Rock Island Argus., 1895-05-10
LEFT ITIN A SNARL.
The Question of the Senator.
ship from Delaware.
CONTEST IN THE NATIONAL SENATE

The State Legislature Having Adjourned
without An UEquest:on<d Election-Ad-
dicks the Real Victor - Repubsicans
Claim That Dupont Received the Necss-
sary Vote and Declare Him senator
Status Of the Case.
DOVER, Del, May 1o-The general as
sembly Of Delaware adjourned sine die
at O'Clock yesterday afternoon without
choosing n successor to ex-senator Hig-
gins, although the Republicans claim
that their leading candidate, Colonel
Henry A DupoI.t, was legally elected.
The matter will probably be taken to the
United States senate for q decision. The
2l1th ballot since the deadlock began four
months ago, and the last Of the session,
was taken few minutes before 8 O'Clock.
It resulted: Henry A. Dupont, Rep, Is; ].
Edward Addicks. Rep, 4; Edward Ridge
ley, DEM, =; Tunnel. Dem, l. During the
lay the Democrats flibustered with the
object of preventing balloting, and when
shc state house clock rang out the hour
of three and sounded the death knell Of
the Legislative session OF 1895 the clerk
was in the midst of roll call on q di-
latory motion made by a Democrat.
Formal Declaration OF Dupont.
As soon as Governor Watson (Dem)
wholly reason of the fact that he was
speaker of the senate before his elevation
to the gubernatorial chair upon the death
of Governor Marvil-presided over the
joint session, announced the sine die ad-
journmcnt Speaker of the House McMul-
lin (Rep.) arose and formally declared
Henry A. Dupont elected United States
senator This action had previously been
agreed upon by the Republican leaders.
The Delaware legislature is composed Of
twenty-one representatives and nine sem
ators, sixteen being a majority on joint
ballot. The Republicans claim that
when Watson, by virtue OF his position as
speaker of the senate, succeeded to the
governorship upon the death of Cover nor
Marvil one month ago, the number OF
senators was reduced to eight, and there
fore there were only twenty-nine on joint
q majority.
Democrats Take Another View.
On the other hand the Democrats and
Governor Watson claim that the law dis.
tinctly declares that the speaker of the
| senate" shall become governor. There.
| fore II Watson withdraws from the senate
he ceases to be speaker of the senate, F"
| and consequently loses the governorship.
The senatorial question is likely to oc-
cupy a large amount of public attention
for months to come. Whether the gov
crnor has q right to appoint is a disputed
question. II he has, the appointment will
be only until the next legislature, which
meets in January, 1896. unless sooner
called together by the governor. This
latter contingency is not probable, how.
ever.
Addicks Makes His Threat Good.
j. Edward Addicks has made good his
threat, uttered at the very beginning of
the contest, to prevent the election Of a
Republican senator from Delaware IL he
| could not secure the prize for himself.
Colonel Henry A. Dupont. who will make
the contest for the senatorship is q mem.
ber of the famous Dupont family who
have been manufacturers Of powder and
other explosives in Wilmington, this
state, for over a century. He is q son of
the late General henry Dupont, and was
born at Brandy wine Banks in 1885. He
attended the University Of Pennsylvania,
and was subsequently appointed to the
United States military academy at West
Point, grad Iating in 1851. He entered
the Fifth United States artillery and
served through the civil war.