Evening journal., 1900-11-19

Ludu al tAptultul VI
government? Does that paper claim
that the decent, intelligent men Of a
county, state or district must yield
their opinions to a majority constitu-
ted of ignorance, fraud and bribery?
There are such districts, if not coun-
ties in Delaware.
Newspapers, like individuals have
the right to change their opinions. but
decent respect for the opinions of
people generally should impel them to
make plausible explanation of their
new attitude. For years the Morning
News has opposed Addicksism in every
form; meanwhile the reasons for on
position have been growing. Sudden
/ ly there comes a change of front; why?
We have waded through two columns
Of special pleading, verbal jugglery
and insincere can't without getting
much light. We may be obtuse and
fail to fathom he subtleties of the
writer's discourse but we should like
to have the reason stated in plain En-
glish. Had we read that the News
was for Mr.. Addicls because of his f.
nancial prominence, we should have
understood, since sugar attracts
swarms of insects. Had we read that
the writer was for the gasman because
of his fitness to fill the Office, we might
have given credit to his honesty while
lamenting his ignorance; but when
from a mass of verbiage we can gath
er only that, notwithstanding that MIR.
Addicks has shown every quality a
senator should not possess, that al
though he mas resorted to every trick
that would usually damn a man, yet
since he has been able to elect a nls-
iority Of the Republican members OF
the General Assembly, he is to be sup
ported! Such reasoning is foreign to
the average intelligent moral Anglo
Saxon. We had always thought that
the qualifications for office were posi-
tive, not negative; are we wrong? Is
a man to be elected governor because
he doesn't steal sheep, or sent to Con-
gress because there can be found men
who are more ignorant? The News
says that "Addicks was very ignorant
when he appeared in Dover in 1889. a
But he had acquired considerable
knowledge when a few years later he
discovered how four pliable men could
be made to defeat the election of a
senator. Since then that paper de-
clares that he has made all sorts oil
blunders,a and suggests that ne has beer
silly in some of his utterances since
the late election-too silly for some ol
the Union Republicans, even. But. il
goes on to say, a man cannot be hang
ed because he is sometimes silly! No
certainly not, but he should be made
a United States senator instead! /.
that the inference?
The News has considerable to sa.
deprecatingly of the Regular Republi
cans of Kent and Sussex, because the!
are in a minority; but these people
differ from the Morning News in this
they do their own thinking and viii
not allow the vote Of majority, com
posed largely Of the venal and ignoran
, elements to usurp the functions whicl
their brains and consciences normal.
perform. The greater the odds agains
them the more heroic has been thei
fight. Had they given up their organ
!, ization two years since the Morhin
4 News would have stigmatized them a
! traitors without moral stamina; the
will not yield now to the blandish
, ments OF either Mr.. Addicks or hi
organ, the Morning News.
We are warned in this journal nc
: to repeat Mr.. Addicks' outrageou
performance Of 1885," why? That MI
I Addicks may not be defeated in 1901
! Isn't that rich? Mr.. Addicks to pre-
vent his own defeat holds up as hol
4 lrible example to be avoided his treacl
4 cry in defeating another! It's luscious
a AS against a third party it might b
o urged, but to lug it in as favoring tn
4 arch -conspirator requires either infar
. tile innocence or cast-iron nerve. TIL
News winds up with a plea for endin
: the whole matter now, by electing AZ
Il dicks to appease him-marry a man
. get rid of him-yield to the seducer
n avoid his importunities Well, n'
n lust yet; the highwayman has held |
! up and demanded our money or ol
" lives. Some have thrown up the
= hands; others before they will consel
= to be robbed will fight to the last ditC
q and with their last gasp will resi-
d the highwayman. Mr.. Addicks is n
. yet senator; he will not be, and u
z Morning News will yet repent its i
,e advised desertion of its friends and
ct principles.