Middletown transcript., 1895-05-04

ZNMSyH select a United
~ States Senator.
It was claim advanced by Mr.. Ad-
dicks and FIVE members of the legis-
lature favorable TO his election. 1t has
all along been considered blnff on
their part, and threat to the Repub-
lican party that Mr.. Addicks must
rule or ruin. But it has not been con-
sidered until this week as meaning
just what it stated. Now, however,
all parties have reached the conclusion
that five members, known as Addicks
men, will see the Legislat ure adjourn
without the election of senator
sooner than cast their votes for any
other man than the gas magnate.
With the session to end In two weeks,
many members who have fought stub
bornly for their favorites now realize
more fully than heretofore the necess-
ity for action in the seleetio of Sell
ator, and are more disposed to agree
on some one for the position. This is
evident by the fact that some who
have been adherents of Mr.. Higgins
have changed their votes to Mr.. Mas
sey, while some Of the latter's sup
porters have gone to Mr.. Pennewill.
OF the original Addicks men, only
one, Mr.. Morgan, has broken away. The
other five not only remain for Addicks,
but announce that they will never vote
for any one else, even though by their
action the election should 60 by de-
fault.
If all the other Republican members
should agree on man, the Addicks,
five are in a position to prevent an
election. Such an arrangement puts
these five members and Mr.. Addicks
without the pale of the party with
which they have been identified, and
which elected these members. But,
for that matter, they put themselves
outside the Republican party when,
according to pity rule, and in de-
fiance of the customs of all parties,
they refused to caucus with their fell
lows, or to abide by the will of the
majority.
The arrogance and conceit, as we'll
as desperation, Of Mr.. Addicks is
shown in the report, which we print
elsewhere, of an interview with him by
a reporter of the Sunday Star. In this
he pointedly assumes to be the leader
of the Republican party in Delaware,
that he must dictate its policy and
action, or else he will destroy 1t. Such
language and such animus is repulsive
to every one who has the instinct OF
honor and fair play i; and such express
sions have caused him to lose follow.
ing until now there is scarcely q man
who has sense Of decency, State or.
party pride, who gives his cause sup
port. Those who at first honestly be-
lieved he should be elected Senator
have seen so much OF the man and his
methods, so much of his rule or ruin
policy, that they now repudiate him
and hang their heads in shame at the
recollecti ion that they were his parti-
sans. He has done enough for them
to disavOw him, but realizing his pos
sibilities for evil by what he has al
ready evidenced, they see that his
election would not only mean political
damnatiOn, but moral turpitude
much more serious.
Mr.. Addicks says, in almost so many
words, that he has the Republican
party by the throat, and that it lives or
dies, at his pleasure. We repudiate
the assumption that Addicksism and
Republicanism are synonymous, but
If such were the case, it would
prove infinitely better that the Repub-
lican party IN Delaware should die,
than survive at the dictatian of boss
who apparently has no other idea in
politics than that money alone should
purchase office, honor and virtue.
The vilest insult ever placed upon
Kent and Sussex counties is Mr.. Ad-
dick calm assumption that he can in
fluence the political destiny Of these
counties ona way or the other, just as
he pleases. We admit that the in
fiuence Of his means has been potent
in the past, but now that his character
is more fully known, he can be moth.
ing more than a negative factor in the
future. The reproach Of his contami-
nation will live after many Of his SER
wants are dead, and he will be remem-
bered for the part he has played in
Delaware politics longer than other
wise would have been the case had he
been an abler and better man. His
career, however, may prove this adj
vantage, that it may in the future be
used to point nearly as many political
morals as the treachery of Benedict
Arnold has done.
"The toad, though ugly and venomous,
GWears yet precious jewel in its head"
From Milford Ne,cs and Advertiser.
We are so much worried over the
course pursued by some of our Repub-
lican members that we fear to write
much about it lest We might indulge
in language that might cause offense.
Ii the Addicks forces ID obedience TO
the well-established custom of the
party had Of gone into caucus on the
evening of the 18th OF January and
abided by the result United States
Senator would have been elected on
tine 17th, and this disagreeable dead