Evening star., 1926-04-09
Mckinley Smith Primary
Race Outcome Virtually I'm
possible to Forecast Now.
COURT ISSUE CL0AKS
HOT FRACTIONAL FIGHT
Cook County Groups Split as Never
Before-Senator Once Beat
Present Opponent.
RY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
StaR Correspondent OF The star.

CHICAGO, April Sine hepupu'
can voters Of Illinois will go to the
polls next Tuesday to decide whether
Senator William r. Mckinley, who
voted for the World Court with the
Senate reservations. or Col. Frank l..
Smith. who is protesting against
American adherence to the court,
shall be their candidate for the Senate
next November.
On the surface, the World Court IL
the issue in the primary election.
Here in Chicago, however. the World
Court issue serves only as a cloak for
a contest over political control and the
control OF patronage.
Nevertheless, the race is one OF the
most hotiy contested that has taken
place in Illinois in years.
Smith Seized Upon Issue.
The race between Senator Mckinley
and Col. Smith began long before
the World Court cropped up as
possible issue-began. indeed. way
back in September. But when Senator
Mckinley cast his vote in the Senate
last Winter for American adherence
to the World Court his opponent i'm.
mediately seized upon this as an issue,
relying upon the great antipathy In
this State to the League of Nations
and hoping to convince the voters
that American adherence 10 the
league court was merely back
door entrance into the league itself.
Senator Mckinley has countered
with the charge that Col. Smith Is
setting himself up as an opponent Of
President Coolidge. who strongly sup
, ported the resolution for American
adherence to World Court--Presiden
Coolidge who carried Illinois in the
national elections in 1924 by nearly
900. 900 votes over his nearest competi-
Tor, John w. Davis. the Democratic
nominee. Senator Mckinley put 1t
this way:
Al the polls next Tuesday. the Re
publican voters OF Illinois either will
repudiate President Coolidge and the
Republican party or they will indorse
faithful service and loyalty to party
pledges"
He points out that the party plat
form adopted at the Cleveland con.
vention in 1924 instructed every Re
publican Senator to vote for the
Harding Hughes Coolidge Republican
peace plan" which means adherence
to the World Court with the Senate
reservations.
Says Smith O.K'd. Court.
MY opponent. Col. Smith. was a
delegate to the convention which so
instructed me-" adds Senator McKin.
ley. and when this campaign started
my opponent openly indorsed this
peace tribunal. and his campaign
manager. Allen Moore. had voted as
A member of the House for the Bur
ton resolution urging the Senate to
adopt this plan"
However and notwithsta ndins. the
Republican voters in Illinois have been
asked by Col. Smith and his followers
| to turn Senator Mckinley out because
OF his vote, and TO put Col. Smith in.
on the theory that Col Smith, IL a
Senator. would oppose the court plan.
How seriously the voters themselves
regard the World Court issue is not
entirely clear. In some quarters
here 1t Is insisted that the World
Court matter really has been the cen.
ter of the campaign. the only thing
the voters are generally interested in.
AS matter fact, 1t is the only issue
outside Of the effort of one srcup OF
Republican factions TO oust Senator
Mckinley and another group to re.
tain him. Both Senator Mckinley
and Col. Smith In the pa st have been
/
ter Is chairman Of the Republican
State central committee. and his man.
ager. Mr.. Moore. Is the Republican
national committeeman, appointed by
the state central committas after the
death last year Of Fred Upham.
Outcome Hard to Forecast.
What makes the outcome of the
contest unusually difficult to fore
cast is the multiplicity Of the Re-
publican factions in this city with
its huge vote. To the outsider, the
factions seem as numerous as feas
on an alley cat. They are aligned
for this election as never before.
There are the Crowe-Barrett- Brurd-
ge-Thompson factions on the one
hand, supporting Col Smith, and on
the other the Deneen- Lundin fac
tions. with the Len Small faction
In the off1ng. At one time former
Mayor William Hale Thompson and
Fred Lundin were hooked up to-
gether. and Thompson was bitter
enemy OF the Grove Barrett faction
and of Edward J. Brundage. Fur
thermore. Senator Deneen and Lun.
din were enemies. although now they
are on the same bandwagon.
The present lineup bears out the
Ola adage tnat p0Ht1cs make strange
bedfellows. 1t Is as clear as any.
thing can be in this muddle that the
fight here in Chicago is over the
county and city tickets, and that the
World Court issue means little or
nothing to the leaders of the factions
underneath the surface AS a mat
ter Of fact, the Chicago factions are
not themselves vitally interested as
to whether Mckinley or Smith shall
be the senatorial nominee. Both
candidates are from down State"
as distinct from Cook County. But
II happens that their candidates are
hooked up with one or the other
groups Of factionalists, and so the
World Court issue is being made
much of on the surface.
Senator Deneen is here and has
thrown the weight OF his very con.
siderable influence to Senator McKin.
ley. Deneen also voted for the World
Court in the Senate.
Rival Crowd Attacked.
The campaign booklets put out by
the two factions and lists of candi.
dates for the county Offices are typical
of. this strange campaign. The Grove
Barrett -Brundage.T e.Thompson faction in
its booklet carr es the banner Amer.
, ffsCv,tfuund IN pn % q (vpIt,rnv ~