Evening star., 1926-10-24
SMITH LOOKS BEST. IN ILLINOIS.
DESPITE SLUSH FUND HANDICAP
CONTINUED from First Page)

cei,ed 100000 votes. all of which
would indicate that Magill must roll
up a. big vote il he Is to cause the
defeat of Smith this year.
It is true that Brennan has injected
a new issue. the wet and dry issue.
and that there are hundreds of thou
sands Of wet voters in Illinois, many
of. them among the Republicans as
we'll as the Democrats. 1t is this
issue plus the Magill candidacy upon
which Brennan counts to pull MIN
through against Smith. He figures
there are more Republican vets who
will vote for him than there are
Democratic drys who will vote for
Smith. He counts particularly on
Germau.American Republican voters.
Smiths Following Large.
Col. Frank P. Smith has a tre-
mendous following In Illinois. 1t Is
said that his photograph graces the
homes of more voters than any other
man in public life today. How strong
his organization is was shown In tho
primary last Spring. when he defeat
ed Senator William B. Mckinley.
Mckinley himself had no slouch OF
an organization. If he had not re.
ceived $l25,000 from Samuel insult,
the public utilities magnate. to aid
him in his primary campaign this
year, or even II he had received this
money and it had not become known.
his victory in the Senate race would
have been as certain as the victory
Of Democrat in South Carolina. de-
spite the wet issue raised BY Bren-
nan. But his campaign did benefit
from the insult contribution. while
Col. Smith was head Of the Commerce
Commission, which supervises the
public utilities. And the Reed sena-
torial investigating committee drag
ged the contribution into the light OF
day and gave it the widest publicity.
Immediately there was a howl,
both because of the hugh expendt-
lures in the Smith primary campaign
and because he was willing to ac-
cept such sums for his campaign
from a man to whom he was in an
official position to grant favors. 1t
stuck in the craw of both the Repub-
lican organization and the dry organ
ization Of the State, both out to beat
Brennan, but they swallowed 1t and
Smith along with it. What can we
do?" was the plaintive wall of the
Republican and dry leaders. There
is no possibility Of beating Brennan
with an independent candidate, and
Smith won't take himself out of the
race"
Dry League Suffers.
The Anti-Saloon League. which is
supporting Smith, only within the
last few days came in for a terrible
"panning" because of its attitude
when the Reed investigating commit.
tee came back here to give the boo
die scandal a final twist before the
election. Senator Reed dragged from
its leaders statements that practi-
cally asserted any means was justi-
fable to beat Brennan, the wet. Ma
gill supporters here say that the
league, by its present attitude, has
lost caste In the State to a great ex-
tent. The vets are openly pointing
the finger Of scorn at the league.
National issues-unless the wet and
dry issue be regarded as such--are
not discussed in this campaign. ex.
cept by some Of the political spell.
binders. The people are talking only
about booze and Doodle, about this
Job and that. Underlying. it Is true.
are the Republican principles of gov
ernment. with the protective tariff,
economy Of the Coolidge administra-
tion, and the Democratic principles Of
government. They will influence some
of the voters to vote the party ticket,
Of course. but the talk of the street
Is Of candidates and liquor and cor
ruption. Many OF the voters are
thoroughly disgusted with the entire
layout. Some Of them are saying
that II they must vote they prefer to
vote for their ''own dam rascal" see
ing little to choose between the two
principal candidates.
Into this mess within the last few
weeks Hugh S. Magill has been pro-
jected. For four years he has been
executive secretary of the National
Council Of Religious Education. which
federates all the Protestant churches
and religious education.
Magill Has Been Active.
For three years previous to that
he was secretary Of the National Edu.
cation Association. He has been
superintendent of schools in Spring
field, ILL.,. and under appointment of
Gov. Louden he was director general
of the Illinois Centennial, 1918.
Magill is not total stranger to
politics by any means. He was
member OF the State senate Tor two
terms and regarded as a leader among
the Republicans. He led the fight on
William Lorimer, who was eventually
thrown out Of the Senate Of the United
States beacuse he had purchased his
election. He wrote the resolution which
reopened the investigation Of the
Lorimer scandal after the Senate had
first voted not to expell Senator Lori.
mer. Mr.. MagiIl claims that a condi-