El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-11
Results OF the Chicago Election

Results OF the Chicago Election.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
1t seldom happens that q municipal
election is so clear as to its controlling
Influences and SO significant as to its
resultant consequences as the election
which took place at Chicago on Tues
day last. Garter b. Harrison, who
self, had been bitterly opposed, and in
some respects had in his official career
provided his enemies and rivals with
opportunities for attack of which
they were not slow to take sometimes
unscru pulous advantage. He had been
accused, upon grounds whose validity
cannot at this distance be intelligently
determined, with eulpably lax ad-
ministration of the local laws; but
however that may be. the causes of the
success which crowned his canvass are
not obscure.
At serious crisis in the history OF
the municipality he had ranged him
self firmly, squarely, aggressively upon
the side of the people. He had resist
ed with all his might, and in spite OF
such temptations to the contrary as can
be readily imagined, the insolent as
sault of band of wealthy, powerful
and constituencies conspirators upon
the public right. He had resisted, and
he had been chiefly instrumental in de-
feating, the carefully laid plot of the
Yerkes ring to get possession for all
time to come of the public streets, and
he had thereby established claim upon
the confidence and gratitude of his
fellow-citizens of which his reelection
is q proper and logical recognition.
The inquirer did not see how he could
be beaten. Democrat as he is, al
though in this campaign he took his
stand and made his fight upon exclusi-
vely local issues. it cannot, under the
regret his success. His
opponent had good persO-
nal record, but he WAS suspected of
the Yerkes collar, and his
defeat, such being the case, is neither
to be surprised at nor deplored.
But as regards the public at large,
tifying feature of the election is it's de-
,isive reputation of that dangerous
and pestiferous sdemagogue, ex-Gov-
,rnor John 2. Altgeld. This has a
bearing upon the national politics #
;he future which can hardly fail to be
Altgeld is one of the most
prominent and uncOmpromising advO-
,ates and Representatives of that latter
lay democracy of which William j.
lis campaign was the epothe-
isis. 1t is generally believed, and
here is no reason for doubling it, that
he revolutionary Chicago platform
vas largely Altgeld's work, and in
the Chicago electorate it
vas from that platform that he made |
lis appeal. He presented himself to
he acceptance of the Chicago voters |
as Bryan man. He
.sked them to cast their ballots for
i'm as an expression Of their loyalty to
he Bryan cause and to the Chicago
platform, and their refusal to do so was
o general as to render his defeat over
The ming.
We do not wish to exaggerate the
Importance of this incident, but that it
as significance and serious one
reasonably be doubted. 1t
aeans for one thing that Altgeld has
ost his grip, that as a disturbing and
angerous factor in the democratic po-
tics of Illinois he has been eliminated.
t means, also, that in Chicago, its
cad centre. .its place of origin, its
lost favorable breeding place, Bry-
uism is on the wane. Probably the
men who now control the
emocratic organization Will
AXE no warning from the notice they
ave received. Probably, like Eph-
aim, they are joined to their idols,
nd have no eyes for what they don't
rant to see They may insist in spite
everything upon Bryan's reuomina-
ion, and they may have the power to
ender their preference effective. So
e 1t. We republicans can afford to
egard such prospect with equani-
lity.
Pure Hygienic Ice.
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