Evening star., 1899-04-04
Interesting Three-Cornered Fight for
Mayor Of Windy City.
HARRISON. CARTER And ALqGBLD
Chances Are Favorable to Re-
election of Present Mayor.
ALTGELD'S UNIQUE POSITION
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| Chicago is in the throes of her biennial
| mayoralty election. The principal feature of
| the campaign outside of the local interest
+, is the fact that upon this election depends
! the future of two prominent figures in Illi-
| nois politics. John P A1tgeld and Carter H.
| Harrison. The control of the delegation
| from this state in the next democratic ma
tional convention is also involved
Ex-Governor Altgeld'entered the race for
the sole purpose of defeating Mayor Harri-
| son. His desire to encompass the downfall
! of the young mayor was principally be-
| cause of his feeling that the further
| tendency of Harrison meant the final wan
ing of the Altgeld star in the western politi-
| cal armament. Just now it looks though
Altgeld has committed political suicide,
| whether Mayor Harrison wins or loses, as
| it is an absolute certainty that Altgeld cam
! not get enough votes to win the mayoralty,
! even if he can stampede enough democrats
from the regular party organization to de-
feat his young rival for control of the state
| Altgeld entered the race before either of
| the parties independent organizations
| thought of nominations and he showed his
| plan at once by declaring from the outset
| that he would not try for the regular DEM
| ocrauc nomination, but would run as an in
| dependent, expecting the support of all
| loyal democrats and the Independent voters
/ of the city, Notwithstanding the result or
| the regular legal primaries and conventions
| of his party. In taking this step the ex-
! governor put himself entirely outside the
| party organization, in which he has been
| so prominent, particularly since the Chi
| cago national convention of 1896.
| From all sections of the state men who
We're formerly his strongest supporters
| have bitterly denounced him for this act,
! which, they claim, is party treason, but he
| has steadfastly remained an Independent.
| During the last week he has claimed that
! he will receive larger vote from the party
s1p,a.t tAr fret
place in the race. and that the mayor and
the regular party candidates will get no
| better than third place. But the eX-gov-
| ernor is noted for wild, extravagant claims
| in political campaigns, and the most liberal
| estimate of his strength outside of his own
| headquarters gives him no more than 10000
| votes, and it will take more than twice
| that number to elect him.
What 1t Means to Harrison.
Mayor Harrison is running for a re-elec-
! ton, which will mean his nomination for
| governor two years hence If he is success
| full. He is making the campaign largely
| on his record the street railroad fran
| chise question. the most important issue in
| Chicago lust now and probably for some
| time to come The mayors victory over
| the traction companies and the "boodlers'
| in the city council who sought fifty-year
| franchises last fall without remuneration
| to the public, is the principal plank in the
| Harrison platform. At that time there was
| talk of mobs and lynching and general riot
| in case the council passed the pending or
| dinances, but Mayor Harrison whipped
| enough of the aldermen into line with the
people to defeat the scheme and the town
| was wild for him for weeks afterward.
| Upon this popularity his fight is being made
now.
| Zina r. Carter former alderman and
member Of the great sanitary district
| board which is building the gigantic drain
| age canal, and who has good, clean pri-
1 nd record
| lican opponent. Carter's fight is being
| made on his record and with the belief that
the democratic vote will be divided be-
tween Harrison and Altged, and his prin-
| cipal effort in the campaign has been to
| keep the Notwithstanding mayor from
| stampeding the republicans and independ-
ents to his banner.
Zina R. Carter, the republican nominee,
| is being opposed by the Independents and
| some of the newspapers because of the men
| who nominated him. including Governor
| Tanner: Allen, of notorious street railway
law fame; Congressman Lorimer, head of
| the republican machine, and their asso-
ciateS.
| Ex-Governor AltgeId is the uncertain fig
ure in the campaign. He started the fight
with the socialists, disgruntled democrats
! dissatisfied elements and the more radical
| free silverites as the nucleus for his
! ganization. He has gathered around him
| all of these classes, well the German
| Lutherans of both parties, who have stood
| by him in every political campaign since
he came to their assistance as governor
| when there was a hot fight over the school
| question, involving their parochial schools
| Has Conducted a Personal Campaign.
The ex-governor has conducted a per-
| sonal campaign, making from three to five
| speeches daily in all sections of the city.
His platform is largely one of municipal
| ownership of public utilities. and one plank
| in it is puzzle to everybody in the city,
including his own friends, for in it ne
charges that Mayor Harrison sold out the
people to the traction combine. Inasmuch
! as the mayor defeated the combine and
succeeded in preventing it from securing
| any kind of an ordinance from the city
council the charge seems queer. but the
ex-governor repeats it every night in his
speeches. He is making bitter attack on
the mayor, accuses him of betraying the
16 to l cause and of conspring to over
throw the democrats and deliver them to
Dick Croker and the eastern bosses in the
next national convention. He is posing in
| the campaign as the only Simon-pure candi-
date OF democracy, the real apostle of 16
| to and the only true friend of the people;
but behind 1T all is his spite and venom,
his desire to wreak personal vengeance on
the mayor at the expense of the party, If
necessary, and it is a question just how
many votes can be polled for "sore-head"
movement of this class.
Two years ago Mayor Harrison won over
a field of two independents and a republican
nominee He received majority over all
of about 5000 votes. Then the republican
vote was divided. John M. Harlan, inde-
pendent republican, received $1,000 more
than the regular nominee. This time the
friends of Harlan are among the mayors
strongest supporters and he Is counting on
fully one-half of that $4,000 Independent
vote. Two years ago not newspaper in
the city spoke favorably of Harrison All
attacked him most bitterly. This time
they are supporting him strongly, with
two exceptions, because of his fight on the
franchise question The exceptions are the
Tribune, the principal republican organ,
and the Inter-ocean, owned and edited by
Charles T. Yerkes, head of the street rail-
way combine in Chicago Yerkes is fighting
the mayor bitterly. 1t is frequently charg-
ed by Mayor Harrison that Yerkes is fur
nishing the capital with which the Aitgeld
campaign is being run.
Election Takes Place Tuesday.
The election occurs next Tuesday. April
4. A full city ticket, besides town and al
dermanie tickets, is to be elected. The bet
| ting at the present time is considerably
slower than it usually is during mayoralty
campaigns, but large sums have been
placed as good as 2 to.1 on Harrison to