Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-11-14

on earth Hopkins has been in con-
gress for good many years, and il
he had accomplished anything of
moment for his people, for his party
or for the country, 1 never heard of
it. / cannot imagine one reason why
a republican Of the state should want
To send him To the senate
For the past 10 years John l.. Lane.
who holds n good place under Gov.
Yates, to-wit: one of the managers
of the Pontiac reformatOry board at
$500 year and expenses, has been
writing his impressions of conditions
in every senatorial district in the
state. No doubt Mr.. Lane would he
glad TO discover sentiment in favor
of his patron, the governor. Yet. an
impartial view of his reports. which
have been printed in Chicago organ
of the republican party, forces the
conclusion that the governors fac
ton is small. and confined to his APP
pointees and their relatives; that
Dawes is strongly in the lead for
senator: that Mason sentiment is not
apparent anywhere. and that Con
gresham Hopkins might create Il
sentiment in some places ii he enter
cd the canvass with vim.
Mr.. Lane practically indorses in
detail statements made in the Rcpub-
lie for the past four or five months.
The plain truth is that Gov. Yates
has lost his influence. prestige and
Istanding in his own party in the
state. Avowedly he means To defeat
Dawes for the senate and Sherman.
who wants To he governor in 1904.
IL * singular that the very opposi-
ton of Gov. Yates adds To the
strength and popularity of both
Dawes and Sherman.
For example. take Il county or
city anywhere in the state. Morgan
county or Cook county, excepting a
precinct or township where state
institution is located. and limit the
voters To the republican party. and
the issue To Gov. Yates versus
Charles G.. Dawes. ana the latter
would win ny an overwhelming" ma-
iority. Substitute any other name
for Dawes and the result would prac-
tically be the same. Hence, Dawes not
only has great deal of positive
strength of his own. but ne has the
advantage of the good will of every
republican who don't indorSc the
manner in which Gov Yates has adj
ministered his office since last Janu-
airy. There * way 10y which Dawes
might he defeated for senator. But
IL Is not in the cards for Gov. Yates
10 10 il. or tn have Il hand in IL. If
he declared for Dawes. and il was
known that Dawes and the governor
L.
ing it would be Il hard matter for
Dawes To stay in the race u month.
The long and the short of IL * the
republicans of Illinois do not pro-
pose To he dominated or led in any
manner 10y Gov. Yates. who is an ac-
cident in office: who was not the
choice of any considerable number
of republicans for the nomination.
and who actually owes his place to
the revengeful spite and spirit of half
Il dozen bosses. who were behind
IIanecy in the Peoria convention.
Gov. Yates must give some evil
dence of possessing some of the quail
ties of leadership before he can as
semble under his banner a corporals
guard. outside of his appOintees to
office. II is not difficult To perceive
how the very unpopularity of the
governor assists the leader of Il fac
tion opposed to the governors leader
ship.
Gov. Yates has tried in succession
Senator Mason. Lieut. Gov. North
colt. Frank o. Lowden, Martin Il.
Madden and Congressman y. j. Hop
kins. and the influence of the state
administration for each of these
worthless has been of the nature of
poison. At the same time desperate
attempts were made to induce John
NJ. Smythe and Congressman Hit,
Cannon. Warner. Graf and former
Congressman b. +. Marsh to permit
the use of their names in opposition
to Dawes. Failure was recorded in
every instance. The fault is not so
much with the politicians named as
with the man and faction that sup
ports him. None of them care to be
chained to "A corpse. l repeat. there
is method by which Mr.. Dawes
might be defeated. but Gov. Yates
cannot accomplish that end"