The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-05
WHY ALTGELD RAN.
The History ofthc sore Mans Can.
didacy for Mayor of Chicago.


for Mayor and how did he become one?
The answer shows up his candidacy as
the anomaly OF this campaign, and one
that has been generally and seriously mis-
understood.
Aitgcid's enemies made him the sort Of
candidate he IS, although his own rule
or ruin" disposition was the primary
cause. His party Organization, knowing
him for a secret enemy when not abso-
lutte boss, out-manOeuvrcd him and forced
him out Of ambush. Then political sa-
gacity deserted him. lie misiudged con-
ditions as they were, misread the future
and jumped at wrong conclusions. Spleen
and t~enacity Of purpose have done the
rest. principle and love for the
groanlng common people AVE had no
thing 20 do with IL. II IL were not for
the mans undoubted skill as a s%pecious
picadcr his capaign would long ago have
become what 1t almost Is anyhow farce.
Here are the. plain facts.
The men who have managed Demo
cratic politics I'm CHICAGO for some years
and are still managing helped make
John Z. Altgeld governor IN 1882. As
governor no was the party chief and
was Obeyed. To help him and because
he reeded help. these same men deci-
mated the Cook County organization in
AtAE NUA AAH VI AnHNs NNEN NMN NNf AMNNAHAN
which would have cut Altgeld's throat
and again hailed him as their chief.
The overwhelming defeat Of Altgeld and
his party came ga November 1896. 4 dts
position naturally acidulOus was further
sOured. Being by nature a man who
never admits that he may be wrong.
Altgeld laid defeat at the door OF every
holy connected with Democratic poll
tics except himself. and In the inevita-
ble process Of re~organizing his party
sought TO punish where Cancellation
might have been wiser. At that time
his associates knew they would one day
have a fight with him.
Altgeld was still. %nominally. boss Of
his party I'm Cook County when the
spring Of 1897 drew en-. He a to be
consulted about mayOralty candidates.
and was consulted. Then the manOeuv-
ering which has resulted I'm making him
the sort Of Independent candidate for
mayor that he is commenced.
Alteeld's knitting Of Trude IS public
knowledge. The assertion OF his follow
ers and his own oft-repeated him that he
made Carter II. Harrison the candidate
then IS not true. Altgeid was then shout
ing for free silver as clam0rOusly as he
has shouted since. but he wanted q gold
man for a candidate-Judge Shepard. He
simply found himself so placed that ne
had to accept Harrison. But as yet an
was on the surface harmonious between
Altgeld and his party associates.
The first sign of the split came when
Carter II. Harrison named the late Robert
4. Waller for comptroller. Altgeld never
f0rgave that. because he could not for
give Walters independence as n Lincoln
Park Commissioner. independence for
which Altgeld removed him. Then the
friends Of Harrison knew that a split
was inevitable and not far Off.
The visit Of Mayor Harrison and tho
County Democracy Marching Club 10
New York I'm the fall OF 1897 gave Altgeld,
an excuse TO grid at Harrison. The spe-
clal election that fall in the sixth Con-
cressional District CAV him more oppOr-
tunity FOR sly. yelled filings at the Demo
cratic mayor. But ass yet there was
no open break. Altgcld even threw a
bouquet at Harrison I'm person az the
German-American Democracy banquet.
The first time Altgeld showed his teeth
I'm his secret fight on the Mayor and on
the organization which looked 10 the
Mayor as q leader was last spring, when
the date OF the State convention was
under consideration. II had been set by
Altgeld's friends for carly June. The
Cook County Democrats, with n long
tlchtt TO nominate. ana Win murl FAC
ti0nal disturbance 10 manage. wanted
q postponement. as county and State
delegates had 10 be elected az one time
under the primary law. Altgeld was still
deferred 10. Thomas Gahan, Robert T..
Burke. Fred +. Eldred and others asked
Altgeld to consent to postponement. lie
turned them down. Burke and Eldred
took a train for the interior OF Illinois.
and in two days had enough State Cen
tlal Comm tteemen 10 beat Altgell on this
proposition. He was beaten AZ = Special
meeting Of the State Central Committee
men Then the war was on in earnest.
Anybody who remembers Alt-
geld's treachery to W. r. Morrison
knows his cry OF "treachery" Is tina OF
the boy crying Wolf. Wolf" Anybody
who remembers how reluctantly he ac-
cepted the silver issue Of 1885 and how
recently he became a disciple OF munic-
ipal ownership. knows that his cry Of
"Chicago platform and municipal WIN
ership now" are only an excuse. The
nucleus Of his party" IL made Of sore
heads. His farceful personality and his
skill on the stump has brought other
followers. The intimate relation between
mis- headquarters and the vice president
Of a street railway corporation has done
the rest.
These NAV seem i"nconsequential facts,
but they are ell the facts AT the bottom
Of John p. Altgeld's candidacy for May
or OF C~hicago.-ChlcaGO Times-HeTald.