The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-03-06
LOST AFTER
HARD FIGHTING
Fifteen Years Of Struggle for a
Seat in the United States
Senate.
CAREER OF JOHN E. ADDICKS

John Edward Addicks began his
long struggle for seat in the Senate
of 1888, when the term of Eli Sauls-.
bury was about to expire. Although
absolutely unknown to the politicians
and people of Delaware, he obtained
some backing, but when the Republic
can Legislature met in January, 1889,
the caucus nomination went to An
thony Higgins. In 1892 Mr.. Addicks
again entered the field The Demo-,
Gratis carried the State, however, and
George Gray was elected to the Senate.
In 1894, when Mr.. Higgins's term
was about to expire, Addicks made his
third essay for the Senatorship. The
Republicans secured nineteen mem
bers and the Democrats eleven, but
only eleven of the nineteen Republic
cans attended the caucus, which gave
the nomination to Mr.. Higgins on the
second ballot, A protracted deadlock
ensued, lasting from January IA until
May 8. Colonel Henry A. Dupont was
formally declared elected by Speaker
McMullin, of the House; but he
actually lacked one vote of a majority.
in case the claim of Speaker Watson
of the Senate, at that time acting
Governor of the State, of the right to
continue to exercise his privileges as a
Senator, were allowed. Addicks held
four votes to the last, and, although
the Republican Speaker of the House
declared Dupont elected, the Demo-
cratic Speaker of the Senate and act
ing Governor of the State declared the
joint convention adjourned sine die
without an election-a position in
which he was sustained by the Senate
at Washington.
From that time dates the split OF
the party into the two factions, styled
Union and Regular Republicans. Each
| faction put up State ticket in the
| field in 1895, which threw the election
| to the Democrats and sent Richard r.
Kenney to the Senate. Addicks re-
turned to the charge in 1898, when
| there was another deadlock, lasting
until the adjournment of the Legisla-
ture, in March, 1899. One hundred
and thirteen ballots altogether were
taken in the joint convention. This
chapter in his variegated history was
made notable by Addicks securing the
open support of three of the Demo
cratic members.
Then came the great campaign Of
1900. Addicks secured a decided ad-
vantage at the start by obtaining fol
his organization recognition by the
Republican National Committee and
Convention which had been denied to
him in 1896. The Legislature which
met in January, 1901, was composed OF
twenty-nine nominal Republicans and
Itwenty-three Democrats, twenty-seven
votes being necessary to elect. The
struggle started with sixteen of the
Republicans classed as UniOniSts and
the remaining thirteen as Regulars.
On February 10 four of the Regulars
went over to Addicks, and on March
/ two others followed them, increas-
ing the Addicks vote to twenty-five,
but leaving him still five short. The
session came to a close on March I
with the two seats still untitled.
Last year the two Republican fac
tions united on State ticket, which
was elected, but ran separate candi-
dates for the lower House of Congress,
with the result of letting the Demo
cratic candidate slip in between. When
the Legislature met on January the
offices were divided evenly. When the
balloting began on January 20, Adj
dicks again turned up as a candidate
for both terms. The lines remained
practically unbroken until the end Of
the struggle was brought about by the
retirement of AddickS.