Smyrna times., 1894-10-03

The Smyrna Times is an excellent
local paper in the northern part of
Kent county, and its politics may be
aptly described as Republican modified
by enough business discretion to claim
independence--an independence, by |
the way, that is claimed more than it |
is practiced. We note that in its issue
of this week it republishes the Sunday |
Star editorial eulogiZing Addicks. Ad- |
dicks has taken pretty complete pos |
session of the Kent Republicans, but |
we are amazed to see one of the sturdy, |
honest Hoffeckers bending the knee to |
such man or such an influence. Yet |
the fact is that the man who owns and
edits the Times and is using it this
week to spread the praise of Addicks, is
Robert ID. Hoffecker. Some of the
visible effects of Addicks' peculiar in
huence among Republicans have in
deed been very sad.-ECery Evening.
L. I. Handy has mounted the tripod
in the Office of the EUery Evening as its
political editor until the election. AS
is customary with fedglings in enter
ing on a new business, he must needs
magnify his office, for a ripe editor
would hardly go among the articles
that make up the miscellany of the
first page of paper to single out a
subject for an attack on the editor.
The article in question was the one
copied from the Sunday Star, of Will
mington, whose editor is a Democrat,
but the paper non-partisan. There is
much being said about Mr.. Addicks
just now, and as he is not known to
the people of this section, we published
it from this non-partisan source for the
information of our readers. Was there
anything wrong in this from a journal
istic point of view? Certainly not,
only to the man who wants the people
blinded to every view but his.
But why the OCCASION for this editor
ial reference at all Would the writer
shut out such papers as the Star and
Times from publishing anything but
his partisan diatribes the very essence of
which is insincerity? To publish a
thing because it pertains to an individ-
ual or subject isnot endorsement or es-
pousal We have from time to time pub
lished much more about Boss Croker,
Mr.. Gray, Mr.. Quay and even Mr.. Breck-
inridge(and here perhaps may be where
the rub is) without endorsing them
any more than endorsing Mr.. Addicks
in the article taken from the Star tell.
ing who he is.
A favorite illustration in picturing a
stormy passage in political waters is to
so steer a craft as to get safely by Scylla
and yet avoid being dashed to pieces
on Charybdis. Does Mr.. Handy know
anything about the dangers of anrifer
Gus rocks; has he forgotten in one
short months time? If his promising
Congressional bark foundered and went
down before Bancroft Scylla, why his
solicitude for Addicks Charybdis, off in
the distance which he does not have tC
encounter2 But dropping metaphor
we would suggest to the new editor
that there is hardly the necessity fo
his being thus so severely seized will
Addicks-phobia when there are sucl
grave and important subjects to claim
the attention of the most astute edito
ial writers.
What is considered by others tn
sting in the EUery E'vening editorial i
contained in the broad intimatiol
that the publication of this Star articl
was "some of the visible effects of Ad
dicks peculiar influence" If so, th
intimation would apply with equal o
more force to J. B. Bell, the editor o
that paper, who wrote it.
Such a readiness to judge the motive
of others shows that quality of hear
and tainted purpose in public life tina
would be expected of another class @
Ofice-seekers and office-holders-th
Paddy DIVERS and the "Dollar" Sulli
vans. Such an idea as is here init
mated, if that was its purpose, is to
weak and false to consider a momen
Don't the writer know that there is
class of men in Delaware who ar
watching out for chances in workn
what is called ''prac tical politics" wa
beyond the worst charges that al
brought against Mr.. Addicks, as bad 1
they may be?