Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-29
SIDELIGHTS ON LIVES OF
NEW ILLINOIS SENATORS

Trained from comment Secretary Of
State William J. Bryan subsequently
addressed the Illinois legislature and
urged Colonel Lewis election as the
primary nominee Of his party.
In his speeches the colonel indicat-
ed his intention, If elected to the sen
ate, 10 espouse legislation Of a radical
nature. In an address 10 the Mothers
convention al ST. Louis he advocated
the placing of q woman in the presi-
dents cabinet He said he would have
the proposed feminine adviser TO the
president IN charge OF q bureau OF
health and the general well being of
children"
The colonel also has advocated a
special court 20 try divorce cases,
which. he said. would stop the evil.
Something Of the sort, he said, was in
force in Greece during the age Of Peri
clss. and a scheme similar TO the one
he advocates. he asserted, is now in
use in Tibet and China.
II more recent addresses, however.
the colonel has shown an inclination
10 side with conservative interests
against the government policy Of trust
regulation and pure food supervision.
Speaking TO an audience Of Chicago
business men in January, he attacked
the espionage system Of the depart
ment Of justice and other federal IN
vesugating forces.
10 - "a
partments Of the federal government
can be relied on" he said, there are
now existing in this nation under the
designation Of agents $4,000 individ-
uals who serve as spies, detectives, in
vestgators, watchers, decoys. betray-
ers. silent acCusers. and secret SANDER
ers Of everything which pertains TO the
citizens Of America. In q free govern
ment, by permission Of things called
law and regulation, these individuals.
like imps. surround the cup from
which the citizen drinks. shadow the
table at which he eats, darken the
threshold over which he lives. and sit
ment OF his undertaking"
/ This speech was not in accord with
the progressive declarations of the co.
/ lionel during the campaign and caused
a storm Of protests from members of
his party. Several days later he said
/ that if elected he would get behind
+ real progressive legislation.
/ The war in the Balkans prompted
/ the colonel to predict a general Euro
pean conflict, as in 1909 he forecast a
was between the United States on the
one side and China and Japan on the
other. He charged France, Germany
and England with fomenting trouble
by urging China 10 force this country
TO repeal the Chinese exclusion act.
Although the colonel's shock OF whis
kers, Of peculiar shade-universaIly
chronicled as 'pink"-and his confess
ed weakness for the advanced styles
in dress, have made him a favOrite sub
iect for American cartoOnists. he also
has gained prominence both IN and out
of Chicago through his connection with
important law cases.
One of his more important legal vic
tories was the acquittal Of Dora Nc
Donald, whom he cleared Of a charge
of murder after hard fought battle
that attracted national attention.
The colonel lost an equally stubborn
fight when his client, former Police IN
spector Mccain, was convicted o
bribery
Colonel and Mrs Lewis have livet
several years at the Virginia hotel
They have no children.
For % years Lawrence Sherma'
- has been a prominent figure in the pub
. uD life Of Illinois Befora that his fam
b. and activities were confined 10 "Th
2 Military Tract" In the western part c
the state. where he lived.
- During those % years Mr.. Sherman
3 whether I'm the majority or the mino
p iry Of his party aud il was more ofte
D the latter than the fOrmer-has bee
p a person to be taken account Of. VIVA
, ever his euemies-and be had many
J. thought Of him. they never made IN
r mistake OF despis!ug him, while hi
, friends cling 20 him with a persisteuC
% which savors OF hero worship.
a They stoutly insist he is the able'
@ man IN Illinois politics. and whethe
they are right or wrong he has neve
r done or said anything 10 make the
% claim ridiculous. He Is able enoug
70 for all practical purposes. though
'- may be al times he has gained by cor