Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-05-23
SENATOR ALRlrHS, apRnIEST."

The Weakness OF His Move, and Of the
Republican Position with Respect to
tho senatorship, Completely Exposed.
Delawaresn, May is.
Senator Alrichs presented to the Joint
assembly a few minutes before its dissolu-
ton what he called protest" against the
action OF Gov. Watson in presiding and
voting and demanded that Henry A. du
Pont be declared elected Senator, Mr.. du
Pont having received 10 votes.
The socailed protest" was ont Of place
and was entirely unsustained. The presid-
ing officer of course refused to entertain it,
and the prompt and effective way in which
Gov. Watson disposed of il is another
proof of the Governors ability and good
sense
1t has already been proved in tins and
other newspapers that Gov. Watson is still
Senator and Speaker OF the Senate, In
the language of the Constitution he Is the
Speaker of the Senate in the exercise OF
the executive authority" II senator
Alrichs had entertained any genuine
doubt as to the matter why did he not
raise the question in the right way, at the
right time and in the right place?
The Constitution of the State OF Della
ware (article >. section % provides that
Each house shall judge OF elections re-
| turns and qualifications of It's own MEM
have presented any protest against the
action of Gov. Watson in acting as u Sena-
/ tor and as Speaker was in the Senate
itself. Mr. Alrichs had ample opportunity
to protest in the Senate. aud so did every
other Republican Senator, for Mr. Watson
took the chair in the Senate some time
before the two houses convened in JOINT
assembly, A protest could haze been EN-
tertained and acted upon by the Senate.
legally and constitutionally, for that body
is the judge-and the sole judge--ot the
| qualifications of It own members" The
right way to have protested, if protest
was to be made. against Gov. Watson's
acting us Senator and rs Speaker of the
Senate, was to have offered objection to
his taking the CHAIR in the Senate, the
right time was immediately after his
assuming the chair, and the right place
was the Senate chamber.
The JOINT assembly consists simply of
the members of the Senate and House OF
Representatives, 10 pretend that the joint
assembly as such has u right to pass upon
the qualifications OF It's members is tn
maintain that ii has right to determine
the membership of the two houses. such
doctrine is not only III variance with an
explicit provision Of the Constitution OF
this State, bnt it is utterly wrong in prin'
ciple. 1t would be attended with the gray
est danger. 1t would put it within the
power ut the more numerous body of the
Legislature to determine and fix the entire
membership of the smaller body, 1T least
so far us the work of the joint session is
concerned; for If it can determine tho
qualifications of one member it can
Just rs we'll determine the Guaili
cations OF every member. The iioust
of Representatives, beng more than
twice as large numerically as the senate
could turn ont ali the members ii the
Senate and substitute others in their ,tead
such course would he revolutionary ana
illegal 1t would not only violate thu Con.
sttutiUn of this state but it woud be il
conflict with the act of Congress which
provides that "the members or the two
houses shall convene i'll joipt.assem1y.
The eleventh hour protest" OF Senator
Alrichs Was offered at the wrong tine, IN
the wrong way, and III the wrong pace
1t was n last feeble effort Of the Repub
liean party sinking beneath the burdeu ul
dIsgracetttl failure, and is not unlike thu
Efforts OF drowning man to catch al /
straw. The lack Of confidence OF tho lie
Publican leaders themselves in it is shuwt
by their waiting until almost the las mo
: ;uenl of the existence of the joint an
ny to present it, The joint assembly Iat
been in session for nearly three hours 4
number OF ballOta-2y, we tllink-hua brei
taken, ali with the same result. namely
du Pont, 10, lsidgcly, 10; Addicks, 4; IN
n nell, /. If speaker Watson's vote wa
| illegal and du Pnnt had a constitution
, majority, why did the Republicans vast,
nearly three hours of exceedingly valuuol,
time, without protest, by taking 2S uscIe1
ballots Aud why were such strong elfufl
made to get one more vote for Col. U
Pont.
i The most cursory examination show
/ the weakness OF the alleged protest"