The Washington herald., 1910-11-06
by WILLIS J. ARRoT.

4 Inc last TIME IL went OetiotidtlC NstS III
/ 1892. when it elected Altgeld governor and
helped TO elect Cleveland President Since
then. on President or governor. or in of
years when a state treasurer only Is
elected il has been unfaihngly Republican.
This is one OF the OF years. A treasurer
and minor officials. like trustees of the
State University. engage the attention of
the professional politicians. but awaken
only the languid interest Of the voters.
To the nation outside Of the State the
| legislative election is Of no interest
because no senatorial contest is in
yolved as IN Indiana, where politics
would be quiesceut except for Bever-
idge's fierce fight for his political life,
VIII Illinois COndone Craft
And yet the country as a whole ought
to be interested in this Illinois election.
In II are involved the vital principles of
republican self-government. for by its
outcome viii be judged TO a great extent
whether the voters Of the third State OF
the Union condone colossal and notorious
graft and are willing 10 accept with
cynical indifference the fact OF the puT-
chase and sale OF a United States sena-
torsh!p. Never, outside of Pennsylvania
has a campaign hinged so completely on
the single issue OF decency and honesty
IN politics.
Unhappily. the politicians OF both par
ties have SO befOgged this issue by their
preachments and particularly by their
denominations that IL can hardly be
clearly determined by the outcome OF the
voting next Tuesday. unless the voters
so scratch their tickets as to insure the
reputation OF corruptionists under what
ever party name they may be enrolled.
All the world knows that William Lori
mer holds his seat Ia the United States
Senate under suffrance; that a sena-
| torial committee after long and patient
| investigation here in Chicago Is now
digesting the evidence that may possibly
result in yaeating that seat on the ground
that II was obtained by gross fraud and
bribery. The world OF newspaper readers
not Of politicians only-knOws OF the
stories told under oath by members OF
the legislature who swore 20 receiving
sums OF "Loriner money" for their votes
exceeding SlOOO each. The story OF the
/ melon" cut in the bathroom, Of the
Jackpot" split up among the faithful
who gave their votes to Lovimcr, is as
familiar 10 Well-infOTmed citizens in New
York or Texas as IL is here. Under Ordi-
nary circumstances a State election fol-
lowing swiftly on the heels Of such an
unc0vering OF political scoundrelism
would result in the crushing defeat OF the
party responsible at the polls.
which Is Guilty PartyI
But which is the party responsible;
That Is the question that perplexes The
people Of Illinois. and you may be sure
that the politicians responsible for thi,
fetid mass OF corruption or who at leas;
have guilty knowledge OF its existence
ard causes. have done nothing TO allay
this uncertainty.
Lorimer. the benefs GARY Of the no
torious wholesale purC..sse OF votes. is E
Republican Nay more. he is the Re
publican boss OF Cook County, which (.
in effect the city OF Chicago. second city
Of the nation. Until the methods bS
which his election 70 the Senate were laid
bare he could fairly have been called tht
Republican boss OF the state. The Demo-
Gratis therefore naturally seek to make al
issue OF LoTimer and demand that ths
Republican party be defeated at the poll:
for being brazen enough to march under
such leadership.
That sounds we'll enough 10 hde-bounC
Democrats and 10 people beyond the Dor
ders OF this State who knew Of LOrimer':
Senatorship. but not of the methods o.
its making But IS out Of the les votes
which elected Lorimer were cast by
Democrats" In the lower house Of tn,
legislature actually FIVE more Democrat:
than Republicans voted for him Power
full forces within the Republican party
have repudiated the besmirched Senator
Within a day or two OF this writing tn,
Republican chief executive of the State
Gov Deneen. being tainted with his par
tvs responsibility for Lorimer declared
vehemently: 4 deny that he is a Repub
lican. Democrats made him Senator
They are responsible for him. lie
them take care of him" The mere fac
that Gov. Deneen is a personal and po
litical foe Of LoTimer does not obscur'
the essential justice of his declaration.
Confessed Brlbers Democrats.
And the men who turned States evi
dence. confessing to receiving brides il
payment for their votes for Lorimer
Democrats all. And the man twice tried
as the chief briber. and stu in tn,
shadow of the criminal law? Demo
crat, too, and, as If this were not enough
he has won a denomination for his ole
seat and seeks election as a vindication
AS he pushes his campaign the States
attorney in Chicago is dragging to ish
the men on the first hung jury" which
tried his case. and proving by circum
stantial evidence that just as the money
disb2rsed by Lee O'Neill Browne mad,
Lorimer United States Senator so money
lGi 10 .lxr In h
| unknown source, has thus far made I
! Impossible to convict Browne of IN,
! crime with which he still stands charged
: No State in this Union stands In
more discreditable light before the natioI
to-day than Illinois The ordinary polit
ical methods of wiping out the stain can
, not avail in this election at least, To-
both parties are equally besmirched
The independent voter. that one hope
though a forlorn hope, of the good citi
zen. will stand dazed next Tuesday be
fore a ballot sonic two feet square con
fronting the problem of making wis,
choice of the honest candidates on III,
rival tickets.
''MaIefactors of Great Wealth"
The trouble with Illinois is Chicago
which dominates the State. and the trou
ble with Chicago is that II is dominated
by few rich. modest. retiring, and un-
scrupulous men who control coal com
panies. its electric light and gas com
, panies. it's public service corporation
generally. They ,hrust into the open tn,
|, politicians big and little on whom publ,
ob3urgation is periodically heaped, bu
, who do their bidding and spend theil
money The Doodle used to elect Lorime
; did not come from him. The lavish out
lay of cash 10 keep Browne from tn
Ipenitentiary could never have come from