
writer cited some instances in the career
OF these gentlemen, where Mr.. Gray by
voice or vote, ever obeyed the behests of
corporate power, or where Mr.. Higgins
ever voted in the interest of the people
in defiance Of the demand of monopoly.
But as this would have required micro
scopic investigation of records of CON
gress which few could employ, il was
easier TO deal in general platitudes and
trust to the credulity of the readers.
ut seldom happens, we must admit,
that set of officials and expectanis
journey to the commercial metropolis
, of the country 10 give eclat TO the re-
turn Of gentleman who, with thou
sands of others, has crossed the Atlan-
tic; and have tried to transform in the
Imagination of the public an ordinary
| inHlNrIlnul into .ntn,ttf tnt x..tth
subjects ever ready to do him reverence.
Yet il is no uncommon thing, indeed
| almost an annual occurrence, that
liberal and hospitable gentleman
at Lewes summons one or more of
our public men, with few personal
| friends, to rustic feast or salt water
excursion. And this was never magni-
fled INTO an event of national signiti-
| canoe until it was found needful to
contrast its simplicity with tho magniti-
| ccnce OF the sycophantic display above
referred to. And moreover, it appears,
the great disparity of these events has
set the people thinking, and as the re.
suit Of this thinking the Republican
senator may pose ms the peoples friend,
the peoples idol, in whom centres the
hopes Of the popular veal, while his
| Democratic colleague is merely the
| plant tool of corporation.
"Great lIeavens Is it possible Do
these gentlemen who set such drivel
atloat imagine that the people know
nothing Of the proceedings of the last
congress? Do they idly dream that the
eye of the country was not attracted by
the grand figure, in the person of the
Democratic Senator from Delaware
standing day after day and night after
night, in the very front ranks of the
contestants, battling ably and heroically,
to prevent an increase Of the burdens Of
the people. And where was Mr.. Hig-
gins all this time? Voting steadily with
the Representatives and beneficiaries of
the cotton mills and iron factories Of
| the north in their too successful attempts
| TO increase the tax upon the necessities
of the people from AZ to 80 per cent.
| Why, the very first remarks of his which
remember seeing given, in extenso, TO
the public, were in advocacy of doubling
the tax on tin plate. And, while there
is no rebate on the increased list of the
| poor mans kitchen utensils or the lab
orers pail, yet, the Standard Oil Com
pany, one of those giant monopolies
that furnish Republican campaign
funds IN return for such legislation as
they demand, has since paid on their
enormous importation of tin-plate tax
of 81 ,250,O00, and in accordance with a
law which Mr.. Gray opposed and Mr..
Higgins helped to enact, have had re-
funded to them 30 per cent of this sum.
This is only Que illustration of a
score that might be adduced to demon
strate which is the tool of monopoly
and which the true friend and conseryi-
tor of the interests of the people.
Now, do not write because of a
claim TO be particularly intimate with
Mr.. Gray; am personal acquaintance
and personal friend, nothing more
And, happily for him, his fame and
reputation need no bostering by such
imputent hands as mine. Yet, as thi.
spiteful assault is doubtless the inau.
guration of partisan crusade designed
to lower him in the public esteem with
the end in view of comprising his defea
two years hence, | will sci these gentle
men task which it would be well fol
them to accomplish before they proceec
further in their disinterested and pa
triotic endeavor would ask them tC
name the man from Delaware or else
HAiNANf NhlAIA llOlil luG Wink
of private life, and placed in the Senat,
of the United States, there to compel,
with the best minds of the nation, who
i'll the course of twelve-month or so
leaped into such prominence and leader
ship as has signalized the career of Sena
tor Gray. | would ask them TO designate
the lawyer possessed of scarcely NOR
than local reputation, who, given tn
, first opportunity to display his power
in less than two years was the choic
} of many of the ablest men Of the Ian,
, for chief Justice of the Supreme Cour
! of this great nation. And | will asl
any one at all conversant with the de
bates in the Senate for the last fey
years, to point to the member of tina
august body whose opinion on lega
1 points is more eagerly sought or NOR
( highly respected. Nay, let them tel
me Of q man whose fame as q lawyer
. orator and statesman is more trul
I national, and we might say extra
j national. Why | would even hesitat
> to except my friend, Mr.. Bayard, hi
. illus,rious predecessor who was easil
= prime inter pares in the Senate and I
whom ! believe posterity will award tn
need of being the ablest and be-
/. equipped statesman who has ever az
! minstered the affairs Of the State d,
+ partment since the days Of Marcy an
: Black.
!. Notwithstanding the truth Of all tn
a it may be right to make several candi
admissions. We must acknowledg
v after all, that Mr.. Gray has been lamen
!. ably derelect in some very importai
" lines of duty, lie seems to have attende
30 assiduously 10 the duties which pr,
perly pertain to his position and for Il
v discharge of which he draws his salar