The sun., 1900-03-21

THE Anti-Addicks State Convention
meets today.
The news from Dover, as we 60 to
press, is that Colonel Fl. A. du Pont and
his following of Federal Office holders
are in command of the delegates, and
that he has dictated convention pro-
gramme intended to crush out all oppo-
sition to himself and prevent the possi-
bility of united Republican vote at the
coming State election.
This is the old story of Delaware Re-
publican politics. The fate of the party
at the polls has, in almost every cam
paign in its history, been determined in
the convention fights; and these fights
have always turned upon the control of
the Federal patronage. The old gang is
at this convention and are at their old
tricks. They esteem the few Federal
Offices which the managers and delegates
to this convention hold, of more value
than the defeat of the Democratic party
and the establishment OF Republican
State government in Delaware. With
Postmaster Browne OF this city at
the head of it, there is probably a
larger delegation OF Office holders in this
convention than any former one held in
this State. Browne is commanded and
is compelled to do du PopL's bidding,
because du Pont made him postmaster
here; and from Kent and Sussex counties
there has gone to Dover today horde
of petty Office holders-either in person
or in the persons Of relatives and hench-
men-to deliberately plan for continu-
ance of Democratic control OF this State.
A more absurd, or wicked political
purpose or movement cannot be imag-
ined. At Colonel du Points dictstion a
crowd OF patronage pensioners have gone
about among the people of this State mis-
representing and lying about Union Re-
publicans-about the political conditions
and possibilities in this State-and they
have apparently succeeded in getting to.
gether enough irreconciable factionists,
and political noddle-heads in conven-
tion, to perpetuate the folly begun by
the boilers of 1896, to repeat, to continue
their open deiancs and betrayal of the
Republicans of this State. The conserva.
tive leaven of the bolter party appears
to be powerless. 1t has either over
estimated it's strength or underestimate
the strength of the irreconclables. This,
at least, is the charitable view OF it. 1t
is possible, however, that the conserva-
tives have nos been decided enough in
their opposition to what they admit
to be foolish political policy;
that they have not wholly honest, nor
wholly in earnest, in their professed
desire for Republican party unitv. Pro.
Tossing to be contending for Republican
unity. they may have been contending
only for the control of the bolter party.
and in that way trying to secure posi-
tion from which to demand concessions
from the Union Republicans as the price
of unity and victory at the polls. That is
not good politics. Whole hearted earnest
ness is better. 1t would have been better
in the preliminaries to this convention.
The manifestation of it now in a strong
.ompromising fight upon the conven-
>, floor for the entire abandonment of
qti-Addicks bolter program, and
psSlidation of the Republican vote
E Union Republican party, that
,;Nnly reasonable thing to do. 1t
+ Mre99nly thing to do that posi-
"'fennetses Republican success in