Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-01-02

OF the last Senate, as their candidate
for President of the coming Senate,
The other officers were not named nor
will they be until an organization ID
effected.
Senator jackson of Wicomico county,
inquired OF Senator Bruce of Baltimore
should vote for any Democratic Sena-
tor in the caucus, whether it would not
be wise for the Democrats to leave the
caucus nominee and accept the nominee
Senator Bruce would vote for.
Senator Smith said he would GER
ttainly not stand in the way OF effecting
an organization and would cheerfully
step aside.
Senator Carrico of Charles county
sHid ii was useless for the caucus to
take that stand, for Senator Bruce told
him tonight that if the Democrats did
not nominate him (Bruce) the Repub-
licans had promised to do so and he
would accept the nomination. Con-
tinuing Senator Carrico said Senator
Bruce bad told him that an embassy
OF Senator German had approached
him and said that he could name any
one else, but that Senator Bruce himself
should not be named
Senator Talbot of Montgomery county
said that although he bad alwaya been
friend of Senator German, that gentle
man nor no other one could control
him.
Senator Smith asked IL it were pos
sible that tho Senators could be bought
and sold.
Senator johnson said that Mr.. Cor
man had never been friend Of his.
and his friends bad always opposed
him, and that il Mr.. German were
candidate before the Legislature for
election to the United States Senate
he would not vote for him; neverthe-
less he believed in having the Demo
Gratis organize the Senate. He said
that he was friend OF Senator Bruce
and would have voted for him had he
come into the caucus.
After an hours session the caucus
adjourned.
The interest excited by the refusal
of Senator Bruce to attend the Demo-
cratic caucus overshadowed every other
topic here tonight. Even the caucus
OF Republican members of the House
of Delegates and the contest for the
Speakership. took a second place. IT
may be in Mr.. Bruce's power to create
dead lock, which would continue in
definitely. What course he will pur-
isue will be determined by events. Mr.
Bruce regards the present contesI as a
war inaugurated upon him by Senator
Gorman, and he considers ii a con-
tinuation Of the battle which began ia
the State convention last summer. He
says that he never came forward as a
candidate for President Of the Senate.
Events and his own position seemed
to point to him as the logical candi-
date. He never spoke or wrote to a
single member of tho Senate with re-
gard TO his candidacy. When a friend
of Senator Talbot wrote to him that he
thought an interview with that gentle
man might result in getting his vote,
he declined to accept tho suggestion,
but eight Senators either signified to
him personally or to some OF his friends
that they intended to support him.
These were Senators Michael, Finley,
johnson, Tilghman, jackson, Bond,
Carrico and Bowie.
At a conference at the Carrollton
Hotel in Baltimore some time ago ii
was generally understood that Senator
Bruce was to be the candidate, and the
party leaders expressed themselves
favorably. Then came the Carroll
county election. Believing that if the
Democrats had control Of the Senate
they would make good record, Mr..
Bruce and Mr.. John X. Cowen went
into that fight with all their might.
Senator Bruce has reason to believe
from letters he has received that their
efforts were effective
Shortly after the election Of DIR. Her.
ing the attitude of the friends of Soma
tor German changed. Several of the
Senators who had been favorable to Mr..
Bruce had a sudden and mysterious
change of conviction, and it became
apparent that the friends of Senator
Gorman were determined to defeat him,
and at the same time determined to
use him to promote the election of
their own man. 1t was told to Mr..
Bruce that Senators Crothers and John
Walter Smith had declared that under
no circumstances would they vote for
him. This Mr.. Bruce understood TO
mean that they would bolt should he
be the caucus nominee. Senator Smith
assured Mr.. Bruce this evening that
he had never made the declaration al
tributed to him.
When Mr.. Bruce's attitude became
known every effort was made to get
him into the caucus. In Baltimore
committee waited on him and lntimated
that he could name any one of the IA
Democratic Senators for President ex-
cept himself and he would be accepted
This Mr.. Bruce regarded as an insult
and as a personal attack on him by Mr..
Gorman. He determined that il he was
to be boycotted and excluded from the
office which was open TO every other
Democrat he would let them have their
caucus TO themselves, and informed
the committee that he would not attend
though it were determined beforehand
that he were TO receive the nomination
Senator Bruce, after the result of the
democratic caucus was announced, de.
clined to say what course he will pur-
sue,
Senator Talbot, in referring to the
ENHANCEMENT, said: :" If Senator Bruce
votes with the Republicans it will be
impossible for the Democrats to or
ganize the Senate. cannot see what
he can gain by absenting himself from
the caucus and declining to vote for
the caucus nominee He cannot get
the election for President from the Re-
publicans, unless some Democratic
member of the Senate other than him
{ self will cast his vote with the Repub-
! licans. The present situation has a
, far-reaching effect. Practically noth-
. ing can be done. The Constitution
says that the Secretary of State shall
send to the Speaker OF the House the
returns showing the gubernatorial elec-
e. \ and these shall be opened by the
81 ker in the presence of both houses,
. ano Ae Speaker shall declare who has
been elected Governor. Without the
organized Senate this cannot bo carried
nlat and Mr. T.nxuulao cannnt onalif,y