Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-01-13
A spell.msp-sua the Re.ult.


In the course of the violent assault
upon Civil Service Reform and wild
advocacy OF the spoils system by "Ro-
publican Glasssa' in last Sundays
Star, to which allusion has already
been made by The Gazetts, appears
the following:
Hon. Anthony Higgins was Senator
at Washington. He was spuileman,
and the State never had an Bbler, more
conscientious, more accomplished and
more effective representative at the
national oapital.
True it III that Anthony Higgins was
a spokesman, but what was the resultf
When Mr.. Higgins accidentally"
dropped into the STANDARDIZATION his
SUCCESS was an accident in many ways
tho Republican party of Delaware
was in fairly good shape Il had just
emerged from successful campaign.
Democratic divisions having opened the
way to victory in Delaware, and the
party having also been successful at
the Presidential contest 1t was, III
fact, an occasion to make Republicans
feel good, and Delaware Republicans
IN particular did feel that way. They
had for four years been free from the
factional fights over Federal patronage
that had weakened their organization
90 long.
But Mr.. Higgins was a spokesman,
and he acted as a spokesman. AS the
''only Republican Senator ever elected
from Delaware" he was received with
great eclat by the Harrison admins
tration. All the Federal patronage was
promptly placed at his disposal, and he
was permitted to distribute il as he
saw fit. He used it to build up a
Higgins machine within the party in
Delaware, and no man who was not
supposed TO be loyal in his devotion to
Higgins could obtain an appointment.
But the effect was not what Mr..
Higgins anticipated. Loyalty pur-
chased by offices did not prove long
abiding. and the partially displayed in
the appointments also aroused indig.
nation. Soon an anti. Higgins machine,
composed of those who could not gain
the Senator's favor, was in active
existence, anti when it began to assume
formidable proportions, many OF those
who held Office by grace of the Sena-
tors favor tlocked to the ranks of the
enemy. When the final issue came, at
the Legislative session of 1895, as to
whether another Republican Legisla-
ture should return Mr., Higgins to the
Senute or elect someone else, nearly
all Of those who had been made the
benefciaries of Higgins spois system
we're found srrayed against him. From
one end of this State to the other this
was the situation, and those upon whom
he had bestowed official favora as re-
turns for presumed political loyalty
were the most vindiotive in OPPOSITION.
The result was that Mr.. Higgins was
not reelected Senator, and the po-
sition remained vacant for two years.
AT the next election the feelings melted
among Republicans by Mr.. Higgins
spoils system 80 divided the Republican
vote that the Democrats elected Cover
nor and Congressman by minority
vote, and carried the Legislature. To
day Democrat sits in the Senatorial
seat that Mr.. Higgins sought so dss
perately TO retain.
True, Mr.. Higgins was a sportsman
in the strictest sense of the term. Blu
what did it avail him or his party tina
he was? Nothing. 1t simply invitet
fractional contention and ultimately OF
overwhelming defeat.