Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-07
PTTTsBURG DISPATCH.
PLENTY OF POLITICS.
The Chicago Mayoralty Situation Is De- |
cidedly Mixed-What Carter Harrison's |
Election Would Mean-Washburn Ap- |
uesrS Tn Hava the Call Inst Now

| Aho SuicdSO NIdyOTdity 6itusttioh - De-
cidedly Mixed-What Carter Harrison's
Election Would Mean-Washburn Ap.
pears to Have the Call just NoV.
| ESPECIAL rELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcHA
| CHICAGO April 6.-The Mayoralty cam.
paign is still SO much mixed up that, though
| the election takes place tomorrow, nobody can
venture to predict the result. There have
been no Withdrawals, and each OF the two
great paties have two candidates in the field,
with Socialistic candidate as q sort of fifth
wheel to the wagon.
If the fight were in Pittsburg the result
might more easily be figured out beforehand;
for in that city, with a regular and an Inde-
pendent Republican candidate in the field, 1t
would be safe to assume that nine-tenths of
the Republican vote would go to the regular
candidate. and likewise with regular and an
Independent Democrat. As rivals, it would be
equally safe to assume that the Independent
would be quite as badly left. But here in Chi
cago one has different class of people to deal
with. Politically they are less conservative;
they care less for party. than Eastern
people do as rule; they are more
liable to bolt distasteful nomination, but the
man who cuts away from party and runs GA his
individual record frequently has better
chances of success than the candidate OF the
party machine.
Why Citizens Tickets Succeed.
That is why "citizens tickets are so fire.
quently put up in local campaigns and carried
through with a wnirl, with "Smash the ma
chine' as rallying cry. and that is why in the
present case it is so difficult to anticipate the
result of to-morrow's balloting. Many very
shrewd observers have figured IL out that
neither of the regular candidates Stand
much of chance. Hampstead Washourne,
the regular Republican, has made good
record as City Attorney and is the son of the
late Elihu Washburne, but he Is not man OF
striking personality at ALL
There's nothing about him to make him
specially attractive to the masses, and nothing
of startling nature in the platform ON which
he stands. Cregier, the regular Democratic
candidate, is a much older man and man
of very much more positive character, as has
been shown by his efforts to make the street
railway companies OF the city pay for their
franchises, but he isn't a man of very striking
personality either, and, outside of the matter
Just referred to, his name does not stand 1or
much that is positive and clear cut, except IN
municipal government
But when you come TO the two independents,
Carter Harrison and Elmer Washburn. you
find two men Of very positive and diametrlcaliy
opposite ideas about municipal government,
Elmer Washburn, for the ultra-decent
ee ment of Republicanism, stands for policy
of law and order. He would clean out the
police force do his utmost to put a stop to pub
lie mDing, and to close the saloons on sun
day. He would compel the denizens OF Fourth
avenue to remove the illuminated glass doors.
Backed by Church People.
Naturally such man has large part of the
church people behind him, and at least one
popular minister, the Rev. p. S. Henson, has
been doing the most active kind of work for
him. On the other hand, Carter Harrison, if
he were Mayor, would leave everything as
"wide open' as he could do, consistently with
the safety of the public Upon his election the
saloons would no longer take the bother to
keep their blinds closed on Sunday. and the
gambling fraternity would make Chicago howl
as Rome never howled in her palmiest days.
"Citizen" Elmer Washburn is thus taking
votes by the thousand from Republican candi-
date Hampstead Washburne and Independent
Democrat Carter Harrison is taking votes by
the thousand from regular Democrat Cregier
Whichever of the party organizations can
better stand the tearing apart process to which
they are being subjected is more likely to be
the winner when on Tuesday night the votes
are counted.
In the hope of holding their organization
together more firmly, ten Democrats have i'm
ported such speakers as Democratic Senator.
elect John Palmer and Governor Peck, of
Wisconsin. and John c. Black. How effective
their work has been, time only can tell.