The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-11-21
,DELAWARE'S
: SENATOR.
The Selection of the Man
Depends Altogether ,
on the Caucus.
Baltimore Sun Spsclal,

Baltimore Sun Spsolal. "~va
| Dover, Dsl.. Nov. 20 The session of tho
Delaware Legislature. which will begin
here January 8. promises to bs one Of the
liveliest ever held,
| The most important act Of the two
houses will be the election Of a successor
to United States Senator George Gray,
who Is now in Paris as a member of tho
peace commission. II the talk bore Is to
be depended upon the contest will be one
OF which there can bs no rellabls fore
cast.
This uncertainty Is due to the makeup
OF the Legislature, which Is compo ,eu OF
three distinct elements. The democrats
will have2l votes on joint bal lot; the reg
uiar republicans will have Ii, and the
Union or Addicks republicans will have
IS votes. Ash will require 81 votes to
elect, mona Of these elements can muster
the requisite number
The only hope for the republicans to
elect Senator will DO by making com.
binaton between the two elements "This
Is the PLAN" said prominent union re-
publican. "We propose to elect repub-
lican, and to do this we will have to come
| together. The union element has elected
a majority Of tho republicans in tho House
and we are Cd an even footing with tho
regular republican wing In the Senate.
On joint ballot we can rely upon all our 10
| votes.
"The whole thing will be fixed when tho
question OF holding a CAUCUS Is settled.
| Tho members Of both House and Senate.
who were elected as union repu blicans,
! arc ready and anxious to caucus on tho
Senatorship Now, If the regular republl.
cans fail to attend the caucus we cannot
be held responsible for their party deielo-
tion. While We have not enough votes on
the surface to elect Senator, tho required
mum Der will be forthcoming at the de-
sired moment"
A prominent momber Of the regular re-
| publioans states their side Of the case, as
follows:
1--WE will have a majority when a joint
ballot Is taken. The union republicans
are making claims which they will not DO
able to substatiate,
'Ihe Senators and members OF tho
House elected as regular republicans will
be found supporting q true and we'll tried
republican for Senator. They will refu;e
to enter any com bination for the election
OF Mr.. Addicks Rather than this l be.
lieve that many Of them would prefer Mr..
Gray's seat to 10 vacant. as 1t was for two
years, when Colonel DuPont failed to got
into the upper house Of Congress. This,
OF course would be unfortunate. but rath-
or than SEQ tho politics OF Delaware domi-
mated by Addlcks am sure that many of
tho members elect would face the conseou-
ences."
combination which has been talked Of
Is one between the regular republicans,
led by Colonel DUPONT. and the democrats
BY this coalition Mr.. Gray could 10 re-
turned to tho Senate Such movement IL
on foot, and many persons say that the
feeling of hatred Is so strong between tho
Add,cksites and the regulars that the reg.
ulars may prefer to see Mr.. Gray re. elected
rather than surrender to Mr.. Addicks.
There Is one factor In the coming FIGHT
which has not failed to attract the atten-
ton Of many Of the close political observe
erS. That factor is former United States
Senator Anthony Higgins. Mr.. Higgins
has been allied with the regular repnbll-
can faction, and was for years the pollti-
cal enemy Of Mr.. Addioks, but during the
recent campaign he took the stump anu
spoke for the union Republicans.
This has caused general speculation As
to what was back of Mr.. Higgins new
move. One who has icon close to him
said:
'Ms. Higgins Is playing the best politics
OF any Of the republicans In Delaware, He
believes that half loaf is better than no
bread, and having seen that the seat in tho
Senate, to which Colonel DUPONT was
elected ls occupied by democrat, he does
not propose to lose second one. 1t Is said
that In the event Of q struggle for the
.SenAtorship Mr.. Higgins. who has several
close political friends aucong the regular
republicans elected to the Legislature,
will be able to throw bis influence toward
the union republicans, even though by
his assistance Mr.. Addcks should be
elected"
Another story going the rounds Ia that
IN the event OF the conviction Of Senator
II, II. kenney who Is accused of aiding
OK Teller Boggs In lootng tho First Ma.
tional Bank Of Dover, Mr. Higgins Ia slat-
ell to get the place In the Senate, which
would thus be vacated. The Addicks elo-
ment, 1t Is said, would back him in return
for his assistance in securing Addioks'
election, should this be done.
These statements go to show how com.
pllcated tho situatlop is. Tho Addlcks
men arc wearing broad smiles and do not
hesitate to say that they will be able to
elect Mr.. Addicks: The defeat of Mr.,
Gray is almost certain, although many 70.
publicans, as we'll as democrats, regret
that he will not be returned to. the Senate.
1t Is said that no could not secure an eloc-
ton oven the regular republicans should
agree to vote for him. This statement was
explained as follows:
senator Gray, during the campaign OF
1896, came out for Palmer and Buckner.
and made speech for sound money, Now
alarge majority Of the democrats in Della
ware are free silver men, and they have
not forgotten Mr.. Gray's stand for gold,
Or the 81 democratic members of tho Con.
oral Assembly, at least 10 of them would
not vote for Senator Gray, but would UNI,
doubtly support Congressman Handy or,
John g. Gray, Of Wilmington. both Of
whom are oasscd az silver men. ----..-
Cloths Cleaned. Manhattan Laun drv