Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-13

under the command uF cW hHtWard
pidaIa was re-elected to Congress by
the noagre ma jority Of 81 votes but
he wings secured eontroi n the Leg
lslatura bv ia 10 rs. while the Con-
g.ttu,tanai Convention was composed
nf IL wings. III Democrats, and one
independent. .The lone independent
vas Tvrua i Bhlilips Of Sussex coHn-
Il h,,t what his independent tandi-
aacv represented was NOT revealed.
Great Triumph for Clayton.
rho election of whiR Legislature
,vaa . f,na personal triumph for John
e CLAYTON and splendid tribute -
rg,, from the people of Delaware. lie
tad resigned his seat in the Senate
!. accent the position Of Secretary of
s,tats IL the cabinet If President Tsy-
lar and while holding this place he
,,..,,ft,fea in concert with Sir Ed
vgard Rufwer Lytton. tbe British Min
iztsr a treaty with Great Britain
Tfr,on the death ~ President Taylor
he mad IN resign from, the cabinet. az
president Mfsard Fillmore desired
f,antei Webster for Secretary of state.
and CLAYTON returned to Delaware 10
3
retirement from public life. But when
his prized treaty was attacked in the
United states senate. he resolved 70
get1trn "a that body and there give
| hattie To his enemies To carry the
/ legislature of his state a week after
! hia pegple had voted for Presidential
candidates of the opposing political
/ Marty must have seemed an impossi-
+ + AT
to Clayton He perservered 70 the end.
land won striking victory.
/ The recollection of Mr.. Clayton to
/ the senate ~ the Legislature 81 1898
was Of itself an event Of unusual in
terest. The State Senate was Demo-
cratic By to 4. and the House was
Wing BY IL 70 5. and while this gave
the Wings a ma jority of four on JOINT
ballott, the question was how to get
/ the Democratic senate TO consent to
a joint session with the Whis House
Tor the purpose OF effecttng an cleo
ton. fhe later Law Of Congress pro-
/ vidlng surely for that proceeding had
not al that time been enacted, and
there Was every indication. at the
opening Of the session, OF A deadlock
mat would deprive Mr.. Clayton Of the
fruits OF his great victory at the No
Yenber election.
FINALLY. John sorden, a Democratic
Senator from kent county, voted with
the Wings for a joint session, and Mr.
Clayton was duly elected. There has
never been a clear explanation OF Mr
+ Sorden $ action, which has since been
attributed to strong personal friend
ship, tut subsequent proceedings OF
the Legislature serve TO throw a dif-
fereIt l.ght upon the final outcome. AT
that same session the Whig House
I eoncarred in the adoption OF Senator
joint resolution reappointing for two
. more years the State Treasurer and
State auditor, whose terms were about
to expire, and who were prominent
members of the Democratic party. Sc
mere we have an appearance of what
in these days we would call "a deal.
although there Is no doubt that feel.
ings OF personal friendship and Stat,
pride had their part IN determining
the result,
So John VI. Clayton went baek Il
the Senate. and there he remained i,
his death, on Sunday. the ninth da,
of November, 1906, while tho countrl
was resounding with the cheers OF en-
! thusiastlc Democrats over the elec
! ton 10 the Presidency or his old DO
: litlcal opponent Ja4nes buchanan
: Claylon WAS one of the great men O
Delaware who brought lasting fam
. and credit 10 his State. The DelawaI,
Gazette, vigorous and valiant In re
sisting his political dominance, pai,
him finc tribute IN announcing hi
demise under the heading; a Grea
Man Has Faiien.
Appropriate and hitting in every re
speeL as 70 his character as citizel
and statesman is the epitath that i
. carved on his imposing tomb in III,
graveyard OF the Presbyterian Church
az Doyer; "His public services ar
! part of his eountry'a history, whil
nis private virtues are embaimed Il
the hearts of hls friends