San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-01-09
A Three-Cornered Fight.

A Three-Cornered Fight.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Jan. 9.-The
thirty-ninth General Assembly of
the state of Illinois will meet here
today. The most important duty
of the assembly will be the election
OF a United States senator. There
has been only one session OF the
General Assembly in this state
since 1881 that has not chosen a
United States senator-that was
the session Of 1898. In 1883 Shelby
M. Cullom was elected for a full
term to succeed David Davis. In
1885 j ohn A. Logan was elected his
own successor after one OF the most
exciting contests ever known in
any legislature: in 1887 Char
les B. Farwell was elected
to the seat made vacant
by the death of Gen. Logan in 1886 !;
in 1889 the legislature sent Shelby
M. Cullom to the Senate for anoth-
or term in 1891 John NJ. Palm er,
a Dem ocrat, was elected to succeed
g. B. Farwell.
Heretofore the election Of United
States senator had been attended
by exciting incidents, owing to the
small majorities which either party
possessed in the general mbly.
Having a majority this year Of
twenty three on joint ballot the
Republicans will have everything
their own way when it comes to
election. The hair pulling will all
take place in joint caucus, for there
is where Shelby M. Cullom, the
present senatorial incumbent and
candidate for reelection, must
make his fight. There are 225 Re-
publican members and it will re-
quire sixty-three votes to nominate
in the caucus.
The Democratic caucus, will, as
a matter Of form, name Franklin
MacVeagh as It's candidate, and
the votes OF the seventy-nine DEM
ocratic members of the Senate and
House will be cast for that gentle
man. The senator will, Of course,
be a Republican. MIR. Cullom,
Joseph Medill, editor of the Chi
cago Tribune, and VIM. E. Mason,
Of Chicago, are the candidates.
Their chances for election rank in
the order in which they are named.
Mr.. Cullum is we'll known by his
conspicuous service in the Senate.
Mr.. Mason is very wealthy man,
better known as "Billie" Mason,
and has been prominent in politics.
Joseph Medill is the only one in
the lot not asprofessional politician.
He has been a hard-working
newspaper man all his
life. He came to Chicago
years ago, before the war, from
Ohio, and started 1.-THE Tribune"
After the fire in 1870 he was chosen
mayor Of Chicago, and has been
known as the "fire mayor" At that
time he did so much to put Chi
cago back in the place it occupied
before the great disaster, that the
people have been devoted to him
ever since.
The position of Speaker Of the
House is one most coveted by aspir.
ing leaders. There are number
OF Republican candidates for the
place, although the contest is ap'
parently confined to two or three
aspirants.
The House Democrats will, o.
course, name candidate fol
Speaker in caucus and cast theil
votes for him.
The Republican candidates fol
the speakership as far as they
have been mentioned are Johr
Meyer, ofChicago, John w. White,
Of Whiteside county, Thomas B
Needles, of Washington county
William G.. Cochran, of Moultrit
county, and Ethelbert Callahan, O
Crawford county. Recent develop
ments and combinations lead Il
the belief that the race has mar
rowed down to John Meyer, OF Chi
cago and John w. White, Of White
side county.