Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-24
The Senatorial Contest There Beoom-
ing Quite Interesting.
HOW THE LEGISLATURE WILL ORGANIZE
Higgins and Addicks Both Express
Confidence of Election.
MASSEY AS A DARK HORSE
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star

| WILMINGTON, Del, November 23 1894
| The senate ial contest In this state is
| becoming interesting. The republican VIC
| tory here does not appear TO have been
| quite as unanimous was at first sup
| posed, and 1t is not now altogether GER
| tain that Senator Higgins will become his
| own successor in the United States Senate.
| Mr.. ]. Edward Addicks the Boston gas
| syndicate millionaire who disputes with
| Senator Higgins the honor Of representing
Delaware at Washington is something of
hustler, and his friends freely predict
| that he will have a majority in the repub-
ican joint caucus when ii meets at Dover
| in January. Many and strange are the
moves made daily on the political checker
board, and the wisest among the prophets
cannot clearly read the handwriting on
| the wall.
| A Small Body.
The Delaware legislature Is a small body
| OF men, the house Of representatives con-
| tanning but twenty-one members-seven
| from each of the three counties in the
| state. Sessions are biennial, and repre-
sentatives are chosen for each meeting.
The senate is composed of three from each
county. and one of the three hold Office for
| four years, there being three hold-over
senators at each session. This year the re-
lublicans have elected all the representa-
uNcS lFC1n newcastle aHG sussex COcnue0
| and one from kent-iifteen in all, the DEM
| ocrats securing the other six in Kent coun-
| ty The three hold-over senators are all
| democrats, and on the face of the returns
the two new Kent county senators are OF
| the same political persuasion. The New
castle senators are republican, and there
| is dispute and threatened contest over
| the two senatorial seats from Sussex
county.
The republicans will also contest the
seats OF the democrats-elect from Kent
county because of certain shady trans
actions OF the democratic board of regis
| trars. And these contests hinge a
| pretty fight over the selection of United
| States Senator. The republicans have q
clear majority on joint ballot, however
| the contests may terminate; bat in the
| contest between Higgins and Addicks for
| control of the republican caucus these con-
| tested seats will play an important part.
Contests TO BE Made.
The republicans will contest the seats of
| the Kent county democratic senators on
| the ground that two hundred eligible vot-
! ers were deprived of their right to vote by
| fraudulent acts on the part of democratic
registration officers. These two hundred
men all swear they would have voted the
republican ticket The circumstances were
these: Tie men in question presented tax
receipts and we're allowed to register
Some time afterward the board of regis
tTars decided the tax receipts were irregu-
lar, and struck their names off the books.
The men then procured receipts which
were regular, and presented themselves for
reregistration. They were turned away
with the statement that as they had regis
tered once they could not register again.
But when they came to vote their names
did not appear on the poll books, and they
could not vote. These votes would have
changed the result.
On the other hand, the democrats threaten
that If the republicans press this contest
they will contest the seats Of the two re-
publican senator's elec: from Sussex county,
but on quite different grounds. In this
state II Is high crime to offer money to
voter. The democrats claim to have
evidence that this was done in a number
of instances in Sussex county, and will re-
taliate with a counter contest IL the re-
publicans press their case before the sem
ate. At this time 1T looks as If the repub-
lcans could not afford to make the issue,
as they are i'm the power of their opponents
in the senate When the senate meets the
three hold-ovcrs (all democrats) will or
ganize and receive the credentials of the
new members, commencing with Newcastle
county's delegates, and the two republi-
cans will be seated. Kent county comes
next The republicans already seated will
object to the certificates presented, but the
democratic majority of one will see that
| they are accepted. The majority will II en-
be Ave to two, and the democrats can IL
they choose, refuse to seat the republicans
from Sussex.
The Republican Caucus.
The republicans will thus have but sew
enteen members in their joint caucus. OF
this number fourteen are claimed for Sena-
ter Higgins, while Mr.. Addicks support
ers claim that ten, or enough to nominate,
are surely gcing to vote for the Boston,
Delaware millionaire.
But there is another candidate in tho
field In the person Of Mr.. George V. Mas
sey Of Wilmington. who is said to have
five votes which will bolt the caucus or
remain out OF IL altogether II they cannot
force the nomination OF their candidate,
If the caucus is broken there is little doubt
that Massey would receive additional re-
publican support In the legislature. ana
might be elected with democratic votes.
Mr.. Massey is a warm friend CT Senator
George Gray. and Ii is said that Senator
Gray would be much pleased to have his
friend for an associate in the Senate,
The Sussex senators who may be denied
their seats by the democratic majority In
the senate are supporters OF Mr.. Addicks.
and it is asserted that Mr.. Higgins is bes
hind the movement to push the Kent counf
ty contest, in the hope that The result
predicted may be brought about. Addick1
is said to be disposed to let the democratic
have the Kent county seats for this reason.
II is noticeable fact, too, that the Every
Evening. democratic organ, and owned by
Samuel Bancroft the defeated candidate
for Congress, is saying some very pleasant
things daily about the gas syndicate can.
didate.
Three Confident Opinions.
Friends Of Senator Higgins declare this
to be part of the plan to kill OF both the
principals and secure the election Of Mr..
Massey or some other dark-horse candidate
acceptable to the democrats.
Both Higgins and Addicks are hard at
work, the formers interests being ably
managed by Fred. E. Bach, the acknowl-
edged leader Of the state machine, while
the latter Is actively managing his own
campaign from his office In the Central
National Bank building. call at both
these headquarters by your correspondent
today found them equally positive chat
their favorite candidate would win the
prize. Mr.. Addicks answered for himself
in these words: Senator Higgins is claim
ing everything In sight, but l shall be the
next United States Senator from Delaware.
know what 1 am talking about, and am
certain of my selection by the caucus"
Mr.. Bach said: Senator Higgins will sue
ceed himself. More than that / do not
care to say at this time" An intimate
friend OF Mr.. Massey said: I'VE have rea>
son to believe the caucus Will be broken,
sri, ha CandX