The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-18
Mr.. BRADFORD REPLIES.
a stniement In Answer to The Views Of His
Letter fxprcss.d by VT. Hastings

upon my letter of resignation to the Repub-
Ncan Advisory Committee having appeared
IN 1.-THE Morning News" OF to-day, have
TO request that you will kindly publish the
following reply:
do not for moment question either
Mr.. Hastings's Rcpublicanism or his genu-
ine detestation of Addicksism in Delaware
politics. We have stood together both in
our RepcSlicanism and our anti-Addicks-
ism. l have highly valued his friendship
and now have high regard for him, uotwith-
standing our present difference, aud ex-
tremely regret that his published statement
has put us for the time being In a position
of ahtagonlsm as to proper modes Of polit-
ical procedure at the present juncture.
MIR. Hastingss statement is not SO much
q reply to the specific facts mentioned in
my letter as an attempted explanation why
the members of the Advisory Committee
did not use their influence against the seat
ing Of Mr.. Clayton in the Second district
convention, and an imputation of inconsis-
tency on my part.
Mr.. Hastings refers to the Advisory
Committee as "a body Of men which was
absolutely without power to control In the
district convention and which had no voice
whatever in the seating or unseating of Mr..
Clayton, or in any matter pertaining to the
business of that convention" He has.
further, supplied definition of the Adyis-
DRY Committee which, to use his words, lis
simply a confidential body OF Republicans
In this state, without any party authority
or control, or claiming to have any-who
taye banded themselves together for the
express purpose OF helping to defeat Ad-
dicks and Addicksism and foster aud fur
Their the interests of the Republican party
here and elsewhere"
Now, while 1t is true that the Advisory
Committee is not clothed with any official
power or authority to dictate or control the
action of the Republican party. whether
assembled In convention or not, he, or any
other intelligent man must know that in
"helping to defeat Addicks and Addicks-
ism,' the members of the committee were
not intended to confne their action to sit
ting and thinking Active men and not
mummies compose the committee. Mr.
Hastings knows that in the discharge OF
their proper functions they had active du-
ties to perform, after due consultation and
consideration. ard that they were under an
obligation to further the ends OF the urgani
cation by any and all legitimate influence
and persuasion as between man and man
Principal among these ends was that there
should be absolutely no compromise with
Addicks or Addicksism.
The facts relating to the seating OF Mr.
Clayton in the Second district convention
on the eighth instant were, as stated in my
letter of resignation. as follows:
Mr.. Clayton appeared before the Com
mittee on Credentials and openly stated
among other things;
l. That he was at that time member of
the Addicks New Castle county committee
2. That he would not resign from that
committee or give any pledge upon the
subject.
g. That as between the nominees Of the
Georgetown convention and of the Dover
convention respectively. he should support
and vote for Mcssrs. Hpifccber and Willis
and not for MesSrs, Higgins and Houston
No direct information could be obtained
from Mr.. Clayton whether he was an Ad
dicks or anti Addicks mau. Upon this
showing majority of the committee struc!
his name from the roll as being ineligible
as delegate under the terms of the call
and as not being a member of the party
represented by the Georgetown convention
A minority report was made in favor OF Mr.
Clayton and he was seated. lie received
the open support In the convention of the
member of the Republican National Com
mittee for Delaware. without which it is
at least doubtful whether Mr.. Clayton
would have been seated.
NJ
with Addicksism, BY which an ayowed Ad
dicks man was nominated to some minor
office in St. Georges hundred and Mr. Clay
ten ~as seated in u convention of u politi-
cal party to which he does not belong, all
Tor the sake Of securing some supposed ad-
vantage at the polls. | am glad to say that
there were some members OF the Advisory
Committee who. true to the principles Of
their organization. were opposed to the ac-
ton taken in Mr.. Clayton's case This
abandonment of principle and policy either
met with approval of a majority Of the mem
bers of the Advisory Committee or 1t did
not. II it did meet with such approval, and
Mr.. Hastings shared III such approval, he
will in vain seek to reconcile his present
attitude with his anti'Addiciigtsrn profess
sions.
If the action OF the convention did not
meet the appreciation of a majority Of the
Advisory Committee that majority cor
tainly had time before the publication of
my letter of last Saturday to publicly make
known their disapproval.
Did majority Of the members Of the
Committee use their influence or
persuasion with the members of the con-