Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-20
His Withdrawal From a Repub-
lican Committee.
REGARDS ADDlCKSlSM AS A CURSE
And Will Not Cooperate With
AddickS.


membership in the Republican Ad-
visory Committee, as will be seen by
the following letter: n
Wilmington, Del. Aug. 10th, 1896 =
To the Advisory Committee OF the Re-
publican Party in the State of Della
ware. .-Gentlemen hereby resign, as
Of this date, my membership in your
body. Our mutual relations have been
80 cordial and courteous that | take
this step with much reluctance. 1t
is due to you as it is to me that l
should state the REASONS which have
led me TO my conclusion. After care
full consideration of the political situa
tion and of the attitude of leading and
influential members of the Advisory
Committee toward compromise with
Addicksism in this county for the sake
of results at the polls, / can consist
emily and honorably pursue no other
course than that of resignation from
the committee. / regard Addicksism
as a political curse-a cancer which
must be eradicated if the Republican
party is TO command popular respect
or deserve success, and believe that
our first duty is, not to make terms
with, but wholly to destroy that bane-
ful influence, whether we meet with
success or defeat, at the approaching
election; with the single limitation
that under the insistence of the Re-
publican National Committee only one
set of Presidential and Vice Presidon-
tial electors should be voted for.
These views have been shared by most
of the gentlemen with whom | have
recently been in political cooperation.
The future of .Republicanism in Della
ware has furnished the only guide by
which ! have endeavored/ to regulate
my political action with respect to
Addicksism. l cannot serve as a MEM
ber Of any COMMITTEES of which a ma
iority are at this juncture willing to
cooperate either with Mr.. Addicks or
any OF Mr.. Addicks' lieutenants. /
should deem it clear abandonment
polite in view uf the situation in Sus-
sex county.
There is a wide and irreconcilable
divergence of opinion between several
Of the most influential members OF the
committee and myself upon the pro-
.priety of admitting Mr.. john M. 6iay-
ton to scat in the Second District
Convention held last Saturday. Mr..
Clayton appeared before the committee
on credentials, of which | was chair
man, and in answer to questions ad-
dressed to him stated, among other
things:
J.. That he was at tine 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.
5 8. That, as between the nominees of
the Georgetown convention and OF the
Dover convention. respectively, he
should support and vote for Messrs.
Hoffecker and Willis, and not for
Messrs. Higgins and Houston.
So far rs giving any direct informa-
tion as to whether he was in truth an
Addicks or an antiAddicks man, he
might just as we'll have been an Egyp-
tian sphinx. Why did not Mr.. Clayton, il
he be really opposed TO Addioksism,
openly so state? He would have had
the same influence in his hundred, and
by euch proclamation would have much
advanced our cause. Upon this show
ing a majority of the committee struck
his name from the roll for the follow
ing reasons:
l. That he was not eligible as dele
gate under the terms of the call.
2. That he was not Ii member of the
party represented by the Georgetown
convention.
A minority report was made in favor
of Mr.. Clayton, and he was seated.
He received the open support in the
convention of ths members of the Re-
publican National Committee for Della
ware, without which it is at least
doubtful whether the report of the
committee would have been rejected.
The action thus raken j have the best
reason to believe met the approval of
other influential members of the advi
sorry committee.
With respect to the case of Mr.. Clay,
ton, gentlemen, 1 have to say that /
deem it an insult to any reputable
Republican anti-Addicks man that,
since the holding of the Georgetown
convention he should be compelled to
sit and vote in IA Republican conven-
tipn with man serving on Mr.. Ad-
dicks committee, refusing to resign
from that committee, and openly de-
claring his intentions as against Messrs.
Higgins aud Houston, to support and
vote for the Dover nominees. can
discover neither principle nor corsis-
tency in such course. In my judg-
iment it is uniustifiable and without
adequate excuse. In fact the only OK
cuse attempted was that by com
promise with the Addicks men in st.
Georges hundred our ticket might be
strengthened, and thats by some mys-
FERROUS political iugglery or decep-
tion, and by carrying water on both
shoulders, Mr.. Clayton, il he can be
trusted, might ultimately turn over to
us considerable number of men vino
would otherwise be Addicks voters.
Part of the compromise, as l am in
formed. was the nomination of an
avowed Addicks adherent for some
hundred or local Office.
| shall have no part or lot in such
scheme. do not approve of the cuiti-
vation of that species ofSpolitics. I
regard it as "a reversal and abandon
mert of the policy heretofore pursued
by us, totally excluding any COM
promise of such character. l cannot
cooperate in the practical promulga-
tion of this new doctrine at such utter
variance with the policy for which,
during many months, we have 30
sturdily contended.
Pardon me, if by any bluntness Of
expression on my part have wounded
the feelings OF any gentleman in the ad-
yisory committee. Such has not been
my purpose. My convictions on the sub
iect are etronU ard 7 feel aoreIv 1iaar.