The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-22
LAYTON COR
RECT WILLIS.
Says His Statements We're
Through Ignorance
of Facts.

Dr. Caleb r. Layton in tn, Union Re-
| publican of Georgetown today makes tbs
following reply TO Jonathan S. Willis
last letter.
My Dear Mr.. WllIis.-Ths general in.
consequences Of your last letter makes a re.
joinder unnecessary except to correct cer-
tain statements which you have possibly
made through ignorance, or inadvertance,
for feel sure you have not made them
deliberately. l am not insensible to your
soiicitude for the strain upon my mental
faculties which, in your opinion, tho bur-
d. Il of this controversy imposes upon me.
Let me thank you with the grace and rev.
erence which youth should always show
to age. Perhaps, however, you magnify
the difficulty of rejonder on my part
because of large conception of your own
force In the argument.
Whatever our relative capacities may be
you ought however. with your larger ex-
perence and greater wisdom. to contlne
yourself strictly to statements that you
know to be true. You certainly have no
right to make m attack from malicious
evidence. You say that openly made q
pledge "before the Joint Committee of
Sussex, on the honor of a gentleman, that
the name Of Mr.. Addicks would not be
mentioned in the Legislative caucus"
public that your statement Is wholly
false And In proof OF my statement l
ask you to interrogate any member of the
Union Republican Committee of Sussex
II at any time in any meeting joint or
otherwise for myself individually or for
them officially any statement of tho Find
was made and will abide tho result. As
for the slanderous insinuations Of politi-
cal opponents seeking on excuse for the
J,,J J,xn 7 1xrh oil iv>d Haropt I'm tba,n
l was known in tho last campaign as un-
compromisingly opposed to any alliance
with the Regulars except upon tho basis
of a common primary and majority rule.
/ am now charged with having sought
compromise, almost begelngly from the
Regulars, and having secured 1t, broken
faith with them. Tho shoe was on the
other foot, to use your expression. have
In my possession an honorable pledge in
behalf of the Regular" Committee agree
ing to zone primary, one ticket and ma
icrity rule" This honorable agreement
with gentlemen was, when the time came
for the primaries contemptuously ignored
and threatening demand made, ns you
know, for representation upon tho Legis-
la.ive ticket, against the will of the peo-
plel was at liberty to meet one broken
pledge with another, If had been SC
minded. But 1t was not done and you
can produce no evidence to that effect ex-
cept from political enemy seeking salve
fer his defeat in the finesse of politics.
The only statement made, or pledge
given, was that the Union Republicans,
in the tifty-two legislative districts OF tho
State, would enter a common primary and
abide by majority rule: that they would
loyalty support any candidate thus nomin-
ated, and that when elected every Union
Republican member of the Legislature
would enter caucus and abide by the re-
suits. II am not mistaken, sir, you were
the chairman of the committee in the
State Convention of November 4th, 1897,
that reported tho rules governing the
Union Republican Party; ut least you re-
collect that among Others then adopted
there was one binding the Union Repub-
licnn Party to submit all political ques-
tions to q caucus, and that it received
your assent at the time.
You mako another misstatement as to
nv position upon the Senatorial question
since 1894, At no time have ceased to ad-
vooate the settlement OF the question BY
majority rule. Neither In '95 nor In 30.
This / conceive to be the only logical basis
of party government, and the only just
and equitable method Of settling the dis
within the party, and still favor
it Notwithstanding your updignifisd re-
mark about the matter. All this is in ans
wer, my dear Mr.. Willis. to matters not
over the fact that you were not elected
Senator by the recent Legislature, you
made bitter attack upon Mr.. Addlcks
md the Union Republicans Of the State.
/ replied to you, stating that you had
claimed to be Union Republican, that
the question at issue,-the principle Of
majority rule was still unsettled, that
the St. Louis decision had not been revtr-
sed that you, because of that decision,
helped to create the Union Republican
Party; that you had been time and agail
4 candidate, or a would-be-candldato for |
high office; that certain political methods |
yero known to you that you were at lib
,rty at any time to refuss nomination
Tor any office while they were employed |
that OIL did not. but on the contrary |
eagerly sought them; that under such cir
,ulnstances you were morally barred |
rom an attack upon men and. methods,
having beon in medias res, If not mag |
nus pars' during the last six years; and
,vades the Issue by the childish trick Of
calling names, tho gh under the guise of
proverb
This shall not attempt to follow.
Your age and your one time profession,
lot to mention my self-respect aliko for
lid me to copy But asa mhttcr OF fair
'rgument upon the original line, will
lsk you why you could lend yourself to n
contest in 'D6 against L. Irving Handy,
IN unrighteouS contest by your admis-
ion, solely for tho purpose of aiding Mr.,
Addcks In the matter Of the Senatorship,
md then deny in the succeeding cam-
,aign that he had any right to be can
Iidute for that office. If you were favor
Bile to Mr.. Addicks then. why were you
lot during the last session Of the Legisla-
ure?
Why, again. was the Union Republican
Party with Mr.. Addicks as its candidate
II '96 n party that stood for principle,
nd simply an Addicks party in '9S, he be-
ne still its candidate for tho office Of the
Inied States SENATOR Is there not somu
here. l. Is such Instances,
ccumuated through six years or more
hat led me IN the beginning to feel, both
8 to your case and others, the force of a
iblical precept of later righteousness
han that of Solomon, which l commend
o you II you will permit me, for your SER
GUS reflection-"he that Is without sin
mong you, lot him first cast stono'l