Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-08
Cincinnati's Fighting Mayor

criminal charges against the boss by |
an organization Judge were still fresh |
in the mind of the public. Hunt made |
It plain that his election would mean
full approval by the citizens Of his
course as prosecutor, while his defeat
would be equivalent to a complete vim
dication OF Cox and continuation of
his rule.
Three days before the election, how
ever. the entire aspect of the fight
was altered by President Taft inject
ing national issues into it. Up to that
time the attempts of organization ora
tors to persuade the voters that the
defeat of the republican municipal
ticket would be Interpreted as a re-
| pudiation OF the president by his home
city were not taken seriously. But on
the morning Of Nov. 4, there appeared
In the papers copy of the presidents
letter to a Cox organization leader an
nouncing that he was coming home to
vote for the republican candidate for
mayor. Conditions, the presidents
letter went on to say, had changed
since he, as secretary Of war in Presi-
dent Roosevelt's cabinet, had de-
nounced Cox and his organization as
boodlers and grafters in his speech at
Akron, Ohio, in 1905.
The organization promptly used this
letter as a personal appeal from the
president to the citizens TO support
the republican municipal ticket Hunt,
accepting it as such, boldly questioned
the truth Of the presidents assertion
as to the changed conditions, point
ing out the fact that the very same
Cox heutenants who were in charge
Of the organizations campaign at the
time of the Akron speech were now
conducting the campaign of the can
didates on the ticket which the presi-
dent had endorsed. Closing his per
sonal canvass in whirlwind fashion the
very same day that the Taft letter
appeared, Hunt made the issue be-
tween himself and the president clear.
! md when the earnest young candi-
cate for mayor explained the presi-
dents reputation of his Akron speech
TO four large gatherings of working
men, each reference to the chief ex
ecutive's attitude was greeted with
shouts of angry disapproval
| The rest of the story is biefiy but
eloquently told by the results. Hunt
was elected by a plurality of 1900
votes, carrying with him not only the
entire municipal ticket, but also the
judicial candidates pledged against
boss rule. and a working majority il
the city council.
When Henry T. Hunt took the oatt
Of Office as mayor on Jan. /, 1912, he
faced at the same time the graves
responsibility and the greatest oppor
tunity awaiting any young man 3;
years of age in the United States to
day. Under his leadership, courage
ously established by faithful public
service, the forces of bossism in hi!
city have been destroyed. To him il
now entrusted the difficult and deli
cate task of building up its retarded
resources.
II Alreadv he has shown a broad, pro
1 gressivc view of the situation by re
fusing to regard the successful out
come of the fight as either a persona
or a partisan triumph. He has in
spired confidence and hope by hi
declaration: This is a victory, no
for democracy, but for Cincinnati
not for partisanship, but for patriot
ism. Let US alI-democrats, republ
cans. socialists and all others-joi
hands and regain for Cincinnati tn
position to which it is entitled
He is now at work devising plan
for more systematic cooperation b,
tween the people and their officers i
administering the citys business. Hi