Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-27
United States Senator Lorimer.

senator from the state oil Illinois,
inasmuch as the deadlock in the
legislature seemed hope
less so far as the republicans
were concerned and inasmuch as in
the end it developed to be a choice
between Albert j. Hopkins and Will
liam Lorimer, the election of the
latter is generally regarded by demo
of the problem. AS between Hop
kins. the plant tool of cooperate
interests, and one of the most abso
lutely self centered :nen who ever
occupied seat in the higher branch
of congress, and Billy Lorimer the
boss politician, who is always awake,
who possesses an eminent degree of
independence, the choice seems to be
received with satisfaction. The only
possible claim that held republican
politicians to Hopkins from the first
was the expression of the primaries,
and at best this was never considered
as representative or as honest. While
gained more votes than Foss, there
were few republicans, take it the
state over, who really preferred him
to his rival or to anyone else. When
it was seen that the retiring senator
had failed to carry his own county,
his own city, his own ward and his
own voting precinct, the tide turned
even more strongly against him, and
those who felt bound by the spirit of
the primaries to vote for him, did so
for the most part reluctantly, feeling
that while they were upbuilding the
idea of the election of the United
States senators by direct vote so far
as it pertained to their own party,
they were supporting a man whom
the people of Illinois did not want be-
cause he had failed to creditably rep
resent the state or the people of the
state in the senate.
The primary law as it applied to
the choice of a United States senator
last summer, did not as matter of
fact bring it down to the people. 1t
was q mere expression from a purely
partisan standpoint, and while Hop
kins did win out in his own party,
/ his methods were freely condemned
by his party throughout the state,
and had not political thought been
absorbed in the bitter INTERIM
cine fight within the republican party
over governor, the Aurorian would
have been buried beneath an ava
lanche of votes. So that when he came
out ahead it was regretted by repub-
licans as well as democrats as unfor-
tunate and the result held as anything
but true expression of public senti-
ment. Satisfied as were the rank and
| file of the party all over the state
that had Foss been the victor, Hop
kins would not have hesitated to
carry the contest before the legislat-
ure, thousands of republicans frankly
declared that his defeat would not
| involve q serious violation of parti-
san obligation even if it did prove q
| manifest disregard for the partisan
expression. This feeling was strength
ened when Hopkins, commenting on
| the Nevada case where a democrat
| carried the state on an absolutely di-
rect vote of the people for United
! States senator, stated that Nevada
| being republican state and the leg
| islature~ being also republican, il
should disregard the vote of the peo-
pie and send a republican to Wash
| ington. In the face of such fragrant
Inconsistency, was it to be wondered
at that any number of the democratic
members of the Illinois legislature
should have determined when the
crucial moment came to break the
deadlock in the. interest of the state
to put the rollers under the Hop
kins machine and send it to oblivion
| When it comes to politics, Lorimel
| may be all that has been attributed
to him as past master. He may be
la boss and he may know all the
tricks and wiles of the art, but as {
congressman, he has given a 10-folG
better account of himself than Hop
kins had as senator He has stood
with the people and worked for the
interests of the people, where Hop
kins has never failed to be the sup
plant vassal of cooperate interests
Lorimer has been ain earnest and en-
ergetic champion of deep waterways
Hopkins has been the steadfast ad
vocate of railroad legislation. Lori
mer has upheld tariff reform; Hop
kins, in defiance of the people
has been the supporter of oppressive
tariffs and the unfailing representa-
tive of the trusts in every contention
|, and strife where they have stood on
in opposition to the will and welfar
of the masses.
Further than this Lorimer is
hustler, whereas Hopkins unless stir
red to action by the claims of thos,
who have controlled him, has been
drone.
Il AS between HOPKINS and Lorimer
!, there is no room for argument as t.
which is the more representative, an,