Newark post., 1915-02-24
DELAWARE'S
LEGISLATORS
Senator Harvey Hofecker


A certain Delaware paper, at the
beginning Of the present session OF
the legislature, printed an article,
giving a list Of the ''party whips"
of the House and Senate. Accord
ing to this article Representative
Hill was the Republican whip" in
the House and Representative Hall
was the Democratic one, while Sen
ator Gormley was the Democratic
"whip" in the Senate. In speaking
of the Republican "whip" the arti-
Gle stated that there was nobody
home.'
We do not wish to start an argu-
ment, or get into any controversy
over party whips, bur we do wish to
state that when this article was
written the author of it probably
overlooked the fact that Senator
Harvey Hoffecker was elected by
the Republicans of the Fifth Sena-
tOrial district of New Castle county
at the election Of 1914, to represent
them in the Senate.
AS we understand it, the term
"whip" in this article implies the
fact that the person designated as
such is tht floor leader Of his party
in the house to which he was elect
ed. If this is the impression the
author of the articlc intended to
convey then all we have to say is
that there is "somebody home" in
the Senate, and it doesn't need
someone with a pair Of specto cles to
find him.
If a disinterested spectator was
to sit for one hour in the lobby of
the Senate, during the session of
that body, and was chen asked if
there was anybody home 'on the
Republican side, we would be will
ing to bet a new hat he would i'm
mediately name Senator Hoffecker.
Seriously speaking, however, Sen
ator Hoffecker is the majority lead
er in the Senate, and he is making
good in that capacity. He has the
ability and accomplishments Of a
good leader and has already shown
that he knows how to use them. In
the several frictions that have oc-
Cured between the Democrats and
Republicans of the Senate over par
tisan matters, Senator Hoffecker
has taken the lead of the majority
members and has yet to come out
second best
Political prophets are already
predicting that Senator Hoffecker
will occupy the chair as president
pro tenn Of the Senate in 1917,
should the Republicans control that
branch Of the legislature, and from
present indications this prediction
will undoubtedly be fulfilled.
Senator Hoffecker, aside from be.
ing a leader in politics, is a great |
home man, and down in Newark,
where he resides, he is steadily in
creasing the population Of that
that town with little Hoffeckers. He
is the proud father of nine children
and considers himself the richest
man in the world. The moment you
mention his children to him, his
face beams with friendliness, and if
you care to press the subject you
can soon get him talking enthusits-
tlcally about his priceless treasures.
Senator Hoffecker was born in
on the Kent county side,
)n May II, 1868, and later moved
to Wilmington. He has been inter-
ested and active in politics since
and in 1898 was elected
ounty assessor of the Third district
If Wilmington, which was his first
political Office. He ran for City
Council Of Wilmington in 1906
against the entire Republican or
,anization, and waged such splen-
lid fight that he lacked little more
han 100 votes of election. This
vas the year that several OF the dis
ricts in his ward were juggled
bout.
Later Senator Hoffecker moved to
Newark, and Mrs. Hoffecker, who
objected to his political work,
which kept him from nome so often,
made him promise to keep out Of
politics.
After he had settled down at
Newark, however, the political bug !
'egan to buzz about his head again, !
nd after getting his wife to rescind $
lis promise, she deciding that he !
ould not get it out Of his SYSTEM
e plunged into politics harder than ,
yer. Two years after he became a !
esident Of Newark he was elected I
0 the House of Representatives !
rom the Ninth Representative dis $