The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-13
THE PASSING OF ADDIGKS.
bright side 10 the Delaware Senn-
toriaI situation

tOriaI situation.
| The Delaware situation, as seen by
political observers here presents a rosy
as well as gloomy view. The depressing
| side of the case comes from the fact that
] one man may so demoralize a party and
corrupt state as to leave IL wholly
without representation in the United
| States Senate. But the rosy side Of the
| picture, which is really the important enc.
| is that this little State of Delaware has
| successfully resisted and at a great Price
| the attempt of Mr.. Addicks to tuy
| through her n seat in the United States
Senate. All honor to the seven so-called
regular Republicans or the Delaware
Legislature who resoIutely 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 II. Wilson expressed 1t;
Other States. have surrendered to the
mercenaries. but Delaware has refused TO
be bought. In it's entire history the State
has done nothing nobler than in the use
of Addicks. II 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 10 the seven itSuoiS'
They We're regulars only in name. Ad-
dicks had really captured the Repub-
lican orga niZation 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 bowled out the Higgins-Du-
pont men. who now call themselves reg
}c they
might have been admitted with half
vote. but they refused to share anything
with Addcks and so Mr.. Hanna directed
the admission of the Addicks faction. 1t
was supposed that this would effectually
nut 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 to Washington and
discussed with reporters his choice of
colleague, assuming that his own cleo
ton was settled beyond a peradventure.
In Delaware he had explained his I'M
settled feelings on the question of col
league by saying that he favored Mr.. ",
while his wife thought Mr.. Y. would be
better, and lust how he should finally
decide 1t he was unable to say.
But In spite of their defeat at Philadel-
phia. the conscience Republicans" went
back to Delaware and put up hight on
the legislative ticket. They could not
unite with the Democrats because that
party was at its lowest ebb, due to four
years of dissension. and was itself split
into factions. When the Legislature as
sembled 1t 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 a 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 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 Sem
ate
All the State officers from the Governor
down, Were Addicks Republicans and the
life of these seven boilers 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 Brighten
them. The proba abilities are strong that
the Democrats will control the Legisla-
ture two years hence particularly if Ad-
dicks should be discouraged and unwill-
I'M: to put out again the necessary money
foI carrying the State. Della ware is natu-
rally Democratic and without pretty
strenuous measures would elect Demo-
cratic Legislature. The seven Republi-
cans who have risked everything to de-
feat AddickS believe that no true pros
perity can come to their party in the
did not stop to think of political conse-
quences-whether their action meant
Democratic victory or not: they simply
determined not to have Addicks and
their tenacfty 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 to 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, |
although he promptly announced on the |
day the Legislature adjourned that he |
was IN the Tight for two years hence. |
Even with the passing of Addicks it would |
take some years for the State to recover |
from the demoralizing effects of twelve |
years wallowing 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 |
of the poorer class of whites But 1t |
will be some time before the Democrats |
get full control. even If they should |
carry the Legislature. and they are in |
Ill