Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-19
SULLIVAN BOOM FOR VICE
PRESIDENT KILLED BY LEWIS
Illinois Men Engage in Political Duel
Of Wits, in Which Man With Pink
Whiskers Bests Democrats Boss
SulIivan's Defeat Splendid Bit/of Po-
ltieal Gain For Administration.
IBy Judson C. Welliver. ]

painfully peaceful political convention,
without much of anybody knowing it.
The whole convention knew something
was going on, and that it must be edl-
flying, but the whole truth Of it, with
an appreciation Of the big issues it in
volved, was not understood by one per-
son in hundred.
It concerns the borniEg and the
busting of the boom for Roger c. Sui
Ivan Of Illinois for vice president, ana
it's one Of those stories that must be
told from the beginning forward, de-
spite the prediction Of newspapers
to start stories at the back and then
unravel them to the beginnings.
Roger Sullivan is democratic boss OF
Illinois, a power IN public service, gen
eral corporate. and financial affairs.
Jim Ham Lewis. he Of the pink and
coruscating whiskers and the equally
coruscating and effulgent vocabulary,
is the democratic senator from Illinois.
Jim Ham and Roger don't like each
other: in fact, tho they are both sea-
soned politicians and accustomed to
overlook their political differences in
their personal relations, they have re
Gently omitted to speak as they passed.
Their differences date back to the in
cumbency of Mr.. Lewis as corporation
counsel of Chicago. One day the may
or was away and Lewis was acting
mayor There were some big doings
afoot in the town. and the acting may
or didn't like some things that he
thought were being put across. So he
I'D 80 tn 4 rf,io n
the sort Of big business that deals in
aldermen's and legislators votes and
that sort of thing, and made the re-
marks personal enough to give offense
in high quarters
Dates Back to Senatorial Fight.
Time passed. and there was sem
ator to be elected from illinois. Lewis
and Sullivan both wanted 1t. and
Lewis got the primary Endorsement. 1t
came along at the time when the con-
stitutional amendment for popular
election Of senators was pending.
Lewis proclaimed that ne wanted the
substance of popular election. ard in
sisted that the people get chance to
vote for senator, with the understand
ing that the Legislature should be re-
sarded as instructed for the candidate
with the majority vote. IT was ar
ranged. and in the general election
Lewis neatly defeated Sherman. re-
publican, for the Endorsement The
Legislature, however. contained ma
jority of six republicans: under the
old system it would have elected Sher-
man. But most Of the members were
willing to stand by the agreement to
let the popular vote decide It.
Not all of them. however. A little
group Of a dozen or thnreabouts OF
Cook county democrats held out: they
didn't want to support Lewis. Their
detection was attributed to Sullivan
influence
Lewis and his friends got busy and
made deal with the republicans They
would put in sixty-nine good demo-
cratic votes. If the republicans would
produce eleven republican votes will
ing to stand by the popular election
pact: and they would with this con-
trolling combination elect Lewis for
The long term and Sherman for the
short term: leaving Sullivan outside.
1t was so ordered. and so the goods
were delivered.
All this didn't make Sullivan feel any
more kindly toward Lewis; especially
as Lewis. who Is little and dandified
and Chesterfieldian Of manner. has one
OF the meanest tongues in North Am
erica, and a way Of turning it loose on
piece Of unkind characterization and
then going off and leaving it to get III
its deadly buzz-saw work He had
conceived an especial fondness for the
amusement of turning it loose on Sui
Ivan, and it had done good deal Of
damage all around Illinois.
Armed Neutrality.
So time went on. and few weeks
ago the democratic state convention
met at Springfield to select delegates
to the national convention. A deal was
framed up between the Lewis and Sui
Ivan elements. sort Of armed neu-
trality. by which the delegation was to
be divided equally. But the Sullivan
people were in control, and while the
delegation deal was carried out, the
temporary chairman and everybody
else concerned with the management
OF the convention utterly forgot to say
a word expressive of the party's pride
in and affection for our able and eff
Gent democratic senator There was
i'otiiIl~ put- n uccp, udThSDIle, uOieIui
silence about Lewis. Jim Ham said
nothing, but sawed some more wood
with his buzz-saw Of tongue
Following the convention reports
were given out and carried to Wash
ington. that the Lewis crowd had been
trimmed most elosuent!y. and that
Sullivan was the man with whom
Washington would have to deal in
handling its big politics hereafter This
didn't especially crafty Senator Lewis.
and wasn't intended to do so. He bided
! his time in calm and quiet.
Then, on Monday morning Of last
week, when the crowds were Just COM
ing in for the convention, arrived in
this Mesopotamian metropolis the Hill
nois delegation, personally conducted
by the lieutenants Of Mr. Sullivan, with
the announcement that Sullivan was
the favorite son OF Illinois, and was
; III he its candidate FOR vice president
0iap at Administration.
Il was At once slap at Lewis and
a whsok at tine national administration.
To be elected vice president would be
! a vindication for Sullivan: but to have
| him on the ticket would be q handicap
to the party, in the view Of people
who don't believe In bosses coming too