Milford chronicle., 1927-02-25

moved to Wilmington where he en-
tered the office of Victor DUPONT,
whose partner he later became and
whose practice remained with him
when Victor DUPONT died.
Candidate For Senator
From his early life Willard Sauls-
bury was a candidate for United
States Senator. Several times he was
voted for and in 1897 his friends
were sure that he would win but
he was defeated for the position by
Richard R. Kenney, Of Dover. He
continued the fight until 1912 when
he was elected United States Sena-
tor by the legislature and was the
last Senator from Delaware elected
in that way. During the last two
years of his term he was president
pro tempore of the Senate and took
a leading part in all the delibera-
tions of that body.
From 1900 to 1906 Mr.. Salisbury
was chairman of the Democratic
State Committee, and from 1908 to
1920 was a member of the Demo-
cratic National Committee. While
serving in that capacity during the
second Woodrow Wilson campaign,
he went to Chicago, where he took
charge of the western district In
that campaign. He surprised the
country by predicting that Wilson
would be elected without the aid OF
New York, and this prediction came
true.
At the conclusion of his first term
as Senator he was a candidate for
reelection, but was defeated by the
DETECTION of Sussex county, which
gave a Republican majority when II
was expected to give one for the
Democrats. He had cut the RepuD-
lican majority in New Castle county
TO 15O but in spite of this was de-
feated by about 500 majority by L:
Heisler Ball, Republican candldatg.
1896. 1904. 1912 and 1920 he-%as
a delegate to the Democratic Nation
al Convention.
In 1921 and 1922 he was mem
ber of the disarmament conference
held in Washington, having been
appointed by President Harding,
who was his personal friend, and a
year later was delegate to the Pan
American Conference in Santiago,
Chile. He maintained offices for the
practice of law in Wilmington ana
Washington, and also maintained a
home in each place. Despite the dlt-
ference in politics between them
warm friendship existed between
Senator Salisbury and President
Warren G. Harding. A letter which
the Senator priced highly was one
from Mr.. Harding when Senator
Salisbury congratulated him on his
election to the Presidency. He treas
ured the letter, but never allowed 1t
to be printed. 1t was letter such as
one boy would write to another, and
in Mr.. Harding remarked:
"The only drawback to this honor
is that my election had to hurt the
feelings of such a good fellow as
YOU. You know that I think you are
lust one of the best fellows in the
world and if knew how to make 1t
any stronger I would do it. I under
stand that you are going to live IN
Washington a considerable portion
Of the year. want you to come TO
the White House so that may have
the benefit of your counsel and ad-
vice. There is but one condition at
tached to this invitation and 1t is
that you shall come often"
Candidate For President
In 1924, he received a number OF
votes for President at the National
Democratic Convention.
During his term as Senator, Mr.. !
Salisbury made a trip to Europe
and to Japan. In the latter place ne
was received with unusual honors
and his visit was believed to have
done much toward bringing about a
better understanding between the
two countries.
While Senator Salisbury was
generally considered in the light OF
lawyer and Senator, he had marked
ability in other lines. While going |
to school he did newspaper work on |
the old Delawarean, then owned by |
his cousin, John F. Salisbury. Later |
when the paper was for sale, he pur-
chased it because he wished to re-
tain it in the Salisbury family. |
Many of the scathing editorials |
which appeared in that paper on
local subjects were written by the |
Senator himself, though they were |
credited to various people. He own
ed the Delawarean at the time OF
his death and also owned the con-
trolling interest in the Sussex Jour-
nal, at Georgetown. He was interest
ed in the Capital Printing Company |
at Dover, which company has the
contract for yrinting both the State
Sentinel and the Delawarean.
Senator Salisbury was just as
we'll know in business as in law and
-oIitics. Years ago with Preston Lea
: sfterward Governor of the State,
Senator Salisbury purchased the
Wilnington City Railway Company
+be old Front and Union Streets
Pai1wav Company and other lines
. obout the city, most Of which were
lines with horse-drawn cars changed
them | to electric lines, reorganlZed
them. bought and added the VIII
,,oington City Electric Company
-vbich furnished the city with light
end made the whole into an electric
.vstem .r1,s which was second to none IN
tbe country. These lines and electro |
nIant they eventually sold to y. W.
clark and Company, the Phllaoel-
phia brokers. ,-.-..a
The deceased was also interested
- a. viecose natents for making