Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-03
ILLINOIS SITUATION
For Congress, T Fifteen Repub-
licans and Ten Democrats.
MASON CRIES BRIBERY
MANY DESPERATE GAMES BEING
PLAYED IN THE STATE.
Representatives Cannon and Hit Have
No Trouble Lorimer's Pictur-
esque Campaign in Chicago.
MASON CRIES BRIBERY

Special Dispatch TO The Evening star
CHICAGO, H.. November $40 an i'm
partial observer. it looks as though the
democrats would carry at least two of the
three close districts In Cook county, and a
like number of the three close ones in the
state at large-these, with the six dis
trfcts conceded them, would make the Illi-
noIs delegation stand fifteen republicans
and ten democrats. 1t is not improbable
that the democrats will get one more repre-
sentative, giving them eleven, but this is
e nerally considered their limit.
Senator Masons latest bomb hurled into
the ranks of the members of the state re-
publican machine Tuesday night at the big
Auditorium meeting has wrought such
havoc that the Lorimer-Yates cohorts are
positively alarmed over the effect it will
have on Representative Hopkins candidacy
for the Senate
The senator. besides celebrating upon the
''slush fund" scandal. with which he has
connected the machine leaders, HaShed
new one upon the unsuspecting audience.
This was no more nor less than charge,
backed up both by affidavits and oral testl-
mony, that Governor Yates, Hopkins right
hand man: State Senator Len Small of
kankakee, and finally Mr.. Hopkins himself
had conspired to bride James B. Dawson,
an Independent candidate for the legislature
In the twentieth senatorial district, to quit
the race. leaving a clear field for Il. {.
Curtis, the governors selection for speaker
Of the house.
Corroborated by Dawson.
These eminent statesmen, Senator Mason
declared. and Mr.. Dawson took the plat
form and corroborated the statement, had
offered Dawson, through trusty agent the
sum of $500 If he would drop out. He in
dignantly spurned the offer, and informed
n NJ
proposition. Dawson's charges were also
supported by +. c. Love of this city, who
claimed to have acted as go-between for
Senator Small and Mr.. Hopkins. According
TO Love, $1,000 of the money was TO come
from the governors ''slush fund.- a like
amount from the state machine. and Hop
kins to add 500 out of his own pocket.
He further stated that Hopkins dictated
to him form of withdrawal to be sent by
Dawson to the secretary of state in case
he accepted the bride. Further corrobora-
tive evidence was furnished in the shape OF
affidayits of two reputable citizens of Kan
kakee. friends of Dawson. who claim to
have beard the offer of a bride by Love
while hidden behind a partition In the for
merS office.
Effect of Charge.
The audience was fairly stupefied by
these charges, and Mason made the most of
his opportunity to drive the accusations
home with telling effect.
The republican bosses were angry at this
new trouble, and have called Mason, Daw-
son, Love and every one else connected with
the story very hard names. They insinu-
ated that Love was a bad character whom
Mason had defended In the criminal court
on several occasions, and sarcastically de-
clared that the size Of the alleged 5rlb6
proof of the falsity of the charge, as
they could buy off any Mason candidate in
the state for $500. Major Hogan, chairman
OF the republican state press committee, as
serted that Dawson had offered to sell out
TO the machine and had been turned down.
Mr.. Hopkins characterized the story as a
malicious lie.
The republican machine is not in such
strong favor with the mass OF republican
voters that 1t can afford to have even one
more such scandal to explain or refute. II
Is conceded that th1 latest mess may re-
suit in the election OF number of the DEM
ocrattc and anti-machine republican eandi-
dates to the legislature in republican dis
tricts and thus defeat Mr.. Hopkins sena-
torial aspirations. Many republicans who
are not Mason adherents by any means are
declaring that whether these charges are
true or not they would like to see a man
elected to the United States senate who