Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-06-17
Party Dl.ruption over d po.toflce.

Party Disruption over a Postoffice.
The appointment OF postmaster for
the town OF Laurel should, ordinarily.
be only common place incident, but
the appointment made by President
Mckinley. last weak, has ssrved TO stir
up all the old strife in the ranks of the
Republican party of Delaware, and to
make The contest between the two
factions more bitter than ever.
The meat OF the trouble ia found in
the fact that the President selected Mr.
George Z. Smith for this particular
appointment. Mr.. Smith had been
postmaster at Laurel before, and his
official record is all right. But he is
Higgins Republican, out and out. He
has been for years one of the most
active workers for the success of that
fsction of the Republican party.
His appointment, therefore. was
accepted by the Union Republicans
the followers of the house of Addicks-
as fair notice that the national ad-
ministration will practically ignore
them in the matter of distributing
Federal patronage in Delaware. How
deeply they are cut by this action of
the President may bs conceived from
the following editorial expression of
the Milford Chronicle, the leading
Addicks organ of the State press:
President Mckinley has named George
i. Smith for postmaster at Laurel, and
by this act gives to boiling Republi-
can one of, IL not the hest, Federal
Office in Sussex county. The admins
tration evidently does not understand
the political situation in Delaware,
and we doubt II it does in the United
States. For the Republican party in
Delaware the nomination of Mckinley
was u great misfortune. His position
is that OF figure head and the reins
OF government arc controlled hy Marcus
a. Hanna of Ohio, Stephen Elkins of
West Virginia, and MORRISON of Illi-
nois. History has reproduced almost
the same condition as existed in 1881,
when President Garfield came TO tha
Presidency. James G. Blaine dominated
and shaped the plans of that admins
tration and together forced objection
able appointments upon the stalwart
Republicans of New York State against
all protestu. this Leu to Conkling' 8
rebellion and the loss of that State to
the Republican party for years. The
same policy is being pursued in Dsla-
ware by Mckinley, as Garfield followed
toward New York, and it grows palmer
each day that the nomination and
election of Mckinley--so far as the Re
publican party of Delaware is con-
cerned-was a great blunder.
fIbiu ofooI fnr
and sound money" and these issues
alone saved it from defeat. The Re,
publicans of Delaware owe no thanks
or gratitude to the pressnt admins
tration, and none will bs given.
We had hoped to see the two factions
get together in Delaware hut it is nov
plain that this can never he unit
William j. Bryan, or some othel
Democrat, occupies tho White House.
Whether the Republican party OF th,
country can Withstand this sever,
arraignment, remains to be seen. Blu
the very fact that tho natiotal exist
ence of great political party i
threatened by the appointment of 1
postmaster for town in Suisse.
county, Delaware, shows how true i
10 tiiu' BAudp cfGut5 are ltbQutnIlN uB
termined by the most ordinary circum
stances.
President Mckinley might have save
his party from this threatened disaste
by naming neutral man for tho Laure
postmastership-one not PROMINENT
identified with either faction of tn
party. But he decided to throw hi
Influence in favor of the Higgin
faction, and thereby has raised Htorl
OF political revolution in Delaware tha
may draw disaster upon his part
throughout the country.
Great is the Laurel postofiice. !
threatens, wo are informed by th
above extract, the elevation of "Wi
liam j. Bryan or some other Democrat
to the White House. Who would hav
Imagined that the postoEiice at Laure
Delaware, would ever arise to sue
gigantic political possibilities?