Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-09

on Tuesday, May 18th.
The Addicks faction of the Republi-
can party in Delaware fired big gun
into the Higgins faction at the meeting
of the State central committee, which
was held in this city Monday after-
noon. The shot took effect in vital
spot. and the effect will probably be
more disastrous than the Higgins men
had first supposed. They merely asked
for recognition at the primaries, and
were entirely ignored.
The meeting was for tho purpose of
formulating the call for the primary
election to select delegates for the
State convention, which will name the
representation of the party at the st.
Louis convention.
Tho committee mot at the rooms of
the Young Mems Republican Club and
was called to order by Gen. Jamos
II. Wilson. After some discussion
tho committee decided that the con-
vention for the election of delegates to
the national convention would be held
on Tuesday, May 18th. The State con-
vention will DO held at Dover, and the
primaries for the election of delegates
TO ii will be held throughout the State
th 4hhh Otus
1t had been suggested to hold the
nomination for Governor, Congressman
and electoral delegates at the same time,
but the committee decided not to have
it that way. and two conventions will
be held as heretofore. The second
convention will be held about the last
of August.
Chairman Wilson was authorized to
appoint an advisory committee of three
TO draft platform to be submitted to
the chairman of each of tho district
committees. The platform will be pre-
sented to the State central committee
the night before the convention.
With the question of dates fer tho
convention and primaries disposed of,
some probably supposed that there was
nothing else to be considered But
there was minority present who were
not OF this opinion, and when an OPP
portunity offered itself the following
was offered by an Addicks member
from one of the lower countless:
Resolved, That il is the sense Of
this committee that in the call for dele
gates to the Republican State conven-
tion to be held at Dover, Dol. in NAV.
1896, in all wards and hundreds In
the State where there is but one pol.
ing place for the primary election for
said delegates there shall be minority
representation Of judge and clerk Of
tho primary election officers, and where
there are more than one polling place
that the officers of the primary election
shall be equally divided. and that the
majority and the minority OF the cleo
tion officers shall be selected by the
opposing parties, and in case of failure
thereof to hold said election that the
act in relation to primary elections
shall govern, and that this resolution
be embodied in the call for the COZ
vention.
All present were aware that there
had been factions in the party for
some time. and, as member of the
committee afterward explained the
resolution was offered for the purpose
OF pouring oil on the troubled waters "
But it was the kind of oil that did not
suit the Higgins contingent, and they
lost no opportunity to show that it
grated on their nerves. Fred II. Bach,
who is an ex-oflicio member of the
committee, it is understood, led the
opposition to the adoption Of the reso-
luton, after member from down the
State had moved that it be adopted.
DIR. Q. X. Layton contended for the
motion, and others also talked in favor
OF II. But the opposition was strong,
and when the resolution was put 10 a
vote by the chair il was lost, seven vot-
ing in opposition and four for it's adop.
tion. The four who voted favorably
were j. Frank Alice and David S. Clark
of Kent county and Drs @. K. Layton
and Hiram Il. Burton of Sussex county.
1t was Higgins against Addicks out
and out
During the discussion, which took
place before and af er the vote was
taken it is understood some plain talk
was INDUCED in, and those who favored
the adoption of the resolution used no
obscure terms in saying so This sort
of talk aroused the ire of some of the
Higgins men, and their spokesmen ex-
pressed themselves IN equally plain Ian
guage. Consequently tho Addicks
men did not fancy the manner in which
they were trampled under foot, and
they did not make any attempt to hide
their feelings.
When the Higgins men had succeeded
in calling down their "brothara' they
swallowed tremendous morsel. for
they could READILY see that while they
had accomplished their purpose in tho
committee the action they had taken
then and there would prove a disastrous
boomerang, and there is little doubt
but that it will. The pleasant smi les"
and soothing expressions which
came from tho lips of the vanquished
contingent indicated anything else but
an acknowledgment that they were
finally whipped, and the ringsters could
see far enough ahead to know that tho
breach which has existed in the rank
and file OF tho party for some time was
made very much wider and mora dis
tnct than it has ever been before.
They could sec that tho men who had
favored the resolution and urged and
voted for its adoption were not going to
submit quietly TO the will of the
domineering element, especially when
the minority simply asked for recogni-