Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-28
BILLY MASON SF|GHT
.l-.-.l
A Thorn in, the Republican
Side.
il e.
io1 vs.
REPUBLICANS A. WILL WIN
LEADERS CONFIDENT OF ADDI-
TIoNAL REPRESENTATIVES.
7 SO
Democratic Chairman Says His Party
Will Have Majority in State
Legislature.
REPUBLICANS A: WILL WIN
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

seven members, but the majorities they are
now claiming are much more modest than
their predictions at the opening of the CAM
palgn. Ihen they were talking bravely of
Ioo,ooo as minimum, now their claims
range from 5000 to $4,000 This shrinkage
IN their figures may be ascribed to the coal
strike principally. More than one of them
frankly admit that but for President
Roosevelt's success in smoking the coal
barons out the state might have gone DEM
ocratic Now they are making the most of
the Presidents victory, and declare that it
has strengthened the chances Of some Of
the congressional candidates in close dis
tricts, as we'll as made secure the election
OF the state ticket and republican senator
to succeed Senator Mason They concede
the democrats only three or four at the
most, representatives from Chicago and
three from the outside districts, giving
eighteen or nineteen republican members
out OF the twenty-five to which the state is
entitled.
BILLY" Mason a Disturbing Factor.
Another disturbing factor in the calcula-
tons of the republicans is the waspish fight
Billy Mason is making on the state ma
chine and its candidates. Having been
turned down by the Lorimer-Yates organi-
cation. and even refused place on its list
molly war on the machine, and has succeed
ed in unearthing enough scandal to make
Things exceedingly uncomfortable for the
whole crowd, and especially for Gov. Yates
1hrough his efforts the political assess
ment OF all the state employees, even down
TO the scrubwomen was shown up and res
titution of the money illegally collected
was forced from the machine leaders, in
several instances as a result of suits that
he caused to be instituted by discharged
employees He charges that Yates and his
assistants have collected 100000 year in
THIS manner from the states servantS-nOt
voluntary, but enforced contributions-and
that this "slush' fund has been used to
further the plans of the machine, including
the corruption of the recent state conven-
ton In the interest of the candidacy of
Representative All. Hopkins for his seat
in the Senate He has called the governor
and his allies thieves and about every other
marsh name contained in his extensive vo-
cabulary, and has defied them to bring an
action against him for SANDER. Within the
last few days it has been charged by the
machine leaders that he intended to come
out in open attack on the ticket and throw
his support to the democrats, and that in
return he was to get the vote Of the demo-
Gratis In the legislature for reelection
Some said that hesWould desert the party
entirely and enter the democratic fold.
His Declaration.
His reply to this was characteristic. In
speech delivered night Before last he said:
I've been asked whether I am a demo-
crat. I'm 100 per cent republican-not
8 per cent republican, '-the slush fund as
sessrnent was 5 per cent. Every boss in
the state says that shall not go back, but
I'll go back to Washington sure and with
out Lorimer collar around my neck. They
are all against me and say that shall not
even speak for the party. Gov. Yates says
that 1 am not a republican-he who robbed
the state, the deaf, the dumb, the blind,
the poor and feeble minded he who robbed
them of $4,000 to fix the primaries with,
and because I don't stand for 1t says I am
not a good republican. 1 thank God 1 am
not that kind of a republican. 1 call a
spade spade, not an agricultural imple-
ment.' Larceny Is larceny, whether he who
perpetrates it is governor or not. So you
understand why 1t was necessary for them
to keep me off the platform. I have de-
Tended common thieves in court as a law
yer, but I couldn't do 1t In political cam
paign."
Naturally this sort of a thing does not
make for that harmony and accord that is
so necessary for party organization in a
great political battle. The machine lead
ers profess to care little about Mason's dia-
tribes or his reported alliance with the dem
ocrats, but 1t is we'll known that he is
thorn in their sides Of a most aggavating
character, and they are not a little wor-
ried over the outcome. He has induced
number of republicans who have been
chafed by the machine harness to run inde-
pendently in various legislative districts,
and some Of these men are strong enough
to make formidable races. That enough
independents may be elected to the leglsla-
ture to hold the balance of power is adj
mftted by some of the more frank leaders,
and these, with the aid Of the democrats,
could easily send Mason back to Washing
ton for another term.
AS to the democratic view of the matter,
Chairman John P. Hopkins of the state
central committee states 1t succinctly as
follows:
I'VE have made no deal with Senator
Mason and will make none Mason is a re-
publican, according to his own profession
of faith and, according to our understand
ing of his politics. high-tariff republican.
This committee Is not making deals with
republicans and neither has promised ncr
Will promise to deliver votes to any repub-
1ican candidate for any office We expect
to elect democratic majority in the legis-
lature and to elect democrat to the
United States Senate.
Not Having Such Lonely Time.
With 1t all, Senator Mason is not having
such lonely time. He is making speeches
almost nightly in the city and the state at
large, receiving numerous invitations from
districts where the anti-machine sentiment
is strong and where there are labor candi-
dates. He is making strong bid for the
support Of the labor candidates for the
legislature, and there is no doubt that ne
is a favorite with the, working people, ir
respective of party Then, too. he is the
tracts the sympathy OF the common people
to him.
He is bending all his efforts to securing
pledges from holdaovefn senators and repre-
sentatives and from candidates for the leg
islature that they refuse to enter a caucus
on the senatorship question His ally, SEN
ator George w. Seubblefield, has issued
statement that atsleast' five hold-over and
sure to-be-elected senator's and from nine
to fifteen members of the lower house
would unite in a publicadeclaration against
participating in a caucus. The machine
leaders all insist that this means the form
ing of a coalition with the democrats Ac-
cording to the latter the republicans will
have thirty-two senators and eighty-four
representatives, which will give them 116
votes on joint ballot. One hundred and
three members constitute a majority. This
leaves eighty EIGHT for, the democrats and
all Others, and If Mason can hold five re-
publican senator's and ten representatives
In line and get the support of the demo-
Gratis, prohibitionists and Others" his re-
election is assured.
Republicans say that Chairman Hopkins
and his assistant managers have given up