The Cairo bulletin., 1908-06-17
UNCLE SHELBY A
DOUBLING THOMAS
SENioR SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS
HEVE3 COURTS CHICKENS
UNTIL HATcHED.
DEFEATED BUT ONCE
When He Sought Nomination For
President IN t896-cuilom Heads
Illinois Delegation at
Chicago.
Special 10 the Bnlletin.

Special to the Bulletin
! Springfield, H., Jnne 1G The ar
pearanee Of Senator Cullom in Chicago
/ this week al the head Of the Iainoi8
delegation to the national CONVENTION
win surprise som Of tho poitlciaas
who had gotten the impression that
! the senior senator @as in such fes
health that he would not be able ID
!atteud the convention The senator
!arived in Chicago last Wednesday
Ineariy week in advance Of the con
vention, and at once plunged into tie
ICruwd that bad already assembled AT
The Auditorium Annex The Illinois
struck with the a4.mated speech aat
faction ef t1e senator and they quick
.ly ri5 heir minds fthe idea. foual
q upon occasional reports from Wasa.
'ngtoH that there might soon ia 4
vacancy In the Illinois senatorshia
Senator Cullen appeared such a. he
did eight or ten years ago and exhIb-
ited the same keen interest IN the eon
venton as he manifested in similar
events long ago.
This perhaps viii be the last time
that Senator Cullom will head the III
nois delegation--but that Is what w.
have been hearing for The last doze1
years. In many respects the senior
senator Is the most remarkable nlaa
this state ever has produced No man
In Illinois, at any time In the states
history, has held so prominent p'aee
in public life for so long a time IIe
has been in politics actively and Goa
ttnupusly ever since lie came to
ssf-4isssai.elA Efam T@Enwell --.caaaty
farm fftyhyc years ago He wAa
elected city attorney soon after com.
ing 70 the capital; ne was elected to
the legislature in 1896. and the same
year was presidential elect0r. In
1861 he was elected speaker cf the III
nois house and from then until the
present time he has been almost con.
.inuously in public office rs legislator.
governor and senator
Except IN 1896 when he sought tho
nomination for president, he has neyof
a defeat It was he who
}leaced Grant in nomination at tn
convention IN 1879. he
vas chairman Of The Illinois delegation
\ 1854, when this state tried to have
.ohn A Logan nominated for presi.
lent II is we'll remembered how.
our years ago. when the allies" that
lad controlled the deadlocked state
convention, feeling fairly invincibie.
hought they had the retiring governor
lated for the chairmanship Of the III
lois delegation, Senator Cullom when
he votes We're counted. was found
o have been elected 10 that highly
honorable position
One Of the oldest traits Of Sena-
on Cullom, viewed as a politician. Is
hat he never has been known to claim
victory in advance ef an election.
his is SO strikingly at variance with
he general rule that il has been
IaNim among Illinois politicians f.r
lany years that "Cullom always ne.
res it out in advance that he cant
T. elected 4" The common practice
mong candidates for office is 10
claim everything but Uncle Shell
8" has followed, with phenomenal
lccess, an exactly opposite rule, I'd.
It, "cIaim nothing An old time poi
clan, sitting in The lobby OF the Audi
'rium Annex and watching Senator
ullom as he mingled In the crowd
.st Wednesday evening said to the
ritter: Tt has always struck me rs
most curious thing that the senato-,
heneyer ne has fight on hand, in
cad of irving 20 inspire his followers
ith enthusiasm by claiming certain
.ctnry invariably tries to convince
lem that be IS beaten. AMI that the
My slender hope he has lies, with
lem. { recall being ia conference
18th his friends q few years age on
le eve of senatorial election They
.ere the men upon whom be rellel.
nd they were checking up the Repuh.
can members oi the legislature 70 sea
ow many could De counted for Cul-
m The senator himself was present.
1d as the names Of the legis ators
ere called De would Indicate the ones
ho might be- counted for or against
inn He carefully eliminated al
aubtu members Then these h
limited would be for him were count
3 and greatly TO his surprise an
i7grin there were enough of them
lminate him in the caneus The sen
or ha3 hlundere3-hs had failed q
-ova himself beaten and do yaa
low he actually got mad when ws
led TO convince him that he was safe
can't be SO. be would say there's
mistake somew here. But there was
mistake. the senator was renom.
lfsanetsa9ses.i -, 1s1srs pass