Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-17
FACT|ONA[ FIGHT
TANGLES ILLINOIS
May Be Left Without RepubIi-
can Electors as Result Of
Thompson-Lowden Feud
MAY HIT NATIONAL TICKET.
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT


Chicago, July 17.--Thc fight between
Mayor Thompson, of this city. and
Governor Lowden for the control Of the
state promises to leave Illinois without
any electors on the Republican national
ticket this fall. unless the courts inter
y vene to compel the calling Of new
STATE convention to choose electors.
Vhe state convention held in May to
/, choose electors was held under II law
which was declared by the Illinois
I supreme Court to be unconstitutional.
The machinery of the party under
which that convention was called
was In the hands Of Thompson
friends. The old party machinery,
which was revived by the court dcci-
sion, Is In control of Governor Low
den's friends. but tho officers of 1t. the
chairman and secretary of the state
committee, are Thompson men. They
refuse to call the old state committee
together pending a rchcaring Of the case
with regard to the primary law just
pronounced unconstitutional.
The next rehearing will not take
place till Septembcr. In the meantime
pie reach an understanding or unless
the courts compel calling of the old
state committee, Illinois is without
electors.
Fight Hurts Party
This quarrel over the calling Of the
state committee together Is part of one
q the bittercst fights that has ever
divided the. Republicans of Illinois. II
= one which puts Illinois in the doubt
nui column so far as the govcrnorship
~ concerned and which may have an
effect upon the Republican national
ticket. Mayor Thompson was having
the best of 1t until the decision of tho
supreme Court that the law under
which he had won his victories was In.
valid.
That decision. rendered a fortnight
ago. wiped out a solid THOMPSON county
committee in Cook county. In which Chi
cago Is situated. and 1t also put en end
to a state committee in which Thomp-
son, with ten committeeman from Chi
cago, and with support from down state
from the friends of the Thompson can
didates for United States senator and
governor and other state Offices. had nm
easy majority. II expressly restored the
functions Of the party committees
chosen under the old laws Of 1910 which !
the primary law of 1910. just knocked !
out by the court. had superseded In
the old state committee the friends Of
Governor lowden had n majority of at
least one. for thirteen of the twenty
five members signed request to Sec
rotary Justus l.. Johnson that the CON.
mittee be called together to arrange for
the choice OF new electors.
And it also restored n Cook county
committee In which OK Governor Dinprn
and his friends. now CO. operating with
Governor Lowden. have a comfortable
majority. Putting their committee back
Into power Is important. for II gives com
pIete authority over the election ma
chinery of Chicago in the coming pri-
maries into the hands of Mayor Thomp-
sons enemies.
y Changes Come Rapidly
T Mayor Thompson had just beaten
Governor Dincen and his friends in
every district in the primaries recently
declared invalid.
The victory of Mayor Thompson's
foes is not complete. however. The chair
man of the old state committee IL Con
rctary is Justus l.. Johnson. Both are
in the present Thompson combination.
The calling Of the old state committee
appears to be in their discretion
Changes come rapidly in Illinois poll.
tics. a month ago Congressman Smith
was Governor Lowdcn's campaign man.
ager In charge OF his forces at Chicago.
When Governor I,owdcn failed to get the
Republican nomination for the prcsi-
and entered into combination with |
Mayor Thompson. Smith wanted to run
for Governor of Illinois to succeed Gov |
4 ernor LOwdcn. but the Thompson I.un-
din crowd in Chicago refused TO support
him for that Office. They probably
wanted at Springfield. when contracts
for waterways and highways are to be
awarded a man more SubSCrvrnt to
them than Smith would be. Still. to
control the state and elect their gov
ernor, they needed Smith and the
strength he could bring to the ThOmp
son combination.
Lundin Organization Strong
And Smith. seeking political promo
tion, preferred the support of the won
derful Chicago machine, said to be the
most efficient municipal party machine
In the country. to that Of his recent
political associate, Governor I.Owdcn,
who. nearing the end of his term. il
losing power. The Thompson Tundin
machine can roll up $1,000 majority for
its candidate in Cook county. Its ef.
fectiveness was indicated in the 30 900
written in votes for Hiram johnson
in the recent primaries.
In addition Smith is personally pop.
ular and politically strong in tho south
ern part Of the stntc. And the oppu.
sition to him is divided, his chief op.
ponent being Congressman William Is,
Mckinley. The IoWden forces have
tried TO get Mckinley and the other
candidates to withdraw and concentrate
their forces upon CX Governor DinCru
AZ u candidate for senator. This plal.
failed.
On the gOvcrnorship, which has a
ore important bearing upon the politi.
cal control of Illinois. the Lowdrn forces
are in better position. They an
united in support of Lieutenant Cover.
nor Oglesby, son of former governor.
n man with an excellent vote getting
name, even il somewhat untrird in pub.
lie service Against him the Thonp.
son people offer Len Small, n profrs.
sional politician, long an actor in the
unfayorably known LOrimer machine,
The Democrats are likely to n0mnntc for
governor ex Mayor Carter Harrison, Of
Chicago, who still has much of his old
vote getting ability. Whichever Re-
publican faction is defeated Is likely
10 cast many votes for Carter Uarri-
son. He stands n good chance to b,
elected.
Seek Control Of State
The Thompson Lundin machine, the
Chicago Tammany Hall, and a much
more efficient organization than Tam.
:, many Hall, il reaching out to control
the state. With it's vast patronage and
great contracts the country voter hates
and fears the Thompson machine. cs.
peeially because of the mayors atti-
rude during the war. as much as the
hp- state vote in New York hates aud
fears Tammany.
Involved in the contest il a big news