Evening journal., 1914-06-30
Peoples Column
DANGER In THE

FOURTH DISTRICT
TO the Editor of THE EVENING
JOURNAL:
sir,-I am a Republican For many
years l have lived and voted in Mill
Greek hundred Interest in the poll
tical affairs Of my home hundred and
Of my home Levy Court district, the
Fourth, has constrained me TO keep
myself informed relative to the cleo
tion returns. have analyzed them
from time to time that might
measure the hold that men and
measures have had upon the public
mind. When I see by those returns
that my home hundred has been car
ried by the Democrats and that my
home Levy Court district is slipping,
slowly but surely from the Republi-
can to the Democratic column, feel
that. as a Republican. have right
to protest, Really. | look upon it not
only as a right, but also as a, duty
to my party.
Our Levy Court is the most lmpor-
tant one in the State. II handles
half a million dollars year; it can
not be curbed ia its actions; it fixes
our tax rate; 1t collects the money,
and 1t spends il largely as II pleases.
III my opinion It Is of great import
ance that we have in it, as Republi-
can and Democratic members, the
very best men we can obtain, and
that II should continue 10 be Repub-
lican body
As the seven districts are balanced
now, the Republicans have four and
the Democrats three members. In
other words, II, in the approaching
election, the Democrats succeed in
holding the districts they now con-
troll, shift Of one district from the
Republican to the Democratic
column would mean a Democrat Levy
Court and q return to those condi-
tions which disgraced our county
years ago.
The question naturally arises
whether there is any danger of such
a shift My reply is that there is,
unless the Republicans nominate the
right sort Of candidate. Nor do 1.
feel that I am guilty Of party dis
loyalty when / say that | regard my
home district, the Fourth, and my
home hundred Mill Creek, as the real
danger spots in the Levy Court situ-
alton Whether this district will
go Republican or Democratic next
November and whether the Levy
Court will be Republican or Demo-
cratic next year will depend upon the
Republican nominee. He must be a
man who is popular enough and
strong enough not only to stop the
drift OF the Levy Court district to-
ward the Democratic column, but
also to redeem Mill Creek hundred
and begin the work OF repairing the
damage that already has been done.
AS ! see IL, Commissioner Groves
is not the man to produce those re-
suits. | regret TO say it. because
have voted for him consistently With
the election returns as the foundation
Tor what / say, ! cannot gloss over
the fact that his popularity in the
district and the hundred Is a thing Of
the past and That, out OF a spirit Of
loyalty to and interest in. the Repub-
lican party, which has done so much
for him, he should reconcile himself
now 10 the thought Of retiring, and
not jeopardize the continued Repub-
lican control OF the Levy Court by
standing for a denomination
ii his loyalty 10 and interest in the
party be not sufficiently strong to
lead him to do the thing he ought TO
do. then the Republican voters in
the district should take the matter
into their own hands at the primaries
and nominate a man who can hold
this old-time Republican stronghold
ia the Republican column and The
control OF the Levy Court where it
is now and where IL should remain
The Republican party is bigger than
any man In Il. Its interests are more
important than those Of any Of its (
individual members. Those are
truths that are self-evident They /
should rule at the Republican pri- I
maries here no matter how averse 1
Commissioner Groves may be to their |
application TO his home district.
have said that the Fourth dis |
trict is slipping from the Republican
tC the Democratic column and that i
Mill Creek hundred already is there. /
Permit me to prove it by the election 4
returns. The Republican majorities /
in the Levy Court district have been /
AZ follows.
laVf st................. zo5 4
l9Ve .......s....s.. oot
1912 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 81
lt seems to me those dgures tell a
story that even Commissioner Groves
can understand.
Bul let us pass from the Levy
Court district to Mill Greek hundred,
which is an important part of it,