The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-30

surrected and made to do duty as
campaign document not so much in IL
linois as in O,her states. 1t was used
where the circumstances of the pardon
were not known, as an argument
against Bryan, as showing that he was
on ticket supported by anarchists
Whatever its effect elsewhere, it had
little effect in Illinois, where Altgeld
ran ahead of Bryan, and received more
votes than he did in 1892 though he
was defeated.
Few governors of Illinois have been
more genuinely popular in Illinois, or
more deserving of it than Governor
Altgeld. 1t must be remembered that
he was the first Democratic governor
the state had had for over thirty years.
There had been a generation of Repub-
lican officials in every department of
the state government. All who were
in appOintive office, or who hoped to
be, or who had been and hoped to be
again saw an end to their tenure or
their hopes. There was an instant cry
through every means of reaching the
public ear, that the public service was
to be debauched This cry was in
large measure an honest expression of
thought. 1t would be strange if men
who had served in a thirty year period
of Republican state administration
should not feel that to turn over the
administration to the opposition party
was dangerous and direful.
Governor Altgeld was confronted at
the beginning OF his administration
with peculiar difficulties. Various ele-
ments had contributed to his election.
| All these elements were entitled to re-
cognition in appointments. The result
was that there were many appoint
ments made which might justly be call
ed bad ones. No one knew this better
than Governor Altgeld. But the pOlit-
iCal necessities of the case, as the polit-
zeal necessities of every such, demand
ell recognition of the various elements
which had contributed to the party vic
tory. But while Governor Altgeld felt
obliged to make appointments that his
keen and honest judgment did not APP
| prove, he did not allow himself to feel
| obliged to keep men in office after they
proved themselves unworthy. The re-
| suit was that the demands of party
victory being met, he was soon at lib
! erty to make removals for cause, and
| fill vacancies on merit And this sift-
| ing process went on so rapidly that 1T
was not long before the state admin
istration, in every department, was in
the hands of men worthy and the re-
| NlplShIS VI puDliC 'OiiiiHNllIS' " ''"Ni "a
an extent that the very hrst year OF
his administration showed marked M
proVement in efficiency and economy IN
all departments and in all institutions
! over preceding years, and the pubic
service of Illinois was benehtted as II
never could have been by one admins
tration being succeeded by another OF
the same political faith, because no ad-
ministration however strong, could
| have made the clean sweep, that a
change of party dominancy demanded,
a clean sweep that while 1t removed
many men of excellence, also swept out
! of existence abuses that had become
! respectable by age.
Governor Altgeld, under stress OF po-
litical necessity appointed some bad
men, but he kept no bad man in Office,
ana the people Oh lilllloIS hho" anu rec
oshlZe IhdI TACT
OF Altgeld's political career since he
was governor, and which Mr. Walker
may have had in mind when he said
Altgeld was unpopular, this may be
said. Altgeld sought to remould the
tendencies OF the pohucal elements
which We're cropping for advance II
municipal and civic administration
and to align them to definite
fauohal and attalnapIe purposes. IL
was TO inns ehu that ne became can
dldate Tor mayor OF chicago. That ne
was not elected was not because ne
was not popular out because the urne
:.. IT. i: 8 y as 6: : i