Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-23
The Regular Republican Convention.

The Regular Republican Convention.
The Regular Republicans did good
work at their State convention at
Georgetown, Thursday. In the face OF
an insidious and insistent effort to
carry the convention over to Addicks-
ism, they held out manfully, and nomi-
mated a straight-out Regular Republi-
can ticket, for Governor and Congresg-
man. In selecting an electoral ticket,
however, the Addicks sentiment Of |
Sussex county was too strong to be re-
sisted, and Daniel j. Fooks, the Ad-
dicks nominee. was endorsed by the
Sussex caucus and accepted by the
convention. This was a concession to
the opposition, but il could not we'll
be avoided. Some compromise had to
be made. for the Kent delegates were
also on the verge of hopping over to
Addicks, and only hard and persistent
work prevented the carrying into the
convention of Kent county's caucus
endorsement, by vote Of 81 to 2, Of
John H. Hoffecker. the nominee Of the
Addicks convention for Governor. Had
not halt been called at this critical
| iuncture, the convention, by tho
united votes of Kent and Sussex,
would have nominated material part,
il not all, of the ticket named by the
convention of the Addicks faction at
Dover on Tuesday last.
While the convention was thus made
conspicuous by its narrow escape from
the full taint of Addieksisu, it was also
notable in giving evidence of the
passing Of ex-senator Higgins as the
leader of even faction of the Repub-
lican party of Delaware. In directing
the action Of the convention, ex-
Senator Higgins was practically
ignored. True, his brother was made
the nominee for Governor, but this
fact was largely due to the skilful
management of Levi @. Bird, who
once more entered the political arena,
, and demonstrated aqw bis ability in
tho field of party politics. And Mr..
Bird was outspoken and defiant in his
, opposition to even the suspicion Of
compromising with Addicksism. 81
! had rather thousand times,' ht
,, spoke boldly, ''see the Democratic
. party successful in Delaware than j.
q Edward Addicks" Coming from q
! sincere and unflinching Republican
! these words are encouraging to ever,
!. good citizen, regardless of his politica
opinions, who has at heart the real in
: terest OF this little State of ours.
s Thursdays convention shows tina
8 the Addicks Republicans and the anti
Addicks Republicans of Delaware hav
n irreyocably come to the parting of tn
9 ways. There is no common grounr
: upon which they may unite upon tn
r State ticket, no matter what kind of
Q truce may be patched up with tn
e desire to give the electoral vote Of tn
4 State to Mckinley, which both fac
t tions naturally desire to do. The re
:. for the Democratic State candidates
' In the present temper of the Demo
n cratic party, this result is PRACTICAL
!. assured, even should the kepublica
- factions come together. The Demo
Q Gratis are united upon State concerns
y and it is not within the power Of th
n Republican party TO defeat th
d Democracy of Delaware when ont
" united for common purpose. Still
J. the hostile attitude Of the Republica
= factions is encouraging in that it Civ,
assurance that Addicksism will not /
permitted to triumph in Delaware thi
g. year.
ct And SO, all things considered, th
,e outcome Of the Regular Republica
!. convention at Georgetown, yesterday,
I'd commendable. 1t repudiated Addict
in and gave hint to Higgins that h
is leadership is no longer desirable. Ri
r of both Addicks and Higgins, tho RI
" publican party of Delaware, under no
ut and higher leadership. may make !
#. organization at least acceptable TO ii
| 10