The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-16
G0RNANS PROPOSITION
Maryland Senator Willing to Retire
from Politics.
HIS LETTER TO EDWIN F. ABEL

If the Baltimore Journalist VIII AS
sumo Leadership of the Democratic
Party In Maryland. the Senior Sem
ator says He VIII Step Down and Out
Baltimore, Oct. 16.-United States
Senator German issues an open letter
to Edwin F. Abel. publisher of the
Baltimore Sun, in which he offers to re-
linquish the leadership Of the Democ-
racy in Maryland provided Mr.. Abel
will accept 1t and support the Demo-
cratic ticket In the coming state and
legislative campaign. He also init
mates that he will forego his ambition
to succeed himself in the United States
senate II II can be shown that such q
step is necessary to Democratic success.
The letter, which is very long one,
reviews the course Of The Sun in its
opposition to Mr.. German because Of
his views upon civil service. tariff and
ballot reform measures To all the
charges made against him upon this
score Mr.. German pleads guilty. but
quotes The Sun as having admitted
tiers of opinion, and asserts that every
man is free to think as he pleases re-
garding them. He defends his course
in regard to all these questions. and
concludes with the following PROPOSE
ton:
And now, Mr.. Abel, let us pass to
a question touching which there can
be no Misunderstanding. These state
ments and counter-statements, argu-
ments and retorts-all this petty clash
Of protestation and impeachment
amount to very little at the best. You
have declared your undying devotion TO
the Democratic party, and have said
that my leadership, my personal am
billions. my selfish purposes. and these
only, prevent you from restoring your
newspaper to the services of the loyal
people who originally made it rich and
powerful by their patronage, their con-
fidence and their support. You have
given Maryland to understand that,
but for me and the 'bossism' you are
pleased to attribute to me, you would
bring back the Baltimore Sun to its old
moorings and devote it to the EXPOSE
ton of Democratic principles and the
confusion and overthrow of Republic
can rule in this state.
you have stated, in effect-certainly
with the intent Of being so understood
that you still love the Democratic party,
and still wish to see 1t predominant in
Maryland, and you thereby involve
yourself in a pledge to cast off your
Republican affiliations, repudiate your
Republican alliances, and labor heart
and soul for the success of the Demo-
cratic party as 1t will remain after be-
ing purged of me.
IF you be sincere In this the solu-
ton of the difficulty is simple enough.
II my aspirations, my leadership, my
influence, constitute the only obstacles
to your return to the people who made
your newspaper and founded your for
tunes and gave reality to your posi-
ton and your power, I stand ready
to remove them. Office is less to me
than you suppose. Political leadership
is not so necessary to my happiness as
You. in your ignorance Of my character
and motives. are pleased to say.
Strange as it may seem to you, am
willing to surrender every prospect of
personal promotion If by so doing can
reunite the Democratic party, restore
to its ranks all their pristine strength
and harmony. allay the discussions and
animosities that now exist and efface
the humiliating spectacle presented by
yourself and men of your way of think
ing-the spectacle of the Democratic
party betrayed into the hands of the
enemy by those whom Democats have
In the past exalted and enriched.
Il do not undertake to say how much
you or any other man may love the
Democratic party, but I know how
much love 1t, and know that have
no personal ambitions l will not sacri-
flee for its honor and welfare. l know,
too, that l have no affiliations, no en-
gagements, no plans of any kind, that
could by any possibility embarrass me
In making the proposed arrangement.
You may understand this as an over
ture of surrender on my part-as an adj
mission that the Democratic organ
ization cannot hope for further life
without your aid and confidence. am
prepared for that. I have been mis-
understood ny ION so long and so un-
reasonably that a little more or less will
count for nothing. AS matter of fact
] am satisfied that the people of Mary
land have become disguised with the
two years of Republican maladminis-
tration, which you did so much to make
possible, and that they are in the hui
NOR to make an end of the experiment,
Are you ready and willing and free
to meet me on this ground in good faith,
in all loyalty. without provisos or res