Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-02-15
Two Republican sta,s Conventions.

As WAS expected, the Union Republic
can State Committee, in session at
Dover Tuesday, issued call for
Union Republican State Convention,
and set for it the date selected for the
Regular Republican State Convention
Tuesday, February 9th. Both con-
yentions will therefore be held in the
same town on the same day, but it is
announced that the Union Republicans
took time by the forelook and secured
the Dover Opera House, in the Kent
county Court House, the regular place
for conventions, as their meeting room,
thus compelling the Regulars to seek
other quarters.
The Union Republican committee
also made another apportionment for
their convention, which differs some
what from that made at the Republican
States Convention of May 18th, 1896.
which the Addicks faction controlled
and from which the Regulars boted.
The appoftIonment then made was rs
delegates for New Castle county, 60 for
Kent and 62 for Sussex, total Of 200.
1t left New Castle with the old appor.
tionment, but gave Kent and Sussex
each 20 additional The State Commit
tees superintendent, made yesterday,
provided for total of 1876 delegates, to
be chosen by legislative districts, five
from each district with the exception
Of the Second and Third in Wilmington
strong Republican districts-which
are to have 10 zach. This will give
New Castle county 81 delegatos-:35 from
Wilmington-and Kent and SUSSEX 80
each.
This looks like concession in the
direction of representation according to
population, for which the Regular Re-
pnblicans are most insistent, but still
it gives Kent and Sussex, with their
loo votes, material advantage, COM
bined, over New Castle county with
its So.
Beyond this slight straw, however,
there is NOT the slightest indication in
yesterdays proceedings of the Union
Republican State Committee of any
desire to hold cut the olive branch
towards the Regular Republican fac
tion. On the other hand, there is no
doubt that the 9th of February will
witness two separate and distinct Re-
publican conventions in Dover--Regu-
lar and Union-and that each will elect
delegates to the Republican National
Convention and choose State commit
tee. Then the fight of the factions will
be transferred to the Republican
National Convention which is to assem-
BILE in Philadelphia next June.
What will be the result of the fight
before the national body is problemati.
cal. The Regulars have the prestige of
legal regularity and the favor of the
Mckinley administration. On the
other hand, it is probable that Mark
Hanna will not care to risk the loss of
Delaware's electoral vote to Mckinley
through a division of the Republican
forces. IL 1t be possible to avoid such a
contingency. Therefore, it is hardly
likely that the Urion Republicans will
be summarily rejected, as they were in
st. Louis in 1896. Then they were I'M
pledged, whileu the Regular delegates
were under instructions to vote for
Mckinley, and Hanna preferred the
sure thing to an uncertainty. But now
that there is no opposition to the nomi-
nation of Mckinley, Hanna will doubt
less look upon the Delaware muddle
with an eye to electoral votes rather
than to Mckinley votes in the con-
yention. This will doubtless lead to
compromise overtures on the part of
the managers of the national tody,
with what result cannot now be fore
told.
The situation, therefore, is full of
uncertainty, and the sessions of the
Republican National Convention will
have peculiar interest to the peorle
of Delaware, despite the fact that the
nomination of Mckinley is foregone
conclusion. And 80, we will wait and
see.