The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-12
ILLINOIS BAD PLIGHT.

AS an example of jumping out of the
frying Fan into the fire in a business
and political sense, the election of John
r. Tanner as governor of Illinois seems
to have seldom been equalled. His
signing of the so-called Allen bill,
passed by the legislature over
the protests of an overwhelming
majority of the press and peo-
pie of Chicago, and the signing of
the gas consolidation bill under similar
circumstances. have brought down up
on him unstinted condemnation. His
course is referred to in the Record as
follows:
Illinois shame is complete. The
state has had legislatures before which
were lost to all sense of decency, but it
remained for John r. Tanner to lower
the governors chair to the basest level
it has ever reached. Altgeld whom
Tanner pretended TO despise-and Alt
geld had his faults-Was far superior to
the executive who has brought dis
grace upon the state Oglesby, who as
governor vetoed a bill similar in pur-
port to the Allen bllI signed by Tan
ner, must marvel that the chair which
ne hOnOred has fallen into possession of
one so base. The name of Tanner
may go down in history. but if so it,
will be in connection with measures
suggesting infamy, not. honor. Tan
neriSm in the future will he a term
synonymous with subserviency to
Xerkesisn. with all the hateful signiff-
canoe which that name carries to the
people of this commonwealth, and es-
pectally to the people of this munich
pality. In the battle between unscrup-
ulOus wealth and the commonwealth,
Tanner has ranged himself on the side
of INSCRIPTIONS wealth, and has pros
tituted his high office to the service
of the same master.
He owed his nomination to a corrupt
political machine, which draws its sin
ews OF war from the interests that have
debauched our local legislative body
and that of late have demand
ed favors at Springfield His election
was made possible only by virtue of
his attachment to the Mckinley land
slide and even then he ran thousands
of votes behind the regular ticket. Since
going into the governors chair he has
forgotten entirely the people who elect
ed him, but has been extremely mind
full Of the political tramps with whom he
has always associated and who helped
to nominate him"
Tt would appear from the foregoing
that Tanner was pretty well known be
fore he was nominated or elected, yet
a majority of the people even in Chi
cago voted for him. Altgeld was also
pretty well known; he had been tried.
The principal objections urged against
Altgeld were that he pardoned the an
archists and was not a Republican.
bOlh VI d sentimental rather Ihan OF a.
business nature. But the people sacri-
feed business to sentiment and turned
down man who the Chicago Tribune
declares would have cut his hand off
before he would have signed such a
measure as the Allen bill and elected
a man who the Record says owed his
nomination to a corrupt political ma
chine.
The ills of Tannerism in Illinois are
like many other ills complained of by
the people all over the country, of their
own making. Yet they are ever blarn-
ing somebody and finding fault about
things for which their partisanship
alone is responsible.