Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-22
At
WASHINGTON WATCH
FACT|0NAL FIGHT
BaIl-du Pont Contest Over Fed
eral Offices Believed to
Spell Defeat.
LAYTON IS BtDING HIS TIME
Special DiEpatch Prom Every. EVENING"
Washington Correspondent

Special Dispatch From Every. Evenings
Washington Correspondent.
waAhington, April 22.--Democratic
leaders here are watching tho situa-
ton in Delaware with the koenest In
terest. This Ia mainly due to the fact
that the Republicans In that State
are up in arms against each other
over q few Federal appointments. The
Democrats see rift In the clouds for
them, and are biding their time, when
they hope to make a successful fight to
drive the patronage peddlers from
power and enthrone their party with
aspirations higher and nobler than
the apportionment OF the spoils OF Of
flee.
Those observant ones. who have
made It their business to calculate
the effect the Republican administra-
ton OF tho State OF Delaware and the
Republican national administration Is
having on the public generally. AS
sert that tho time n approaching when
the Democrats of Delaware may be dn
a position to successfully cope with
the party In power They think the
people cf that State are now In
humor TO change parties. to the end
that they may get something better
and more beneflcbal than a partisan
system OF patronage distribution.
The wise ones OF the Republican
party are disturbed over the trend OF
affairs IN Delaware. They see their
party torn into factions over Federal
appointments, and the right OF this
4 ~
pointments. and they fear the result
OF such strife on the solidity OF their
party In the State. Leaders lament
the fact that there are now several
factions In the Republican party OF
Delaware--the du Pont faction. the
Ball faction and the Layton faction.
Representative Layton has no love
for either one of the Senators, and
they care nothing for him, but II is
no secret that Representative Layton
and Senator Ball are as far separated
as the two poles. DIR. Layton feels he
has a grievance against Senator Ball
that Will survive their political as
p!rations. and this means that there
on to the end.
Layton Disregarded.
DR.. Layton was led 10 believe that
he would be shown the same consid
Grafton In Federal appointments that
is accorded Republican Congressman
from other States. and that fail
proportion Of the Federal Offices appor.
toned 10 Delaware would come e
him for disposal as his Judgment
might direct; but instead OF permittins
him 10 have voice in such appoint.
ments he was given 30 understand tn,
two Senators would look after such
matters and that ne could employ hL
talents legislattng and euch other es
sentiAls expected at tho hands Of 8
Congressman. He wns virtually tols
no could have nothing 70 DO with Fed
eral Appointments. SO DR.. Inytor
bowed TO the inevitable as gracefull,
as hts combat tive nature would permit
J Having resigned TO his fate, he is nov
pursuing the even tenor OF HE way
unawed. undisturbed and unsfraid, bu
1t should not be imagined he ha.
been vanQuished in the sense Of hav
ing been destroyed, for he Il patient
iy awaiting the day whsn he can strik,
back at those who have dared Il
trample upon him and his rights.
Short-Lived Harmony.
/ The harmony agreement entered
/ into by Senator Ball and Senator dl
Pont seems to have been short-lived
/ for no sooner had they buried Penney
1 hopes and aspirations with the I,ro.
verbal hatchet and satisfied the de
mands Of Senator du Pont in the ap.
/ pointment of the internal revenue col
lector. than the Dover postmaster ap
pointment came up 10 convert a peace
ful situation into a state of war.
The cry went up that the Dove,
postoffice was too good A place 70
a Democrat 10 have. regardless of hi
efficiency or popularity in the com
munity. and 1t was directed that
reason be found for his dismissal be
fore the expiration or his term. Thi
was done according TO order. A re
port was made that J. Frank Starlin,
should be removed. The reason 70
this report has never been made ap
parent. except that the place wa
wanted for some good Republican
However, the order went forth tha
Starting was TO be thrown out. and tn
news was flashed that so and so wa
to get the appointment.
At this stage of the game, IL becam
evident that trouble was brewing. l
was alright 10 throw a man out with
out good cause: it made no differ
ence what kind of stigma was place
on the official 20 be discharged fror
the service--that was a trivial mat
ter; but it was of great importanc
whether the appointee was to be
Ball man or a du Pont man, and tha
is what broke the harmony agreenlen
OF the two Senators-each one wante
his man appointed postmaster a
Dover, and neither would surrender t
the other.
The friends Of Senator du Por
boasted that Senator Ball surrendere
to du Pont in the first harmony agree
ment when the senior Senator con
sented TO the sacrifice of Thomas j
Peeney, and that in this surrender tn
junior Senator at once became th
Republican leader Of the State. No
Senator Ball is asked TO surrende
again and allow Senator du Pont (
name the Dover postmaster. II re
mains TO be seen which one wi
y knuckle down in this matter.
EDGE MOOR Is GIVEN
RURAL MAIL SERVIC