The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-05

! ~ ARLY reports from yesterday S
! election in Chicago were an as
surance that the victory was
with Harrison-on the first returns he
was getting more votes than his two
rivals combined We're polling. 1t was
! an interesting, triangular fight. Zina
: r. Carter the republican candidate, is
! a man who has made his way in the
business world, reaching a gratifying
measure of success as the result of good
abilities. He has been little in politics,
!. but he came out of service in a Chicago
council that was UNANIMOUSLY dishonest,
and there was no reproach resting up
on him. The fact that in an aggrega-
ton of thieving aldermen he made
record for unvarying honesty in the
public service, was this republican can
didate's best argument.
The circumstances that brought Mr.
Altgeld into rivalry with Mayor Harri-
son In the Chicago campaign need not
be reviewed. 1t was manifest from
the outset that Altgeld was campaign
ing at disadvantage. Yet he had
good helpers and strong support. By
the way, as the Standards opinion is,
John P. Altgeld is one of the most in
teresting and, at the same time, one of
the least-understood men among all the
men whose names are, in greater or
less degree, before the American pub
lie. A man of splendid mental abilities
he certainly is. He is an excellent law
mqdh a i,11o
He Is of literary quality very much
above the average. He is a man of
marked mental independence and of
nnquestioned courage in word as we'll
as in deed. Last Saturday. in an ad-
mirably- written column of editorial
comment, the Chicago Journal gave
sketch of Altgeld. 1t is of SO much
merit that, on this page, this morning
the Standard makes a brief quo
tation from this sketch You will find
tt we'll worth reading, and you will give
the Journal the larger credit for candor
in its estimate of Altgeld when you re-
member that the Chicago Journal op-
posed him in the mayoralty contest,
that newspapers opinion being that
Harrison was the man for Chicago at
the present hour
! But, returning to the election in ques-
tion-there was no stopping Carter H.
Harrison. His administration, as may
or of Chicago, has its glazing faults
but, at least, he made one magnificent
fight in the name and for the sake of
the people, and it was not possible by
any campaign devices ITO make the vot-
ers In that city unmindful of the serv-
fce SO manfully rendered
1t happened that Mr.. Harrison had the
good fortune to be mayor at time
when the street-car companies under
the leadership of Mr.. Yerkes attempt
ed to take advantage of the criminal
ALLEN bill, passed by the degradation of
the legislative and executive officers of
the state. They had bought a majority
OF the council they were sure Of their
enterprise. But in Mayor Harrison they
found an opponent invincible in his pro-
lection of the city's rights. Sentiment
in Chicago was that, when it comes to
rewards in municipal politics, there was
nothing too good for Harrison In his
campaign he was viciously fought bv
Yerkes-the event proves that this pur
suit of him helped Harrison. That fea-
ture of the campaign appealed power
fully with the Chicago public and add
ed thousands to Mayor Harrison's total
of votes.