Smyrna times., 1947-01-30

again taken his seat as senator
from Kent County and Mr.. DUPONT
was still one vote short of election.
When the time for adjournment ar
rived the Governor declared that
no one had been elected, but Speak
er McMullen of the House an
nounced that Col. Henry A. dupont
had been elected. The contest then
went to the United States Senate
and that body decided that Mr.. du-
Pont had not been elected; that
Senator Watson was entitled to
take his seat as State Senator as
well as assuming his duties as Gov
ernor. An amusing incident oc-
Cured shortly after the joint ses-
sio on adjournment day. State
Senator Robert M. Handy of New
Castle County the leader of the
Addicks forces, sent one of the
pages to the Capitol Hotel. When
the young man returned he had a
beer glass nearly full of whiskey
which he handed to the Senator.
Before the joint assembly and the
hundreds of spectators Mr.. Handy
placed the glass to his lips and
drank the entire contents. Then
the battle was on in earnest and
the Addicks forces were successful
in preventing the election of Col.
DUPONT.
And then the 1896 campaign:
The Republican primaries were
hotly contested and the Addicks
forces were in the majority at the
convention which was held in the
old Court House in Dover. A num-
ber of prominent DUPONT Republi-
cans were defeated at the primar-.
les among them ex-United States
Senator Athony Higgins. Caleb R.
Layton af Georgetown was elected
chairman of the convention and as
a presiding officer he was very fair
and impartial. Seeing that they
were outnumbered a spokesman
for the DUPONT forces arose and
addressing the chair stated that
any further proceedings of the con-
vention was of no interest either
to him or his friends, and the du-
Pont delegates marched in a body
from the hall. During the confu-
sion and terrific thunderstorm
which came up at this time, Fred
Eden Block, secretary to U. S.
Senator Higgins, who was sitting
on the platform made hurried
exit down the back stairway. After
his absence was noticed the con-
vention officials discovered that the
report of the Committee on Gre
dentials as we'll as the credentials
themselves had disappeared and
could not be found. The conven-
tion then proceeded to elect dele
gates to the National Republican
Convention. In the meantime the
DUPONT Republicans met and also
elected delegates to go to Chicago.
The National Convention was un-
der the control of the Mckinley
forces, and Senator Mark A. Hanna
was distrustful of the Addicks
forces in Delaware and they were
not admitted. All the DUPONT dele
gates were seated. After the lead
ers returned from the Chicago con-
vention plans were made for the
fall election. In view of the fact
that the DUPONT faction had been
recognized at the Convention, the
three Democratic Clerks of the
Peace awarded the Republican
place on the ballot to that faction.
The Addicks faction preempted the
title Union Republicans" and ap-
peared on the ballot under that
title. Each faction of the Repub-
lican party made separate nomina-
tions with but few exceptions and
the battle for supremacy was on in
earnest. The Democrats nominat-
ed Ebe w. Tunnel for Governor
and L. Irving Handy for Congress.
The Republicans, John c. Higgins
for Governor. The Union Republi-
cans, John Henry Hoffecker for
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