The sun., 1898-12-15

The problem which is now absorbing
the attention Of politicians is, aside from
the United States Senatorship, the re-
of the House and the Sen.
ate. The knotty point is, who viii. fill
the respective offices.
The present, or rather the coming ses-
sion is the last one which will have the
privilege, as exercised under the old con-
stitution, OF voting for Speaker OF the
Senate, for the reason that under the
new constitution Lieutenant Governor
will be elected in 1900 and he will fill
the Senatorial chair. =,
The slate as it now appears looks like
this.
For speaker of the Senate there are
two candidates. Senator john Pyle, OF
the Second Senatorial district of New
Castle county, and Senator s. D.
Slaughter, of the First Senatorial dis
trict of Kent. Mr.. Slaughter looks like
the favorite.
Lindsay McFarlane, OF Smyrna, is the
only man so far mentioned for clerk OF
the Senate.
For speaker of the House three are
three candidates. William Tharp, of
Kent count, and John Pilling and James
D. Kitchen, of New Castle county. The
knowalls say Tharp.
For clerk of the House the contest lies
among William 7. Smithers and A. A.
Wilson, of Dover and W. Scott Vernon,
of Wilmington.
Walter II. Hayes and Frank Davis are
mentioned for counsel and Mr.. Hayes is
tipped as the winner.
Apoogists for the Sussex county Levy
Court are endeavoring to unload upon
the Democratic party a portion OF the
responsibility for the deplorable condl-
ton of the county finances by showing
that certain Democrats have received a
portion of the money for services, per-
formed. That is neither here nor there.
Republicans controlled the financial
affairs of the county and upon them
rested full and complete responsibility
:, for both receipts and expenditures, par
ticularly the latter. They have plunged
the county into a state of bankruptcy
which, while not hopeless, was certainly
unnecessary, and there is nothing to
show for the extravagant expenditure
of public funds. There must be an ls'
sue of bonds or an increased tax rate,
or both, to meet the emergency, and the
people of the county will payV dearly fol
their political experiment of ehtrustlng
their financial affairs to such irresponsi'
BILE persons. They have strapped the
burden on their shoulders and mus
stagger under it for at least two years
By that time they will probably conclude
that it is time to return to the Demo
cratic policy-of economy in the admins
tration of public affairs. 1t would b.
bad enough if they had something t.
show for this wasteful extravaganza
but, unfortunately, there is no publi
improvement to which these prodiga
sons of Sussex can point with pride an
self-gratulatlon. Evening Journal.
The General Assembly of Delawal
will be called upon, at its coming SCI
sion, to elect a successor to United State
Senator George Gray, whose term WI
expire at noon on the fourth day
March, 1899. The Legislature has h
publican majority on joint ballot, so it
naturally expected that Senator Gray
successor will be Republican.
The General Assembly will convene
Tuesday, January 3. The form OF ba
loting for United States Senator is reg
lated by an act Of Congress, which pr
vides that when there is senatori
vacancy to be filed, the Legislatu
shall take ballot on the second Tue
day after its organization. This W
be Tuesday. January II, on viii
day, at the hour OF noon, each hot
will take vive voce vote for Senate
At noon the following day the T.
houses will convene in joint session
the hall of the House OF Representati'
with the Speaker of the Senate pres
ing. The journals OF the two hou
relating to the vote for Senator taken
previous day will then be read and co
pared, and if it shall appear that
same person shall have received r
iority Of all the votes in each hou
such person shall be declared d
elected Senator. But if the same
son shall not have received a majority
the votes in each house, or If cit
house shall have failed to take the
ouired vote, the joint assembly 81
then proceed to choose Senator, b
viva voce vote, majority of all
votes being required to elect. In
no person shall receive such majol
on the first day, the joint assembly s.
meet at noon of each succeeding
during the session of the Legislature
take at least one vote until a Sen
shall be elected.
In the event that the Republ
members decide to meet in caucus
the selection of candidate, the cal
will probably be held during the v
preceding the time set for balloting,
though in the past the senatorial cal
has been deferred until the night bel
In the coming struggle, however,, the
preston is that no caucus will be
as Mr.. Addicks would control sue
caucus, and those Republican mem
who are resolutely opposed to his
ton will not consent to be bound (
caucus decision, and therefore will
90 into one. This will carry the
into the open joint sessions, as was
case four years ago, and the ballc
will be public from beginning to enc
Four years ago, all the ballots
fruitless, and the session came to an
without any one person receiving a
joritv of all the votes cast for Senat.
Joint meeting. 1t would not be surpr
il similar result marked the coming