The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-05-30
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Springfield, H.. May 2s.-The mighty lion
of the tribe of McKinley-Hanna in Illinois
is no more. John Il. inner politician. has
gone to his last account. Who will succeed
him as the forceful. persistent and able foe
Of Democracy In Illinois?
Charles Gates Dawes. OF Evanston. Comp
troller Of the Currency. practically a new
man In Illinois politics. Is Tanners most
likely successor. But he must give the
best evidence that he is capable of main
tanning his position as a leader, and the
crucial point in the test confronts him now.
and Will face him for at least twelve. and
probably eighteen months. II Is within the
range OF probability that he may fall heir
to the Tanner machine. which Is willing to
adopt a Moses.
IL Charles Gates Dawes can be elected to
the United States Senate from Illinois In
place of Senator Mason in January. 1893. he
will prove himself worthy to lead a great
party host in succeeding battles in tho
State.
Looking Hopefully to Dawes.
1 talked with a number OF Tanners lieu
tenants and captains. who attended the flu
neral services Of their General last Sunday.
They were completely at sea. There
seemed to be an IF" or u but" between
every one of Tanners close friends and the
party leadership. Not one of them had u
word 10 say against Dawes. His name was
AZ - iNA "a holS ohAu
as a possibility. One or two went so far
as to declare that they favored Dawes.
He made a good impression on everybody In
1850, at the Peoria convention, anu in the
succeeding months he lost no opportunity
OF spreading his geniality and smiles over
as much territory as possible. In the last
great battle In which John X. Tanner was
engaged with Cullom for United States SEN
ator, it will be remembered that Dawes
took a positive stand on the side Of Cullom.
But he made friends rather than enemies
of Tanner and his following by the opera
ton. Dawes told Tanner and L.orimer what
he was going to do. why, he was for Gull
He kept his word. The Tanner element
found no fault with Dawes. They rather
liked him and never coupled his name with
profanity.
In the campaign last year Dawes added to
his prestige anu popularity. He antagonized
n~obody,except Democrats. He was the
sharp, Shrewd, discreet friend of every Re
publican candidate. His smile was peren-
NAL and bloomed and gladdened everything
and everybody as did that of Bryan. He
Tanner-with all the candidates. big and
l%ittle-and his modesty was notable on ev-
cry occasion.
When Yates opened his canvass with the
big Jacksonville meeting. Dawes was with
him, and thousands OF the common sort
present did not know he was in Jackson
vile until he was presented to make a
speech. His addresses never were so strong
as to stand out in relief with those Of can
d!dates. Young Mr.. Dawes played Il popu-
lar, tactful part in the last campaign.
JudiciOus Passing Of Pie.
After the election last November Mr.
Dawes began to chuck the hOldover Sena-
tors under the chin. to eXaggerate theil
importance. and his hirtations were SO bold
thai it was charged he wanted to succeed
Cullom. He did not go further in his ad
vocacy of CullOm than to declare for his
reelection. Openly he set to work to builc
a fence for himself. As a politician. he
knew it must be '.horse-high. bull-strong
and pig-tight," the specification Of South
ern illinois farmers when they contract fol
a secure division fence. He groped arount
in the dark for a time. Finally the end.
Of the rails touched his fingers. He fOunt
a good place on an Indian reservation fol
a relative OF one Of the Senator'S. Jobs II
Washington. good, lucrative places. wer,
discovered for others. A fat bank plac,
was created for another. l have heard O
no office on Mr.. Dawes's list that pays les
than 1880 or 5000.
Mr.. Dawes was blunt and candid Will
everybody. He declared himself a candi
date for United States Senator In 1903: h
needed influence and votes, principally vote
in the Legislature, and expressed himsel
as willing to place men with either O
those political commodities under obllga
tons to him. He discovered who were will
ing to owe him in this manner. He begal
collecting rails six months ago, and h
could now assemble a respectable fence /
he chose to do so. But the work continue.
and when the time comes for garnerin