Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-30
PREACHER WILLIS RECANTS.


| was trained up under the rigid
regime of od-time Democracy. Andrew
jackson and Thomas Jefferson were the
political gods my fathers worshipped.
But prevailing over party attachments
] had sentiment of love of country
and hatred OF slavery. Whether this
was Unborn, or acquired, it amounted
to a religious devotion. 1t does yet
l inherited slaves which never held,
so in 1860, when the men of the South
attempted TO disrupt the American
Union, in the interest of the hateful
institution, joined the party of Abra-
ham Lincoln. That is where | stand
now, for although that party has, n
some respects, deteriorated. it is still
the best we have. My devotion to it
has been sincere, pronounced and con-
scientious.
When in 1896 a revolt occurred in
this State, | went with the Union Re
publicans and have acted with them
since that time, in perfectly good faith.
There is nothing in my public career,
whether in Congress- or out OF Con-
ashamed, and which will not bear the
closest scrutiny.
My connection with the Union Re-
publican party was perfectly logical. l
regarded it as the party, and the boilers
as schismatics. have often condemned
their course and spoken harshly of
their actions. At the present time,
while / do not yet Justify many things
that they did, can now see they in
| terpreted the situation more wisely
| than | did.
In 1894 John Edward Addicks APP
peared upon the Republican theatre OF
this State. He came with no endorse
ment, or political fitness, further than
a big fortune. This he freely gave to
aid the party, or seemingly so at that
| time, to secure success against Demo.
cratic abuses. We secured majority
on joint ballot, but lost the Senate. He
entered the contest for United States
Senator with six men supporting him.
| He refused to go into caucus and dead
locked the Legislature. After two of
his adherents had left him, he still
held the remaining four with the
watchword, "Addicks or Nobody" A
short time before the close of the ses-
sion in 1895, in reply to an appeal from
me to step aside and wait until the
next campaign, he made this answer
"If they don't elect me United States
Senator, l will sink the Republican
party ten thousand fathoms deep" |
expressed establishment and sorrow at
such an utterance, and while | gave
him the benefit Of my charity, sup
posing him to be laboring under OK
citement, and hoping that subsequent
reflection and the cooling of passion
would leave him under the influence of
better and wiser counsels, l neverthe-
less could not avoid the impression that
| 80 tho ,,i,, MI n
conceit / had ever known. | asked
myself the questions: "What has this
man ever done for the party or the
people of Delaware that he should as.
sumo this role?'' .Has new Daniel
come to judgment?" "Has this person
such intellectual grasp and ripe in
formation, such fine qualities of states
manship. as to establish valid claim,
so suddenly, upon the fealty of the
party?''
He dropped, like Apollyon, from thu
clouds, and tho party has been under {
cloud ever since. From that time til
now he has, on occasions, given utter
ance to such expressions as these: ~
have paid my money for the senatorshiI
it is mine, and intend to have it, )
81 am still in the fight and shall be al
long as / live, and l intend to b,
elected United States Senator and
|. don't intend that anybody else shall b.
Senator until am Senator.
A volume might be filed with sucl
silly, puerile, and self-sufficient re
! marks. He has given innumerabl,
interviews, and all in the same vein
, He has transferred the manners of tn
speculator to the field Of politics. II
, has made no allowance for tho law O
! fitness and persuasiveness, but ha
/, proceeded upon tho principle tina
, every man has his price, and tina
, official dignity and responsibility ar
mere matters of merchandise. lie ha
l been blind to every principle of politi
, cal amenity and has refused concessio
!, on the basis of "Addicks or Nobody
! to every man of refined and patriot
: instincts in the party.
e All these repugnant declarations an
a attitudes have hitherto been condone
4 by many of his friends in the Unto
. Republican ranks, among them my
q self. But at the last session of til
g Legislature when the two factions {
n the party had . decided majority o
- joint ballot, he played the same oil
- \ game and left the State unrepresente
y SECOND time in the United State
e Senate. Any man at all fit to occup
Il that high position would, under I'll
: circumstances binding he could not i
elected himself) have retired as
n partial atonement for his form,
" political wrong-doings. This la
action proves that his threat of Is!
1t was the expression Of an invetera
:, intent which he has harbored in h
. mind until the present time.
g Had he been at Dover last Monda
he would no doubt have been Q.
Id hilarated at what he regarded ii
grand consummation Of his purpos
r He would also have witnessed seem
which would have excited sentimei
of pity in any one not impervious
~ the appeals of confusion and sham
o Three young men who in tho last hou
!, of the session, gave him their supper
vi were bounded and jeered by their col
N stituents, and in pallor and silen,
went to their homes, remorseful AT
,e undone. And thousands have sin,
asked the question, "Why was this?
,e WAS there something in the qualit
cations or character of Mr.. Addicks
10 win their attachment and suffrage
the face of the disapproval of the
IN friends?" "Were their votes cast tn,
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