The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1910-10-29
ACTIVITY OF LEE BROWNE
Powerful Influence Of Democratic MI.
nority Leader in State ConVsn-
ton Pointed Out.

in his address to large audience
at Joliet on the issues of the cam.
paign, Governor Deneen referred TO
the activity of Lee ONeil Browne in
the framing Of the Democratic plat
form. He said:
1T is unfortunate for the Demo-
cratic party in this State that it was
unable in its convention at East St
Louis to separate itself from the In
fuences which had controlled its pol
icies in the last General Assembly.
The people of this State witnessed
with astonishment the activities of the
minority leader of the last General
Assembly in the proceedings of that
convention and were surprised At the
influence which he exercised in the
shaping of the platform and defining
its party faith and outlining its party
program. He was not only a mem
Der of the committee on resolutions,
but was one of the three members OF
the subcommittee which drafted its
platform. The platform itself is such
as could be expected in a platform
party which in a great State conven-
tion could not muster sufficient cour-
age to shake off such influences could
hardly be expected TO do better in the
General Assembly.
From the character OF its platform
and the nominations which 1t has
made for the General Assembly, 1t is
hnn tn IN hn nam af 10
party for the improvement of condi-
ton in our lsw-making body. The dis
graceful conditions which have pre-
vailed in our General Assembly have
affected the whole State and the cit
liens of this State should join hands
to create a General Assembly which
will change these conditions and re.
and leadership among the progressive
States of the Union
The Illinois State Register Demo
crat) "commends the governor for
the jolt he gave the jackpotters and
the bipartisan combine" At another
time the State Register said that the
Forty-sixth Illinois General Assembly.
attOihiDs W Iibit-DtIltNlib kC1
Browne, WAS the sweetest and purest
thing ever created. And the echo an.
swers: Link. $1,000; White, 81 900;
Holtslaw. $500, and q jackpot of i'm.
mense proportions
The Illinois state Journal (Repub-
lican), on the same line, says that
the La Sale county delegation was
Congressional District convention,
which preferred Browne as its mem
Der of the committee on resolutions,
was a Browne convention. The COM
mittee on resolutions was a Browne
platform committee. The State con
yention, which swallowed the dose
prepared for 1t by Brownies commit
tee became a Browne Democratic
State convention The campaign about
10 be made upon that platform will,
necessarily, be principally Browne
campaign, and the Democrats of Illi-
nois can not possibly get away from
it."
The Hanover Journal insists that
1t is a question the voters of each
district must given careful considera.
tion. II says: IF the voters of this
State, or a part of them. have reached
the same level as these self-eonfessed
bribe takers, what hope is there for
anything like political purity? Have
we indeed descended so low that we
merely laugh at these political crimes
and vote to renominate the men who
perpetrated them? If so, the people,
as we'll as the politicians. need ref
ormation."