The times., 1901-03-13
THE PASSING OF ADDIGKS.
\ bright side to the Delaware Sena-
toriaf situation


toriaf situation.
The Delaware situation. as seen by
political observers here, presents q rosy
as well "a a gloomy view. The depressing
side of the case comes from the fact that
one man may so demoralize a party and
corrupt a State to leave it wholly
without representation in the United
States Senate But the rosy side cf the
picture, which is really the important cne.
is that this little State of Delaware has
successfully resisted. and at q great Trice
the attempt Of Mr. Addicks TO tuy
through her a seat in the United states
Senate. All honor to the seven so-calied
regular Republicans of the Delaware
Legislature who resolutely maintained
their preference for no election in
choice between Addicks and nobody. The
records of partisan history may be
searched in vain for many such cases.
As Gen. James IT, Wilson expressed it:
Other States have surrendered to the
merceuaries. but Delaware has refused to
be bought In it's entire history the state
has done nothing nobler than in the case
of Addicks It deserves to be told to the
most distant day.
Few people outside Of the state of Del
aware realize the pressure which has
been applied to the seven regulars.
They were regulars only in name. Ad-
dicks had really captured the Repub-
lican organ aniZation about as completely as
could be done The Republican National
Convention at Philadelphia, after due de
liberation. recognized the Addicks dele
gates as the Republican party of Del
aware and BOWED out the Higgins-Du-
pont men. who now call themselves reg
ulars 1t is quite possible that they
might have been admitted with a haf
vote but they refused TO share anything
with Addicks, and so Mr.. Hanna directed
the admission of the Addicks faction. 1t
was supposed that this would effectuaily
put an end to the anti-Addicks opposi-
ton and that the gas man would this
year get into the Senate without fail. In
deed. after the election in November Ad-
dicks himself came 10 Washington and
discussed with reporters his choice of
colleague, assuming that his own cleo
tion was settled beyond a peradventure.
In Delaware he had explained his un-
settled feelings on the question of col
league by saying that he favored Mr.. X,
while his wife thought Mr.. Y. would be
better, and lust how he should finally
decide it he was unable to say.
But in spite of their defeat at Philadel-
phfa. the conscience Republicans went
back to Delaware and put up fight on
the legislative ticket They could not
unite with the Democrats because that
party was at it's lowest ebb, due To four
years of dissension. and was itself split
into factions When the Legislature as
sembled it appeared that the anti-Addicks
Republicans held the balance of power;
they refused to enter into a deal by
which one of their own men and Addicks
would be the two Senators. All except three
refused also to go in with the Democrats
on similar arrangement and three were
not enough to carry out the programme.
The Democrats could not agree on any
one Senator from their party; could they
have had two, they might have reelected
the discredited <Kenney, who stands for
the Bryan Democrats, and Willard Sauls-
bury. who represents the old Democracy
of Delaware. which for years gave TO the
Senate a long line of illustrious statesmen,
rivaling those from Vermont in their con-
tributiOns to the dignity Of the upper
house Since the Democrats could not
agree upon man for whom the anti-Ad-
dicks Republicans could consistently vote
the latter stood out to the end and have
let the State go unrepresented in the Sen
ate.
All the State officers. from the Governor
down. We're Addicks Republicans. and the
life of these seven bolters has not been
made happy by their party associates
They have had to meet the charge that
their action in standing out against Ad-
dicks inevitably meant two Democratic |
Senators. but even this did not frighteu
them. The probabilities are strong that
the Democrats will control the Legisla-
ture two years hence, particularly if Ad-
dicks should be discourse ged and unwiII-
ing to put out again the necessary money |
for carrying the State. Delaware is natu- |
rally Democratic and without pretty
strenuous measures would elect a Demo- |
cratic Legislature. The seven Republi- |
cans who have risked everything to de- |
feat AddiCks believe that no true pros
perity can come 10 their party in the /
State by a surrender to such forces. They !
did not stop TO think of political couSa- |
their action meant |
Democratic victory or not; they simply |
determined not to have Addicks and |
their tenactty Of purpose might well have |
been initiated in other States
II cannot now be foreseen what the |
political future OF Delaware will be. Ad- |
dicks is said 10 be in very poor health |
He has tried for twelve years to break |
into the Senate. Many persons predict |
that he will not again be heard from |
he promptly announced on the |
1ay the Legislature adjourned that he
was IN the night Tor two years hence
Even with the passing of Addcks it would
take some years for the State TO recover |
from the demOralizing effects of twelve
years wailowing In money. If the Demo-
Gratis regain supremacy, they will prob |
ably adopt measures for greater restric-
ton of the suffrage. which would dis
franchise many Of the negroes and some |
Df the poorer class of whites. But It |
will be some time before the Democrats |
get full control. even If they should
AIRY the Legislature. and they are In |
Utmost drrpBr3 IfZpJ condition |