Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-01
s.al correspondence d eazette ana journal


Senate, next Monday night, to choose
the various officers Tor the General AS
sembly TO be elected next day, bids fair
70 be one of the greatest "or-gan-i-za-
tons" ever witnessed in Dover. Each
body will choose a speaker, clerk, chap
lain, sergeant-at-arms and page, and the
candidates are legion. 1t would be i'm
possible to name them all. From Sus-
sex county alone there are at least
40 candidates for sergeant-at-arms
an average of at least three
from each hundred. New Castle
county having sustained, a political re-
verse at the last election, her Demo-
cratic patriots are very modest, and she
turns up with only five candidates for
sergeant-at-arms for the Senate and one
for the House. But the Kent and
Sussex applicants will descend upon
Dover next Monday like an army of
grass-hoppers on a Kansas corntield,
and when the battle ends at night there
will be the saddest lot Of disappointed
men the town has ever seen, each
anxious for the arrival of the earliest
train that will return him to his home.
The organization of the Senate is in
volved in much doubt. Five senators
.Donahoe Of Wilmington, Hall and Will
liams of Kent and Ross and Houston of
Sussex-will comprise the caucus, and
three votes will nominate. Senator
Donahoe is an active candidate for the
speakership, and being the onlyholding-
over majority member, is likely to be
nominated by reclamation, unless ex-
Governor John w. Hall, who was
speakero of the Senate back i'll the sixties,
desires to again occupy the exalted posi-
ton. He has been spoken to about his
candidacy, and is said to be in doubt
whether to enter the contest or not. Elk
Congressman Williams, also an ex.
speaker, is understood to be not at all
DESTROYS of the honor, and as the Sussex
senators are new members and will not
look to the speakership until next SEES
sion, Senator Donahoe will only have
Senator Hall to contend with, if he has
any opposition at all. The prevailing
opinion around Dover is that Senator
Donahoe will De the speaker, unless ex-
Governor Hall makes up his mind to
contest, in which event the outlook will
be in doubt.
For the Senate clerkship the appli-
cants are E. u. Hearn and A. F. Polk
of Georgetown, r. P. Davis of Milford,
James Hughes of Dover and W. A. G.
Hardcastle of Smyrna. The contest is
likely to settle down between Hearn
and Polk and the one who secures the
votes of the two Sussex senators, who
thus far have been extremely non-com-
initial, will stand good chance of
being nominated. Both these applicants
are unusually well qualified and either
would make good clerk. Both feel CON
fident of receiving the support of the
senators from Sussex, and probably only
the caucus will reveal which will be
disappointed.
1t will be free-for-all fight for ser
geant-at-arms, with the dozen or twenty
applicants. A special effort is being
made for James Greenlee of Harring
ton, one-armed man, who is strongly
backed by DR.. b. L. Lewis, speaker Of
the last Senate. Other applicants are
Samuel S. Curlett, Sewell b. Scott, John
M. G. Forkum and James Hickman Of
Wilmington, John Doran of Christiana
hundred, Henry b. Mitchell, Hiram
James and John B. West of Sussex
county
There is, of course, no contest for the
positions of chaplain, but the talk is that
the Rev, Penfield FiAes of the Baptist
Church will be made chaplain Of the
Senate and Presiding Elder j. a. b.
Wilson, chaplain of the House. Frank
r. Boyle and James Seaman, two bright
Dover lads, are making an active cam
vass for the position of page of the
Senate and House, respectively.
THE HOUSE ORGANIZATION.
Kent will furnish two candidates for
speaker Of the House Daniel NJ Ridge
ley and William H. HIutson. The only
Is ,IF,t
Charles Sirman Of Delmar. Ridreley
seems to be the fayoriie, but opposition
to him in the Kent delegation may send
the choice to Sussex. In this event,
Frank M. Dunn, publisher of the Dover
I,tdeT, will stand very good chance Of
being nominated for clerk But il
Ridgeley is nominated for speaker THE
clerkship Will in all probability 80 to
Sussex where Representative John
o. Truitt seems 10 be the favorite,
Ridgeley and fruitt is combination
that many Dover people are willing TO
bet on. Other applicants for tile clerk
ship are Howard Maloney Of Dover,
John Fl. Layton of Frankf0rd, b. c.
Moore Of Bridgeyille, John Ponder Of
Milton, son Of -Goyernor Ponder, and
William ii, l}pyce Of Georgetown, son
of State Auditor James II BayGc. some
who pretend 70 know, put Boyce down
as a sure winner in the clerkship fight
The only candidate for serreant-at-
arms from New Castle county is Frank
Smith, late warden ait New Castle jail
There are more from Kent and SUSSEX
than will even be named in the caucus
FoR AUDITOR AND TREASURER.
The election If State treasurer and
auditor will take place later in the ses,
sion, but the contest for the place i.
already under way. State Treasurer
Herbert is candidate for reelection
and the other candidates are cX- Senator
John b. Dorman of Milton, Dr. William
III. CuJptl Of kenton, ex-senator GBlif
B. Ferguson of Blackbifd, John y
Burton Of Dover, George Harrington
and eX-Rcpresentatiye Nicholas II
johnson Of Mispillion hundred, x-Rep
resentatiye WillHr +, Bunite Of FELTON,
Jacob 6. Giles Of Seaford, William i
Records of Laurel From this list d
unusually strong and prominent Demo
Gratis. George Harrington is put forNar,
by Dover people as winner, bur il i
going to beanyb0dy's fightun thecnd
B. B. Allen of Smyrna, brother Of eX
Sheriff Alvan Allen of New Castle
was here yesterday, starting boom 70
State auditor. This is position with
good salary and fair amount Of per
quisites and will be the object Of mucl
contention. Ex-Auditor John II. Staat
Of Blackbrd is said to be DESTROYS o
another term, and William Warden D
Kent county, and x-Representatiy
' Lemuel NAPLES Of Sussex are also ap