Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-01
SEN. CULLOM'S SUCCESSOR
The Indications Are That It Will Be
Himself
Republican Majority in Illinois Of
From 10000 to $4,000 Predicted
Fight for the Legislature.
pedal Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CHICAGO, September %, 1884.
No state in the Union offers a more fruit
full field for speculation as to the result of
this falls election than Illinois. The popu-
list party is just about strong enough to
introduce into the equation a factor the
precise value of which is hard to estimate,
but which may prove just the deciding ele-
ment in its effect upon the general result.
Illinoisans are most interested in their
next United States Senator.
A careful view of the last legislature in
Illinois throws a good deal of light upon
the probable makeup of the coming aggre-
cation. The last legislature was composed
of 2O6 members. OF these 102 were demo-
Gratis, 1Ol were republicans and three were
populists To be elected a United States
Senator some one man must receive 10I
votes. So that The populists, although there
were only three of them, controlled the
situation. What complicated the situation
further was that the number of men who
held the balance of power was so small
that it was easily kept unified. The legisla-
ture met in the early part of January. and
it was nearly April before a choice was
made. Finally two of the populists voted
for MIR. Palmer, the democratic candidate,
and he receiving 10i votes, had just enough
to elect him. What causes have appearsd
during the last three years to make the
complexion of the coming Illinois legisla-
ture different from that of the last?
The rec ord of the democratic party is
going to cost its candidates thousands of
votes in Illinois. Ofsetting this great
cause, which is going to help the repub-
licans this fall in Illinois. is a second which
is going to injure them; the reapportion-
ment law passed by the last legislature.
This law has been pronounced constitu-
tIonal by the two highest courts of ILL
nois, and ii is so framed that it deprives
the republicans Of a number of members
of the legislature. This was the intention
of its trainers. To a superficial observer
the disaffection of the democrats, which
will hurt the democratic party, and the
reapportionment law, which will hurt the
republican party, ought to counteract each
other. This is a good theoretical opinion
to advance, but as a matter of fact IL
isn't true. The reapportionment law will
not hurt the republicans half as much as
the record of their own party will injure
the democrats. A tour in the small towns
of central and southern Illinois shows this.
The writer had a little piece of personal
experience within fortnight that Illus
trates the feeling in rural Illinois this fall.
1t was at democratic meeting in a town
of about 1000 people in southern Illinois.
The speaker had an audience of about 400,
because the farmers had all come in from
the surrounding country. The orator was
warn ed up to his subject and he was pro-
democrats responsible for all the ills of eX-
istence. The panic especially could not be
laid to democratic doors. The hard times
would have come any way, he urged. 1t
was right I'm the middle of the dry season,
which babe fair to eat up the state. and
finally the speaker said, Il have been pa
tiently waiting for some Of my republican
friends to say that the democrats brought
on the drought"
At that point a young farmer. an intelli-
gent looking fellow, rose up In his chair and
beloved from the audience. The drought
amt no worse than Altgeld.'
Three-fourths of that audience were demo-
Gratis, but this sentiment seemed TO meet
with such universal spontaneous approval
tfat shout of appreciation went up, and
the hall resounded with: True for yoU,"
That's So" Amen" and the like.
Investigation all through the small towns
shows that their inhabitants, irrespective of
politics. lock on Altgeld and the drought
very much In the same light.
Democratic Vote I'm the Large Cities.
IT does not appear that in the coming cleo
ton in this state the democratic vote in
Chicago and in the towns of over 10000
population will be changed much, but in the
small towns there are practically no demo-
Gratis this year.
With regard to the populist strength, il
Is difficult to advance an opinion. There
Will be few more populists in the next
legislature than in the last. Instead Of three
We may look for six or eight or possibly
ten or twelve. The number will hardly be
greater than the latter figure. On general
principles, however, the populist gains will
be drawn from both the other parties and
that each will suffer about alike.