J. Frank Allee
| J. Frank Allee | |
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United States Senator from Delaware |
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In office March 2, 1903 – March 3, 1907 |
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| Preceded by | Richard R. Kenney* |
| Succeeded by | Harry A. Richardson |
| Member of the Delaware Senate | |
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In office January 13, 1899 - March 2, 1903 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 2, 1857 Dover, Delaware |
| Died | October 12, 1938 (aged 80) Dover, Delaware |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lizzie Stevens |
| Residence | Dover, Delaware |
| Occupation | merchant |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| *This seat had been vacant since March 4, 1901. | |
James Frank Allee (December 2, 1857 – October 12, 1938) was an American merchant and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as U.S. Senator from Delaware. He was known by his middle name.
Allee was born in Dover, Delaware. Following his education he learned the trade of jeweler and watchmaker from his father, whom he succeeded in business. He worked in the jewelry business throughout his life, as well as engaging in the fruit and vegetable canning industry. He married January 18, 1882 to Lizzie Stevens and they were members of the Christ Episcopal Church in Dover.
Allee was chairman of the Republican Party State committee from 1886 until 1896 and was a State Senator for three sessions from the 1899/1900 session through the 1903/04 session.
Elections at this time were often decided by which candidate was best able to assist certain voters in the payment of their poll tax. This was especially true in 1894, as the country was in the midst of an economic depression, the effects of which were particularly bad in Delaware, and comparable to the Great Depression of the 1930s. As chairman of the Republican Party State committee, Allee sought funding to support Republican candidates. He naturally went for help to the only statewide Republican officeholder, U.S. Senator Anthony Higgins. Higgins had the kind of ties to the wealthy New Castle County Republican establishment that could have found the cash necessary. Unfortunately, as New Castle Republicans were prone to do, Higgins dismissed the request in such a manner that Allee, and his downstate associates, never forgot, and promptly sought assistance elsewhere.
The help was at hand in the person of J. Edward Addicks. Addicks was a wealthy gas company industrialist from Philadelphia, who had established a residence in northern Delaware. He had contributed some money to both parties over the years, but now worked out an arrangement with Allee that sent massive amounts of cash to the downstate Republicans in return for their support for Addicks' candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat of Anthony Higgins. This arrangement continued for a decade and was enormously beneficial in the rebuilding of the Republican Party in Kent and Sussex County, as a progressive alternative to the established political order.
There was a negative side to the arrangement, however. Higgins and the New Castle Republicans despised Allee, and the "carpetbagger" Addicks, and refused to support them in any way. While the 1894 elections brought a Republican majority to the General Assembly, only six were aligned with Allee and Addicks. Six was enough to prevent Higgins from gaining a majority, but not enough to elect Addicks. The General Assembly was deadlocked, and the U.S. Senate seat remained vacant for nearly two years, until the Democrats regained the majority two years later.
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