Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-05-16
he REDEMPTION OF DELAWARE.


been carried by that party for the governor
ship in every election since the Republican
party va, formed, with the single cXCrp-
ton OF 1852. when Union" candidate
WAS successful on war issues by the narrow
plurality of III. 1t has had Democratic
Legislatures. and BY consequence Demo
crNtir United States Senators without
bitter tactionsl fight In the party six
years ago last fall allowed the Republicans
10 secure bare majority and eject Anthony
Higgins. Last fall the Democrats were
united and IL the State had been left to
itself, II would undoubtedly have chosen a
Democratic Governor and Legislature,
which later would have elected Demo.
cratic successor to Higgins,
A rich man named Addicks, who has
made u great fortune by speculation in
gas stocks in various States, conceived tho
idea some time ago that he would like to
be q member OF the United states Senate,
He had no settled home, but utter looking
over the chances IN tile other States where
he hau speculAted IN gas stocks, concluded
that the best opening for senatorial
speculation was in Delaware, Of which
state he might call himself an inha9itant
by yirtne of having bnilt q country house
there. 1t was purely matter of dollars
and cents with Addicks. He was ready to
pay S70,0 900 for the office, and In 1917 be
spent that sum in buying votes for the
Republican members OF a Legislature
which was to choose successor to Mr..
Gray. But 1902 was bad year for the
Republicans everywhere, aud in Della
ware. even with the help of the Addicks
money, they secured only two of the
thirty members, Addlcks was not dis
Outraged, however. Another chance was
TO come in two years, and the conditions
were then more favorable by reason OF the
tidal wave" that was running against
the Democrats. Addicks invested another
$4,000, aud this time got Legislature
which had 10 Republicans to II Demo-
crats--a Republican Governor being also
elected.
When It was announced that the State
had gone Republican. the organs OF that
party were full of rejoicings over what
they called 'the redemption Of Delaware"
which such papers as the Philadelphia
Press declared was "a cause for profound
congratulations In point of fact, as we
have explained, the change was not a
matter OF party politics Mt all. It was due
simply and solely to the buying Of votes Ia
his own behalf by u man who is ny devoid
Of political US Of moral principles, and
who called bimsolf Republican in Della
ware because there seemed better chance
for him under that name in that State than
| as Democrat or Republican in any one
| Of the other States where he spent more or
| less of his time.
Having put out the money tina. alone Sc
cured Republican Legislature on the un:
| Outstanding that such q Legislature would
| repay him by making him Senator, Adj
dicks insisted that the bargain should be
| carried through. Meanwhile many Of the
| Republican leaders united their forces to
cheat him out OF what he had bought
Having got Republican Legislature, they
coolly repudiated the man through whose
money they had got it, and insisted that
the office should 20 to the choice Of a eau
Gus OF Republican legislators which they
could control. But Of the 10 Republican
members recognized their obligation to
the man who had bought their seats for
| them, refused to enter the party caucus,
and voted regularly for Addicks.
For four months the time aud attention
| of the legislators have been largely occu-
| ried in the intrigues over this office. Pub
lie business has been neglected, reforms
that were urgently needed have beoii
pushed into the background, the mir has
been full of charges OF attempted bribery,
the tone OF public sentiment has been
lowered, the respect Of the people for their
lawmakers has been destroyed, the reputa-
ton of the State has been smirched. The
session ended yesterday in a snarl that
leaves the senAtorship in doubt. and
renders ii probable that the seat will re
main vacant for two years.
Delaware has no such official as Lieu
tenant Governor The Constitution pro,
vides that upon any vacancy happening
in the office of Governor the Speaker oil
the Senate shall exercise the Office until G
Governor elected by the people shall bt
duly qualified 1t is silent as TO the
effect OF the assumption of the acting
goyernorship upon the Office OF Senator
l snE r. nl l. .
precedent howYver, which seems TO show
concusively that the trainers of the Con
stitution did not regard the change as void
ing the Senatorial office. The president o
the conveption which framed the Consti
tuition of 1881 was himself president OF thu
Senate, aud other mem ers OF the conveil
ton were members of the Legislature wheI
the Governor died in 1886. His term raj
four years. He served as acting Governo
! for nearly twd yehrs, until new Governo
was elected by the people, and then fllet
out the remainder OF his term as Senator
! Nobody raised any question as TO thi
being the proper construction of the Con
stitution. Apparently he did not sit in til
Legislature while acting as Governor {
president pro tenn OF the Senate bein
chosen in his steady, but it would seen
evident that he might have done so il b
had thought best to do so.
: The Republican Governor elected las
fall died a few weeks ago. The Presiden
of the Senate. Democrat, succeeded a
acting Governor. A temporary presiden
of the Senate was chosen in his place, AN
he occupied the Governors room. Yes
! terday afternoon, however, he resumed hi
position as president of the Senate an
claimed the right to vote for Senator
/ Without him there were 20 votes; Is COZ
stituted majority. and du Pont lad |
-four Republicans remaining faithful +
Addicks 10 the end.l With him ther
, were 30 votes; rs were required for
majority, and nobody could get 49, Th
| session closed with the declaration by til
j acting Governor and Speaker of the Senat
! that no choice had been made, and clair
{ from the floor by the Republican Speake
. of the House that the acting Governor la
s no right to vote, that du Pont had
e majority Of the legal votes, and that h
& was elected.
The controversy will OF course be cal
ried to Washington, The acting Covering
may perhaps appoint a Democrat as Senu
: tor; though the decisive majority cast j
the Senate Two years ago against tn
h proposition that such d vacancy IL on
. which can be filled by executive appoin
ment leaves small chance of his admission
h DUPONT will doubtless present his irregl
) lar credentials, but 1t does now seer
probable that he will be admitted. Prect
n dent shows that the acting Governor {
r Delaware remains Senator while i
serves in the executive office. Justice r
4 quires that he shall discharge the dutit
/ Of Senator in case of an Emergency.
otherwise the accident OF the elected Go
ernOr's death by vacating seat in Il
Legislature might change the majority i
a that body and give United States Sen
g t0rship to n man who could not secure
!. majority of the men chosen by the poop
!, to elect Senator, The chances are til
,. the seat will remain vacant for two year
= However the controversy may turn GU
a the episode will always remain one of Il