Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-03
FIFTEEN YEARS FIGHT
J. z ADDIcKg LONG STRUGGLE
FOR THE SENATE.
Republicans Finaii Split and the
Democrats Seoul I'd the sena-
torship in 1895.

John Edward Addicks began his long
| struggle for seat in the Senate in 1883,
when the term of Eli Salisbury was about
to expire.
Although unknown to the politicians and
people of Delaware, he obtained some back
ing, but when the republican legislature
met in January, 1889, the caucus nomina-
ton went to Anthony Higgins, after
spirited afl-night contest, in which Ad-
dicks did not figure on the surface. In
1892 Addicks again entered the senatorial
field and made a vigorous campaign before
the people to secure the nomination and
election of members of the legislature
who might prove favorable to his candi-
dacy. The democrats carried the state,
however, and George Gray was elected to
the Senate
In 1894, when Senator Higgins term was
about to expire, Addicks made his third
essay for the senatorship. The republicans
secured nineteen members and the demo-
Gratis eleven, but only eleven Of the nine
teen republicans attended the caucus, which
gave the nomination to Higgins on the
second allot When THE balloting in the
legislature began Higgins received ten votes,
Add1ckS SIX and George V. Massey three.
A protracted deadlock ensued, lasting from
January IA until May g. Colonel Henry A.
Dupont was formally declared elected by
Speaker McMullin of the house, but he
y,
case the claim of Speaker Watson of the
senate, at that time acting governor of
the state, to continue to exercise his priv
leges as senator was allowed. Addicks
held four votes to the last and, although
the republican speaker of the house de-
clared Dupont elected, the democratic
speaker of the senate and acting 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
Tor Addicks) and regular republicans. Each
faction put state ticket in the field in
1896. which threw the election to the demo-
Gratis and sent Richard R. Kenney to the
Senate.
Addicks returned to the charge in s9s.
when there was another deadlock lasting
until the adjournment of the legislature
In March, 1899. One hundred and thirteen
ballots altogether were taken in the Joint
convention, Addicks winding UP with TWEEN
ty-one votes to nine for Henry A. Dupont
and twenty scattered among several demo-
cratic candidates. This chapter in his va
riegated history was made notable by Ad-
dicks securing the open support of three
of the democratic members.
Then came the campaign of 1900 with two
senators to be elected-one for the term
which began in 1899 and another for the
term beginning in 19afs. Addicks secured
decided advantage at the start by obtaining
for h1s organization the recognition of the
republican national committee and con-
vention, both of which had been denied him
IN 1886. The legislature which met in Janu-
airy, 1901, was composed of twenty nine
nominal republicans and twenty-three
democrats, twenty-seven votes being neces-
sary to elect. The struggle started with
sixteen of the republicans classed as Union
lists and the remaining thirteen as regulars
Addicks was nominated by his followers for
Doth the long and short terms. On Febru-
airy ID four Of the regulars went over to
chr
two others followed them, increasing Ad-
dicks vote to twenty two, but leaving him
still five short. The vote for the long term
remained unchanged, and the session came
to close on March q with the two seats
still untitled. -'--~s"S s-.-
Last year the two republican factions
united on state ticket, which was elected,
but ran separate candidates for the lower
house Of Congress, with the result of letting
the democratic candidate Henry A. Hous-
ton, slip in between. When the legislature
met January 5, 1903, the offices were divided
evenly, the regulars securing the presi-
dency of the senate and the unionists the
speakership of the house. At the beginning
of the ballotting, January 90 Addicks again
turned up as a candidate for both terms, re-
ceiving q votes for the long term and 10
for the short term. r. r. Kenney and
Willard Salisbury. democrats, each received
p votes and Henry A. Dupont and An
thony Higgins regular republicans each 10
votes
The lines remained practically unbroken
until the end of the struggle was brought
about by the retirement of Addicks This
was first preached February 5, when Adj
dicks formally announced his withdra wal
on condition that all the republican mem
bers of the legislature should enter a eau
Gus and nominate candidates for the two
vacancies by majority vote This propo-
sition was rejected by the regulars who
made counter proposition for a coalition,
with a senator to be allotted to each side
and Addicks still barred. The supporters
of Ad0ickS declined this
time, and the deadlock continued for fort
night longer.
Meanwhile there have been numerous
propositions and counter propositions for
an alliance between the regular republicans
and the democrats The democrats offered
the regular republicans the long term and
promised to be satisfied with the short term.
and when that proposition failed to find
favor, offered to elect a regular republican
to the long term and let the other seat
remain vacant.