Evening journal., 1900-07-27
How The Plot Was Worked
Successfully
WAS GASMlN'S LAST RESORT
Republicans Would, Not Think Of COali-
ton With Anything That Bears
The Taint OF AddickSiSm
speeIal % the EvenIng Iournal.


Dover, July 27.-Just now, while the
air is ringing with rumors Of overtures
made by the followers OF J. Edward Ad-
dicks to the Republicans Of Delaware,
with a view Of inducing the latter to
assimilate with them. the old-time Re-
publicans of Kent county are becoming
reminiscent and are looking back over
the pathway trod during tho past ten
years In Delaware's political field. PO-
litical, like all other hlstOry-making, is
embarked in recllessly at times, but
as the song has It, "Therell Come a
Time Some Day" when the history
manufacturers would like to discover
an eraser that would remove indelible
stains. That this Is Just now the con-
dtion I'm which the followers Of the
gas king find themselves goes without
saying, for their history Is full OF
ghosts that will not down, and persist
In rising, like Banquo, 10 confuse them.
Just now the Republicans are cogl-
tating over a little historical event
which happened FIVE years ago. a slight
incident, perhaps, but one which was
portentious in its effects. as II resulted
!, in depriving the Republican party Of
J the State Of Delaware OF the United
: States senator OF their choice, and this
result. 10 is said. was reached by com
pact secretly made and signed between
William T. Watson, acting governor Of
Delaware and the four Addicks MEM
bers OF the Legislature who voted for
} him on the last day OF that memorable
session.
II was on the morning OF the last day
of the session, Tuesday, May Q, 1895.
In ha IITrfal In n rrfr 70
room. were assembled John Edward
} Addicks several Of his lieutenants and
Messrs. Charles u. Moore. Handy, Ball
and Robbins, members Of the Legisla-
b ture
To these men it was known that a
Republican senator would be chosen on
b that day unless trickery was resorted
to-unless in truth. a conspiracy could
be successfully entered into with the
Democratic acting governor.
These men knew that fifteen Repub-
licans in that assembly would in the
joint session TO be held that day at
r noon vote for Colonel Henry A. Du-
Pont for United States senator. These
men, who would so vote. were:
lMessrs. Aldrichs. John NJ c.. Moore,
Brown Burton, Fleming, Jolls, Money,
Morgan, Pierce, Pyle. Reybold, Town
! send. Walker, Wilson and Speaker Nc
Mullen-l5.
Without the acting governors vote
There would be ten Democratic votes
cast against Colonel DUPONT, and the
four Addicks votes enumerated above
making fourteen in all. Colonel Du-
. Pont would therefore be elected senator
by majority OF one.
Clearly on that May morning John
AHTfaI-r f4aI hot al
scheming his trickery. mis- lavish ex-
penditure OF money to satisfy an un-
holy ambition and override the will OF
1.-THE Republicans of Delaware was des-
timed to 90 for naught unless he could
successfully supplement his already
long list of crimes against the Republi-
can party, by an act of treachery that
from a political standpoint, would dis
count the crime Of Benedict Arnold.
In this dilemma he saw but one way
lof evading the avalanche which threat
ened his destruction 1t was to devise
some method of inducing Acting-Gov-
ernOr Watson to preside at the joint
meeting to be held ON that 9th day OF
May This would make eleven Demo-
cratic votes and the four Addicks votes
would render a total of fifteen votes
against Colonel DUPONT. the choice Of
the Republicans. The vote would be a
tie and the Republican party would be
deprived of a senator.
Il will be remembered that Acting
Governor Watson had not been pre-
siding at the joint meetings after the
death Of Governor Marvil. II is Of rec
ord that the acting-gOverncr had so far
doubted his constitutional right to par
ticipate in this daily meeting and cast
a vote therein that he had refused to do
+ it, and Senator Records, who was
chosen speaker pro eem. and served in
that capacity day after day. had as
umed all the rights and authority
which Acting Watson had
discarded when he assumed executive
functions.
But ON May 9 John Edward Addlcks
was ccrfrontcd with crisis IN his Del
aware political career which meant
either political death or another lease
Of political life. II was then he ard
his clan conceived the idea OF bringing
pressure to bear upon Acting Governor
Watson to induce him to fcrego his