Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-04-29
WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 80, 1896
THE ILLINOIS MIDDLE.

The circumstance that have brought
about the present remarkable condi-
ton of affairs among the republicans
of Illinois, which has caused the eye,
of the party throughout the country to
be directed towards the state capitol,
to-day, can be told in a nutshell. For
years the party in the state has been
dominated by Cook county or Chicago
politicians, as the ''Machine,"
who for the past two years have so
frightened their grip as TO almost hold
the party in the state as in a vice. Of
the five people that compose the ma
chine, one is an ~ex.Canadian, whose
naturalization papers are still fresh and
crisp another an ex-Philadelphian of
comparatively recent importation, and
the third a German who is compelled
to do nine-tenths of his talking in his
mother tongue; while the others are
Illinois boys bred and born. Over o
JCdl nAO3 az bhC NCty OutoGu VI POPulul
discussion concerning presidential pos
sibilities, the machine gave it out fiat
footed that, while it had no particular
candidate to bolster at that time, yet it
was ssagin" Mckinley, first, last and
all the time, and in pursuance of this
policy an alliance offensive and de-
fensive was Effected with Dave Martin,
the king bee of the Philadelphia COM
bine, and who at the time imagined
that he was a .'biger" nan in the state
of Pennsylvania than Senator Q lay
the understanding being that the ILL
nois and Pennsylvania delegations
would worn together at the national
convention in the interest of any can
didate outside of Mckinley who would
be prepared to pledge to the two ma
chimes the federal patronage of their
respective states.
The first blow to this deal cana in
the form Of the turning down of Dave
Martin and his cohorts by Senator
Quay, after a fight which is now a part
Of the political history of the country.
Thus deprived Of its powerful ally, the
Cook county machine a few months
ago determined to put up Senator Gull
lon under the guise of a favorite son,
but In reality as a stalking horse. The
republican statesman, who is famous
for his resemblance to Abraham Lin
coin, swallowed the bait, and word
went out to the henchmen of the ma
chine in every congressional district
that "Cullom for president" was to be
the keynote of the campaign. About
the same time State Chairman Cap
tain John r. Tanners candidacy for
governor was announced, and the ma
chine adopted his boom in the belief
that his admitted strength in tho GEN.
trail and lower portions of the state
would carry the Cullom movement on
the top wave. So confident was the
machine that this program would 60
through without hitch or slip that when !
the Cook county convention to elect
delegates to Springfield was held a
couple of months since, the formality ]
of in%structing for Cullom was regarded !
unnecessary. !
Just about that time, however, the {
Mckinley people awoke to the tact that !
they we're apparently surrendering the !
state to the machine without a strug- !
gle, and hoslillties were at once inaug. 6
The first gun was fred in the '
congressional district, the seat OF q
war of the machine, which the McKin- .
swept by an overwhelming ma t
Then came the famous fight in
The Seventh district, also in Chicago,
u which Congressman Foss and the D
McKinleyites gained an overwhelming q
From that time on, the bat :
lie was waged in every county and N
congressional district, without quarter =
IN either side. Senator Cullom's own i
home went against him, and the ma E,