Evening journal., 1908-02-29
What | Know About
Delaware Politics and
Other Things
Bv Washington Hastings
FIFTY-EleHTH ARTICLE.
By Washington Hastings

FlFTY-EieHTH ARTICLE.
large part Of our equipment for the battle
the Committee Credentials consisted Of a big hand
bag filled with voumnous statements allegations, afii
davts and what not all done neatly in packages with
which proposed to convince the committee not only
Of the Justice OF and the proprety Of ad
mission seats in the convention the representatives
OF the only Republican party Of Delaware but
Of the useessness and absurdity of considering for
moment the supposed rights Of any other delegation
alterations which they might submit in support thereof
These important documents placed the table
pessVeness Whlch the occasion seemed 70 require anu
for aught know they there for they were never
opened and when we left the committee room in the
smau hours OF the morning they were sun ylng thefe
just where we had placed them; and all the time and
labor and vitality and study that we had expended in
their preparatonto say nothing OF two OF three dollars
In money-hao, apparently, been wasted But perhaps
this part Of work not labor in vain after all;
rs tie committee may have thought that no sensible
men--which Of they 10 be-woud ever
have to the trouble Of preparing all that literature
unless their cause was just and their position when
fully known and understood, unassailable.
The committee allowed each side forty minutes for
sentation and argument Of its Mr.. Higgins and
myself the spokesmen for our side and Dr. Caleb
r. Layton of Georgetown represented the other side
on the floor. With all the dignity at command and all
due Observance OF parliamentary law and usage each
laid before the committee its claim TO the legal
and true sentative Of the Republican party Of Della
ware and this quickly brought the question as to which
side should address the committee first on motion of
Congressman Hepburn, who. developed later
sreruously opposed TO this privilege accorded
to nr Layton Mr. Hepburn's argument being that DR.
Laytons delegation regular" and. by all rules Of
right ard already in the convention, and
part and parcel of t while we were simply an ire
sponsble booy Of individuals trying get them out
This dec zion suited least said IL did although
Il undoubtedly cast slight shadow over our pathway
but It did not suit Dr. Layton quite WE'LL who, quick
to the advantage Of the last word and after
gracefully thallng the committee for recognizing and
granting to his delegation its rghts,-wth big r.
magnanmousy yielded those rights his opponents and
requested the committee to hear hrs (rhe Doctor
u -FnnGf At hat nf
Of these and other preliminary arrangements
had been made settled satisfactorily and In the most
busness-Se and dgnihed manner at It we went hammer
and tongsi
sion. about opponents that could think ofsome-
times, perhaps ntermnged with other things that
returned the compliment in fun and both Sides
doubtless. saj many things that night that might just
as well have been left unsaid; and now in these later
years, amid safe and sane conditions and
cumstances chose Of yet remaining the stage Of
picnic erheps cok back upon the scenes there enacted
and wish that of them had either been modified
or omitted sron the program altogether
After the Claims of delegations and the argument
in support OF them had been fully presented the
case submitted by the contestants to the committee
the adNc acy, and con, by members Of the com
mittoe began This lasted long while and at times
extremely animated and vehement Judge Fort the chair
man. hoard everything and everybody throughout the
meeting with admirable patience and impartality; and
while, personally ne was extremely favorable to our
side of the question. presiding officer he as
straight as IiSe-stam and as stim ramrod accord
ing TO each side all OF It's privileges and prerogaves and
IN his decisions rendering equal justice
After all had been said that could be said all
been done tnat could be done, the taken and
II rerulted In the recommendation that delegation
should be recognized as the delegates from Delaware
and seated In the convention, by majority OF nearly
two 20 And thought that had the VIC
tory sure;that AR Addicls certainly would appeal
from the decision Of the Committee Credentials
the Convention itself; (and I sangune enough
telegraph home that time In my
political lifetime that I had been over-eated) but we
didn't know Mr.. Addcks as well thought did
nor as well as came TO know him later. We found
that hc@ anything but "quitter;" that he always
died IN the last ditch and that when wasn't quite
certain that II the last ditch he go and
jumr II again TO make and then when every
body else certain that II the last ditch he
wouldn't believe Il and refused TO stay in t. And so
the opposing Gelegaon-now certainly contestants
appealed from the decision of the committee
vcnti0n and the next morning ten o'clock
OF mighty conflict TO floor of
that assombage; everybody sailor doubt
less thought If they didn't say it-that, small
state Delaware about the greatest for
tracing attention and taking up the time of a National
Convention that invented
Contesting delegations from other States
were promptly disposed Of and the OF Delaware
which attracted universal attention interest
taken up Tie chairman of the Credentials Committed
Judge Fort OF New Jersey submitted report and back
ed Il ur with strong speech In He was fol-
lowed by Congressman Hepburn of Iowa in a mastery
effort IN favor Of opponents. and he by Senator
rhureton Of Missouri and John Yerkes OF Kentucky
for and then by somebody, don't remember who
the other side. and, amid the widest excitement
vivvoce the report OF the committee called
and suppose the president of the announced
"the have IT," though didn't hear him-and "Nelr
Swain loose Of those unearthly Indian war
whoops Of his that might have been heard away across
the Mississippi river II the hadn't been so hot
and "in" but IL twelve O'Clock on the last
day OF the convention
CTo be continued)