Evening journal., 1913-02-22
OF
DEMOCRATS
UNMASKED
Failure to Set Adjournment
Date of Legislature Due to
Petty Political Plan
WANT RECESS TO KEEP
CONTROL OF SITUATION

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, Del, Feb. Democratic
members OF the Legislature are dis
mayed at the discovery of their
scheme to try to prevent adjournment
sine die Of the Legislature, in order
that recess may be taken until the
fall or early next year. so the Demo-
Gratis could be in a position to elect
Democratic United States Senator
should Senator Henry A. dupont re-
sign. For some reason or other the
Democratic Assemblymen have an
idea that Senator dupont intends to
resign within a few months, although
he has asserted positively several
times he has no such intention
Should the Legislature adjourn sine
die and Senator DUPONT resign, Cover
nor Miller would appoint his success
sor until the next Legislature meets.
which would be Two years hence.
Should the present Legislature recess
until late in the present year or early
next year, and a Senatorial vacancy
occur meanwhile. Governor Miller
could appoint a Senator to serve until
the present Legislature would recon-
vene after the recess when II could
elect a Senator. AS the present Leg
islature is Democratic. it desires TO
retain control of the situation should
any such remote contingency occur as
Senatorial vacancy which certainly
is remote because Of Senator duPont's
repeated denial OF any intention of re-
signing Now the Democrats are dis
concerted by the unmasking of their
petty political trick.
1 Neither branch OF the Legislature
oan adjourn for more than three days
without the consent Of the other This
is where complications will occur, for
the Democratic House can balk the
| adjournment sine die OF the Rcpubli-
can Senate. just as the Democratic
members OF the House were whipped
/ into line yesterday to defeat the set
ting of March 81 as a date for ad-
jonrnment sine die On the other
hand, less than o quorum may ad-
i0urn from day to day in either
branch. BY this plan, II IS possible
for one or two Democrats In Senate
and House to adjourn from day to day
and thus perpetuate a Legislature re-
cess Indefinitely. In event of recon-
yening to fiji a Senatorial vacancy
later on, sl~ lid one occur. there
would not be a quorum in the SEN
ate should the Republica s absent
themselves, and this would cause an
other complication as the Senate could
not legally proceed TO do business
such as balloting with less than a
I quorum. IN their desperate plight II
is believed n little thing like that
would not interfere with the Sauls-
bury Democratic machine. which
would proceed to elect and depend on
a Democratic Senate at Washington
to seat the man elected senator
IN the House az the afternoon ses-
sion yesterday Representative Mooney
again offered fer consideration his
concurrent resolution authorizing the
Speaker to appoint three members of
the House and the President pro tenn.
to appoint three members of the SEN
ate to confer and try to reach a date
Tor adjournment sine die of the Leg
islature and to report back to both
branches on Friday of next week. tho
date. If any, agreed on for adjourn
ment sine die. This was the substi-
tute resolution offered by Mr. Mooney
during the morning and voted down
by some of the Democrats joining
with the Republicans
Before Mr.. Mooney called up his
resolution in the afternoon the Dem
ocratic members had received the
whispered word that it was to be
supported.
Representative Grantland said that
it was the desire of the members on
his side Republican) to have some
definite time fixed for adjournment
The resolution was passed by the
House unanimously, and the matter
will be put up to the Democrats by
the Republicans.