The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-17
E rs t while G. as
Kings az Years
in Political Arena
of Delaware Gave
Him aSpectacular
but Disappoint-.
ing Career
By HERBERT AssuRY.

~ January 4 1859. John Edward
= oisuilivan AddIcks. Accom-
panied by John Dohohue of Boston
and two other politicians from Phiia-
deiphia. entered the Hotel Richardson
in Dover. the capital Of Delaware.
They stroiled through the lobby and
entered the barroorn. There they found
. group Of correspondents from New
York. Philadelphia and various Della
ware and New Jersey papers-as-
sembled in such large numbers because
there was a deadlock over the aues-
ton Of electing Senator, and the po-
litical situation in Delaware was inter-
estfng to the entire country.
None OF the correspondents knew
Addicks. In fact, 1t is not likely that
more than score of people in the
whole of Delaware knew him, save by
reputation, because most of his opera
lions in the financial and commercial
world had been In other States. But
Donohue introduced Addicks to the
newspaper men, being careful to state
that Addicks was. a citizen of Della
ware, that he had bought fine estate
near Claymont, and emphasizing that
Addicks had the good OF the State at
heart and that he was greatly inter-
ested In the political situation. There
was a bit of desultory conversation,
and then, without warning and an
r.or - -
Addicks asked the newspaper men to
send this statement out to their pa
pess:
have Just returned from Europe
ana have learned that the Republi-
cans have control of the Legislature.
understand that they may have some
trouble In electing a United States
Senator. II they cannot agree on
man they might elect me, and I will
settle for 1t afterward."
Tho newspaper men took this state
ment as more or less OF joke, and
the people Of Delaware took it pretty
much the same way when it appeared
in print. The politicians. however,
realized that Addicks had money; they
knew also that he was a spender and
that he usually got what he went
after. At that time Addicks was sew
era1 times miilionaire-not a ire
mendously wealthy man as such
things go now, but Immensely so for
those days. This fortune he had
made almost entirely through the
manufacture of illuminating gas and
tho manipulation of the stocks OF the
Chicago Gas Trust, as well as those of
gas companies in Boston. Brooklyn
and Philadelphia. .t
Twas IN this subdued manner that
J. Edward Addicks began his cam
paign to be elected United States Sem
ator nom Delaware campaign that |
lasted until 1905, and in which he is
reputed to have spent more than s3,-
100000 to obtain control OF the Della |
ware Legislature. For this was in |
the days when direct election of Unit |
ed States Senators was hardly even
thought of. and when the Legislatures |
everywhere voted for the men with
the most money and the most political |
influence. -
Several times Addicks came very
near getting enough votes pledged to |
him to insure his election, but always |
there was some slip SO that he never |
quite obtained the necessary number. |
For about seventeen years Addicks |
poured his money into the bottomless
pit Of politics. and year after year
politicians and even members of the |
Legislature gathered the harvest Of
dollars that came their way from the
pockets of the gas king.
When Legislators Got Rich.
Addicks's career before he decided
TO enter politics was an interesting
onA But his political life forms a /
very spectacular chapter of American
pontics, and not a particularly credit
able chapter. Doodle" was a common
thing in those, days. more so than now,
and 1t was mot at all unusual for a
legislator to make sufficient money
out or one session of the Legislature,
especially II 1t was a Legislature that
had to elect a Senator. to enable him
TO retire. And Addicks did not ap-
pear to have any particular puaIms
about the manner in which he OBJ
tained the votes OF members of the
Delaware Legislature.
His friends always said that he
tried to get their votes and influence
honestly. II he could, but II they
aFanted to be bought he was always
willing and ready to buy them. It
has been said that he boosted at one
time that he had paid $50. 900 for the
control OF a dozen of the votes of
ono session of the Legislatures
a goodly number. but not enough to
elect him to the United States Senate.
But at any rate Addicks and his
managers started out. the day after
ne had issued his statement to the
newspaper correspondents, to make
the name Of Addfcks a byword In
Delaware. His political advisers took
him to the State Capitol when the
General Assembly was called into
session, and introduced him to every
body they could find. He became the
Hon Of the day, his high silk hat
and his fur lined overcoat and his fine