Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-07-26

that once during the past three months,
the campaign for the United states
Senatorship has fallen into a most
complicated condition and no fellow
can tell just now how it Is likely to
come out.
The Eagle has held all along that
owing to the fight which has for some
reason or other been made upon Sen
ator Mason by his own party managers
extraordinary developments were in
evitablc. including even the remote pos.
sibility of the Democrats carrying the
Legislature and electing one of their
own party faith as United States Sen
ator from Illinois.
As time has gone by the truth of
this statement seems to have gone
home to the Democratic leaders of this
state, and events have been shaping
. themselves accordingly.
This paper has also said more than
once. that on account of his independ-
ence. manliness. genial temperament,
consistency. adherence to principle and
lofty ideals. and, above ALL his true
Americanism. Senator Mason would be
elected by an overwhelming majority
II the election to the high office which
he fills We're by popular vote. because
II believed the great mass of the voters
Of Illinois whether Democratic or Re
publican. stood by and would mt every
oportunity show their loyal adherence
to those principles. The developments.
since those articles were written. have
shown that we We're not mistaken in
our estimate of the situation. and an
additional complication which has
since arisen tends to emphasize this
fact. Last Tuesdays Tribune has this
to say on the subject:
by giving william l.. Mason their
support, the Democrats believe they
will he able to participate In the elec-
tion Of United States Senator next
winter. There has been no talk of
that party having any other candidate.
Fusion between the Democratic, the
can members, 1t Is claimed, would give
the Senator good majority and insure
his reelection.
s"Having little chance OF getting con.
troll Of the Legislature and sending a
straight Democrat to the Senate as
Mason's successor the Democratic
leaders say they would much rather
see Mason returned than to see Con.
gressman Hopkins, or some other Re-
publican, go In his place.
These calculations are based on the
belief that there will be enough in
dependents elected to the lower house
20 make a respectable showing for the
Senator, aside from the Democratic
membership.
Before going East ten days ago Mr..
Mason told some Of his friends thar he
had pledged to him the votes of seven
Republican nominees for Representa-
tives who are sure of election, and
that he counted on four more with as
much assurance as If they, 100, had
put themselves under pledge.
There is small coterle Of the Re
publican holdover Senator's who have
declared for Mason, and they will lead
ia'' H-lL W. illlii' Nv ElblH tIIul
Frank o. Lowden might enter the
race, IL seems, grew out Of the possi-'|
bility OF the Democrats falling in line
for Mason. In the event that Hop
kins could not secure the necessary
majority Lowdcn Is the man, II Is
said, on whom the Republicans could
and would unite"
In the Democratic camp this kind
OF gossip Is heard:
The mail carrying contyacts will
have 10 be rclct next winter, and as
Senator Mason is chairman of the
Senate Committee on POStofiices and
POstrOads, he Is the Individual these
railroad companies must deal with.
We all know the burlington, the Rock
Island, the Northwestern, the Alton,
ana. IN fact, all these roads are pretty
strong in the territory through which
their lines run. They can bring big
Influence 10 bear in the election of
candidates to the Legislature. They
want those contracts renewed on the
most favorable terms"
One Of the Democratic State Com
mitteemen said:
we can consistently support Mason
when IL comes TO the question of send
ing him back 10 the Senate or seeing
a deep dyed Republican like Hopkins
In his place"
The session OF 1871 when David Da.
Wis was elected as an Independent |