The sun., 1901-03-15
THE DELAWARE
SENATORIAL FIGHT


the Senatorial Muddls. Criticism
of his Course as the RepublicanlNa- |
tional Chairman is Indignantly Re-
sented.
By Telegraph to the New York Tribune.
Washington, Mar. Ex-senator Hanna
talked to representative of The Tribune
with great frankness and considerable in
dignation today about the Delaware
Senatorial situation.
Il am tired of being held in any way
responsible by section Of the Republi-
can press for the failure of the Delaware
legislature to elect Senator's" said Mr..
Hanna. 1.-THE lies and abuse Of the op-
position newspapers no longer bother me,
but / have determined to strike back
hereafter whenever Republican paper
attacks me as some of them are now
doing over this unfortunate muddle i'll
Delaware. want it known that | did
everything in my power as chairman Of
the Republican National Committee TO
bring about the election of two Repub-
lican Senators at Dover this winter, as
am now doing to bring about the election
of two Republican Senators in Nebraska.
My whole interest in the contest i'll both
States begins and ends in the desire to
get two Republican Senators from each
State. The personality of candidates
cuts no figure with me. In the personal
sense l have no favorites either in Della
ware or Nebraska. All that l am
charged by the National Committee to do
| is to assist i'll getting into the Senate
from both of these States two stalwart
Republicans, fit and capable, and who
will work heartily and harmoniously
with the party organization in the SEN
ate. And in trying to do this ! am
harassed and hectored by some Republi-
can papers in the East whose editors
mpugn my motives, evidently OH a mis-
understanding of the facts in the case
AT this point Senator Hanna read an
lcxtract from an editorial in a Philadel-
phia paper that dealt rather severely
with the part he was alleged to have
taken in the recent Delaware Senatorial
struggle, and became dramatic in his
earnest protestations against the charges
of which he was complaining. "As
chairman of the Republican National
Committee, he exclaimed, Il have al
ways been guided in every act solely by
what ! regard as the highest interest
of the party. have never used my po-
Sition to do injustice or to show parti-
Iality to any deserving Republican. In
lighting the partys battles l have sacri-
feed much-even my health. And, as
said before, | have determined to strike
back with all my strength whenever in
future | am unjustly attacked by a Re
publican newspaper.
WHY ADDICKS WAS RECOGNIZED
The Senator then gave detailed his
tory of his connection with the Addicks-
du pont fractional war in Delaware
The du Pont delegation was seated
over the Addicks delegation at the st
Louis Convention i'll 1896" he said
mainly because of the vigorous fight
Senator Thurston, of Nebraska, made
against the Addicks men. | have fire
quently heard Thurston say since that
he much regretted that at that time
he had acted upon misinformation. The
Addicks delegates We're seated over the
,lu Pont delegates at the Philadelphi;
Convention last June mainly because o
du Points stubbornness. Though tn,
evidence showed plainly that the Ad
dicks delegates We're entitled to tn,
seats. in the hope OF harmonizing thu
party in Delaware the National Commit
J tee proposed to admit half of each dele
cation from that State. Addicks was
willing to abide by this decision, but dt
Pont obstinately refused to accept thu
proposition. He insisted upon having
all or none. Then the National Com
9 mittee, by what as l remember was al
i almost unanimous vote, declared that th
Addicks delegates should be admitte,
to the convention. This decision was no
u hastily made. 1t was the result of tn
i, most exhaustive investigation conducte
n by Henry G. Payne, of Wisconsin, as
subcommittee of one. Payne is thu
clearest headed politician on the Nationa
: Committee. When the du pont peopl
il realized that Payne's report was to b
q adverse to them. they pleaded that | b
:, appointed subcommittee of one t
= make further investigation. This wa
Z done. and for more than two hours
S listened to the talk and complaints o
. the du Pont crowd. A dozen or more 0
them were before me, whereas only on
Of the Addicks people appeared. The d
II Pont crowd made such a poor showin
a that | was compelled to report agains
i them to Payne, and he submitted hi
:, own and my report to the full commit
: tee. ! want it known that during tn
Q hearings of the contests at Philadelphi
: the one from Delaware, as well as tina
II from Louisiana, in the last of whic
was interested---I vacated the post @
+" Chairman of the National Committee
J did this because ! feared that IN
II connection with the political side Of tn
4 administration might have too much il
tluence on some minds"
THE SITUATION AT DOVER.
:, Senator Hanna then dealt with the l.,
: cent failure of the Delaware legislator
G to elect Senators. ''To give YOU a be
Il tnr understanding of the natter" he sait
4 II would remind you that year ago las
!, December when the national committe
: met in this city to select time an
] tpace for the National Convention, l wa
instructed by the committee to straight
cn out the tangle in Delaware if pos
lSibe | never worked harder on any
i thing iii my life than / did on thi.
i Finally, when the Addicks people sus
gested as compromise that each sid
be permitted TO name a Senator if til
Republicans carried the legislature,
thought the way was clear for harmon
4 and for effective work in Delaware. BIZ
,lu Pont would not agree to this--at leas
: the result of his stubborn stand at Dove