Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-26
SOME SENATORIAL SUGGESTIONS.

Editor The Gazette. Though now
non, resident, / find your old fascinat'
ing senatorial problem matter CT per-
petual interest. Democrats and Renub-
licans alike seem to believe that the
patriotic reputation Of the State would
best be preserved by the defeat of the
Union Republicans.
Can this be brought about?
Notable elections during the past II
years in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania
and New York, and more recently in
Chicago, indicate that the appeal to
the honor and self-respect of the people
is usually successful. That 1t is not
always SO is probably due to any one or
to a combination OF four causes: ],
the issues are in some cases obscure; 2,
the contesting parties; 3, the appeal
has lacked vieor, and, 4, those SO ap.
pealing had not sufficient effective faith
in the public honor and its power of
expressing its wishes at the polls
If the Delaware Senatorial contest
can be made by one party against the
two other parties, avoiding these four
causes of failure, believe the one
party SO making issue, would win.
The first step would be for the party
to take the people into its confidence,
by naming tine men whom it intended
| to elect United States Senators. This
would be an emergency proceeding, but
would commend itself as removing the
contest from the exigencies and disloy-
| alties of caucus. and from the Pro-
tracted, expensive, and sometimes
scandalous features of legislative
action.
Any party so nominating would show
that 1T commands the loyalty of its
leaders, even in situation when, for
the majority of them, there could be
no hope of personal reward. And any
politician who, in case of the advance
determination Of the Senatorial con-
test, would abandon his patty or cease
to give it his hearty support, rebelllng
under personal disappointment, would
thereby show character and motives
which would furnish to the community
an amusing, and to the one so acting,
disastrous, episode.
Your correspondent believes the win
ming move is yet to be made by the
party which will declare itself and
pledge the election of two honorable
and dignified men of the kind which
have represented Delaware in the past.
To claim the suffiages of ordinary
honest voters the nominees should be
mon who need never be investigated
by any Congressional commissions
men who would not, by hot words, ex'
pose themselves to comment as exam
pies of haste, indiscretion or narrow
ness; whose knowledge of American
financial and legislative policies woule
enable them to avoid some of the errors
which in past years have brought coca
sional distress to sections of this coun
try.
But the main thing seems to be rid
ding State politics of that power which
inspired or dictated, against the people
the outrageous maxim "Addicks o.
nobody Issues Of currency and im
perialism will probably be decided b.
the whole Congress, and responsibility.
/ for such decisions will be widely scat
tered-but the issue of "Addicks or III
Addicks" must be met and settled b.
Delaware alone. 1t would therefot'
seem to take precedence of other issues
And your corr espondent believes tina
J the party making contest on detipit
, lines, opposing the personality OF Mr.
Addicks by naming two candidates TO
, Senator in opposition to HIM and his
, with direct appeal to the people 70
, their support, shall have gained no
only the next victory, but considerabl
prestige to carry into the campaigns Q
{ the future. John 8. Littell,
/ Brookport, N Y, Apr Goth, 1900