Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-11
ILLINOIS
REPUBLICANS
Largest and Liveliest Conyen.
ton Ever Held in the State /.
On the Tapis.
THE GOVERNORSHIP
Many Strong Opponents to the
Candidacy Of the Present
Governor Yates.

SPRNGFELD, Ill, May 1.-THE
Illinois republican convention here to-
morrow will be the largest yer held
in this state. There are plenty of in
d%ications that it will also be one Of
the liveliest. In addition to choosing
delegates at large and alternates 10
Nthe national convention the conyen.
ton this year is called upon to nomi.
nate candidates for governor and
other state officers to be voted for
this fall. The selection of delegates
to the Chicago convention and the In
dorsement of President Roosevelt viii
be little more than a formality. All
interest centers in the nomination for
state Offices. The city is alive to-
nay with candidates for the nominal
tons. Their friends are also here in
force.
For months the c for the guber.
material nomination has been on in
lively earnest and increasing in in.
tensity al the convention date ap.
preached. Governor Yates early an
nounced his candidacy for renomina-
tion. Backed BY the state machine
he has stumped the state from Cairo
to Chicago and has left nothing un-
done that would add to his strength.
The governor will go into the conven-
tion with a good lead in the number
of instructed delegates, though the
number is considerably below that
necessary to secure the nomination.
The first candidate in the field
against Governor Yates was Colonel
Frank O. Lowden of Chicago. Colonel
Lowden is a son-in.law Of the late
George NJ. Pullman, the palace car
builder. During the last five of six
Years he has engaged actively in poll
tics, but has never held public Office.
Colonel Lowden has brought all his
guns to bear against the republican
state machine and his campaign has
been rs active in all respects as has
that Of Governor Yates. The latter
has been at odds more or less with
the present national administration
and it was expected when Colonel
Lowden entered the race for the gov.
ernorship he would receive valuable
support from Washington. Evident.
ly, however, these expectations have
not panned OH very well, for the talk
of federal patronage has failed to at
tract any great number 10 the Low
den camp and furthermore Senators
Cullom and Hopkins have declined t
interfere in the contest.
Besides Yates and Lowden the field
Of aspirants includes several others
each Of whom must BE- considered II
the running, especially IN view Of the
possibility Of a combination being
Hudue. lHtst GdilHludlsS dIt attDF
ney General Hamlin, who has many
friends in the Cullom Hopkins camp:
Lawrence Y. Sherman. d consfnnmatt
politician and former speaker Of the
Illinois assembly; Golonel Nespasiar
Warner, who has served many year:
in congress and has the united sup
port of the old COLDER vote, and
Charles 5. Deneen. who has lont
been prominent in Cook county poll
tics.
On the \ Of the convention TIL
chances appear 10 the unbiased oh
server to favor The denomination o
Governor Yates. But Illinois polite.
has furnished many surprises in tn
past and no one can say with certain;.
that tomorrow's balloting will no adj
another 70 the list.