Evening journal., 1911-01-10
TUESDAY. JAN. 10. 1911
MIR. DREYIER,s FIGHT.

Tt SEEMS to The Journal that Mr.. prexler by
holding up the organization OF the State
Senate is pursuing course which will greatly inn
pair his usefulness as legislator According TO
an article about him in one of the Philadel-
phia newspapers he is ambitious TO conduct
fqht to free the lower counties from the domina-
ron in politics of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, and he is also ambitious to succeed
Senator Harry A. Richardson at the expiration OF
the latter's term.
Mr.. Drexler has undertaken a hard task To
do either of these things would require more po.
Itical skill and ability than we believe the Sus-
sex county Senator possesses, and we do not mean
TO say that he is lacking in either.
Mr. Drexler in all his statements dwells upon
l~reheef that the opposition to him as president
p4c lem 81 the Senate is based solely upon the
fact that he is obnoxious 20 the railroad interests
Assuming, for illustration, this to be true It fol
lows that his eight Republican colleagues IN the
Senate are all railroad men. More than that, II inn
plies that they are mere representatives Of the
railroad interests, that they vrithe and cringe
when the railroad lash is applied 70 their backs
Although realizing that in the past the railroad
interests have been al-powerful in the State Sen.
ate and have generally been able 10 block egisla-
ton which they did not DESIRE we are utterly un.
willing TO believe that Senator Drexer is correct in
his surmise that his eight Repub AN colleagues
are all under the domination of the railroad If
they are, if the statement of Mr.. Drexier
as understand il, is accurate, the Leg
isat1re might as well adjourn ct once and the
members return to their homes, for the State
Senate on such basis would be faroical and rep
resentatlve OF Delaware as q vassal province of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. We cannot
believe this to be the fact
Holding the general views that he does, Mr.
prexler by using ordinary discretion and caution
and reaSonableness could be OF mighty service as
member Of the State Senate. Even assuming
that e corporation man should be chosen president
pro TEN. and should have the appointing of the
committees, the way would be clear for Mr.. Drex-
Ter 70 conduct in a vigorous manner his fight for
progressive, but saney progressive legislation. IL
he should pursue such a course II would be i'm
possible for the corporate influences 10 throttle
bills IN committees to bury legislation ar will AS
the autocratic and insolent Cannon was over
thrown in the House at Washington and stripped
Of his power, Drexler could wage q war in the
Senate which would unmask the members
and show which of them stood entirely for the
railroad interests and which of them stood for
the people Of the State sf Delaware MT Drexler
would have ample opportunity TO secure that pub
Lefty and fame of certain sort which he evil
IDENTIFY Graves but we fear that he has aroused
personal antagonisms and resentments, which, as
we have said, viii greatly impair the good work
that he could do. We fear that by blocking the
organization of the Legislature considerable
damage already has been done but it could be
repaired in a measure by the prompt organization
of the Senate.
Another point that occurs TO us is that Mr..
Drexler, if he wishes be of real service should
use little more diplomacy in dealing with men
He may consider his colleagues as under railroad
domination and influence, but he should under.
stand that they are men just as he is, and that
they can be stubborn and can fight as well as he
can. Some of the hardest fighters and hardest
~ f4t,.
and taking the Drexler view, if his colleagues dc
represent those interests, they are unlikely to be
moved from their position by such fight as Mr.
Drexler is now making