The sun., 1898-12-01
AOFFECkER OF Delaware
4 Straw Showing How the Wind
Blows in Washington on
Federal Patronage.
GOSSIP FROM THE CAPITOL
HAS Your Man the Endorsement of
Congressman HDffecker?" Was
the Chilly Question Asked a
Local Attorney by a De-
I'D,
partment Attache.

1t has just occurred to somebody that
(Hon. John II. Hoffecker cuts some ice in
Me community. In Washington it is
Generally understood and believed that
Nr. Hoffecker vas elected to represent
Delaware in Congress on November s
khst. and that this election carries with
certain rights which the Administra-
: IN is bound to respect.
~ The significance of these observations
~r'iIl be better appreciated as explained
sEy an astnte member of the New Castle
county bar who recently returned from
Vayhington after sundry satisfactory
INTERVIEWS" ,..
Here is the way he tells it. .,1 1nsnv' y y.
Being in Washington ON wphhS
q professional character I had 6cctassioh
to Whit the Capitol on several different
errande and to consult with quite a few
attaches,of the Departments. The proba-
bilities Of Mr.. Gray's return to the Sem
ate seemed to be general point under
discussion, much more so than the pend
ing trial Of Senator Kenney, which
naturally supposed would be uppermost
in the minds of the Department clerks
who are forever receiving, remodeing
and retailing gossip of more or less dis
agreeable character. could give no in
formation concerning Mr.. Gray's
chances, not already public property and
for obvious reasons l could not discuss
the Kenney case. was somewhat star
tied however, by this question: NJ
"Has your man the endorsement of
Congressman Hoffecker"'
"The thought of asking John Fl. Hof-
iecker for an endorsement for any po-
litical Office struck me as being absurd
My candidate had the unqualified per-
sonal endorsement of Col. Henry A. du
Pont, Mr.. Henry G. Morse and Chair
man Browne, but he certainly did not
have the endorsement of Mr.. Hoffecker. |
could not even assert that he knew the
gentleman. l was stumped. Chagrin
was all that kept me from laughing out
right. My man had not the slightest |
claim upon John II. Hoffecker and get
ting his endorsement was out of the
question, even had we thought of it,
II recovered from my yall-toevident en-
barrassment as quickly as possible and
said: Our petition was prepared prior to
Mr.. Hoffecker's election, and of course !
does not include his name. Is his en-
doysement nNsssary?
W o'Ss - ,AWVuIent dtCdCHC sdlu
and esident was once member OF
ss& urHeB protest from any Congress
nj might offset the best petition
5ii.Ver brought before him. If you want
your man appointed see Mr.. Hoffecker."
"What about Col. du Points endorse
ment?'
"Is he Republican member of Con-
gress?"
Don't he dispense tho patronage in
Delaware"
HE did,"
"I am not in a position to say from this
talk with Department Attache that
Col. du Pont has been turned down as
the dispenser OF Federal Patronage in
Delaware, but am curious to know how
Department clerk, hailing from some
where in Ohio, should get in touch with |
John ii. Hofecker three weeks after (
election and Hoffecker never anv nearer
Washington than Smyrna. am not apt
to forget the way that man asked.
"Has your man the endorsement of
Congressman Hoffecker?'
Some months ago The Sun published
an exclusive article setting forth the
possibility of Mr.. Hoff.cker some day
dispensing Federal Patronage in Della.
ware. Articles published exclusively in
this newspaper have an aggravating way
of "panning out" If you want the
news of Delaware read THE Sun.