The Washington herald., 1910-09-09

Chicago, Sept. S.-Theodore
Roosevelt read the riot act tonight
to the State of Illinois.
In scorching language he de-
nounced the corruption Of the BIZ
partisan gang which ruled the last
Illinois legislature and is seeking to
dominate the next, which elected
Shurtlef speaker and Lorimer Sen
ator, and sold out the Common
wealth on legislation.
He denounced the purchasers of
Senatorial seats, the bribers, the
Jackpotters, the bathroom bows, in
dlcted and unindicted. He sounded
an alarm to the voters Of the State
to beware lest these public scoun-
drels be permitted to creep back
into office.
CALLS FOR CLEANING Up.
He called upon the citizens Of
the State to clean out the political
rottenness and fatty declared that
if they do not clean it out the people
will have only themselves to blame.
Speaking before 1000 members
of the Hamilton Club and their
gueSts at a dinner at the Congress
Hotel, Col. Roosevelt said these
things in the faces of national,
State, and city officials, leaders Of
the Republican party, and a mis-
cellaneous collection Of citizens
prominent in this and other COM
munitieS in the State.
He spoke as one who had been
shocked and angered by the reve-
lations of crookedness in Illinois;
he spoke in fighting accents and
with fighting gestures, and although
he mentioned no names there was
no mistaSing his meaning.
CONVICTION NOT NECESSARY.
One Of the important points thar Mr..
Roosevelt brought out was the fact that
st Is not necessary to convict a man in
a court Of law TO be able to drive him
out Of public life
Law honesty is not the only thing he
said. II you know he is crooked clnch
him. The people have power in elective
offices. he declared. The administrative
heads have the power of removal from
appointive offices.
As an example Of ill-timed vindication
os a man. the colonel pointed ont the
case Of Boss Tweed. He said that the
sending Of Tweed to the legislature after
he was convicted. in order to vindicate
him. did not help his honesty. but, in
stead. hurt the citizens Of New York
and struck body blow against the
American body polite.
Chicago was up in the afr tonight over
the affair between Mr. Roosevelt and
Senator Lorimer. They expected the colo
mel TO refer to that tonight in his speech,
but he did not
No Names Nre Used.
He mentioned the name OF no living
man. He did not refer 20 the President
OF the United States.
Reactionaries were much In evidence at
the dinner. but that did not faze Mr..
Roosevelt in the least on his right sat
former Vice President Fairbanks. who
smiled occasionally and applauded the
colonel. Uncle Joe Cannon was at the
head table, twice removed from Mr.
Roosevelt, but Uncle Joe didn't speak and
did nothing more energetic than pun
away at one Of his large black cigars.
Once in a while he tilted his chair back
ward during the coloneTs address I'm or
der to say something TO Secretary Charles
d. Norton. who dropped of from the Taft
party on Tuesday.
Congressman Nick Longworth had an
earnest conversation with his father-in-
law. Gov. Dineen. Of Illinois; Gov
Stubbs, of Kansas; Mayor Busse. Of Chi
cago; Senators Borah of Idaho. and
Cummins. OF Iowa. and Mr. Garfield
were the other lights at the speakers
table.
Great crowds followed Mr.. Roosevelt
everywhere he went. Extra police guard
ed the Congress Hall. where the banquet
was held and they had their hands full
before and after the feast There were
900 dress-suited citizens who jammed
themselves into the dining hall tonight.
II was not the sort OF an audience that
the colonel has been in the habit of
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