Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-09
TUESDAY, APRIL9. 1918
Warning 10 the Organization.

Warning 10 the OrganlLauOn.
Whatever the old Republican Organiza-
tion may expect rs an outcome of the
Republican primary contest, this year
and certainly 1t cannot expect TO defeat
the independents III n fair fight, with all
lisruputahl, practices barred-its leaders
will not be in position to say they have not
been fairly and in full time warned of wha;
they NAV expect. The Republican news
paners of Delaware that have espoused the
cause of the independents are emphatic in
their declarations that all the lndepcn-
dents ask is fair primary contest, free OF
the old methods of force and corruption
so rInScrupulously employed by the Or
ganization for many vears-ln other words
~ fair field with no favors with both
sides pledged to abide by the result Les
than this they will not tolerate
The Union Republican of Georgetown.
in its current issue. emphasizes this plain
position Of the independents Referring
to the now apparent probability that
senator salisbury will he renomnated by
the Democrat, il adds 1t is especially
important that every Republican keep
firmly in mind one fact. and that Is that
Senator salisbury will not be easy to
defeat We do not mean by tins that We
regard Senator Salisbury great man,
naturally strong man. or a man hard 70
defeat under ordinary circumstances But
We do mean 10 say, and t. impress upon
every Republican that these times are not
ordinary times: that the strength Of m
administration is always TO be recNuned
with. and that strength has been muiti-
piled many fold. We are quite aware that
there are a number Of Republicans who
run around the State aSsevcratlng that
the Democratic party Is 50 divided that
the Organization can afford 10 nominate
anyone they please and can put it over
This sort Of political propaganda y not tor
the interests OF the Republican party. and
is not intended to be Il Is solely and SIM
ply for the purpose Of continuing the rule
or ruin policy that 50 nearly wrecked the
Republican party in 1916 These Re
publican Lenines and Trotzkie> arc far
more interested in the preservation OF their
own political power within the Orcaniza-
tion than in winning victories and their
utterances with respect 10 the weakness
OF the Democrats are lnsldlously danger
Gus 1t must be remembered also that the
Republican party i handicapped The
memory of the eXccSSe> committed 10y the
Organization ID 1916 Is still fresh. and
Governor Townsend has done nothing to-
ward the rehabilitation Of the party.
And after this fair exposition, the
Union Republican proceeds to another
warming against trckery and corruption,
and demand for a fair PRIMARY and an
honest convention 10 insure the nomina-
tion oi candidate who can Win But
whoever may say that the Republicans
cali afford to nominate seTvile OrganIza-
tion follower for the Senate and win
againts Senator salisbury, il concludes,
Is worse than d fool, he Is Il traitor
Certainly, the Independents arc making
their position plain and unInistakable
They are saying to the old Organization
leaders that all they demand is fair and
honest primary contest, and according 10
present indications, such contest would
result in an Independent victory But
will the Organization leaders accept over
lures OF this kind? This Is very doubtful
Had it not been for the result of the
1916 campaign. the Organization leaders
might feel more inclined 10 meet these
overtures III friendly spirit But they
cannot forget that the independents
arrayed their forces in opposition to tie
Organization IN that campaign, and de-
feated the latter III several important re
spects. Not as to United States Senator,
however, as Senator Wolcott had a Gear
ma jority over Senator du Pont and DIR |
Hiram r.. Burton, the Independent can
didate, notwithstanding the latter re-
ceived 1861 votes But in respect of other |
places on the ticket. the Independent
opposition defeated Republican candidates |
and elected Democrats.
tind it hard lines to forget Yet it is APP |
parent they are awake to the growing |
strength Of the Independents, and doubt |
full Of their ability to defeat them in a |
square primary contest. They know, also, |
that if they should engage in primary |
battle and win through the old familiar |
methods of corruption and ballot thieyery, !
it would merely mean another Organiza-
tion defeat al the election. And straight |
and honest primaries would give more |
promise of victory to the Independents
than TO the Organization
The probabilities, therefore, are that |
leaders will endeavor to |
make deal. They will be afraid to result |
TO unfair means TO secure victory. and also |
afraid of the result of fairly conducted |
primary contest. AT present it seems that