The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-08-08
6. E BRENNAN PASSES AWAY
 EARLY TODAY
Master Mind .oi Illinois De. mdoracy Dies at His
 Home in Chicago
tCoItlnued from Page Onel

at the helm, and as head of the Illinois organization he was wei comed to the ranks of party fac l tors by such strategIsts as Tom 1 Taggart of Indiana and the lead- CTS of Tammany Hall.
 But for less of leg in an Illinois coal mine when he was
 13, Brennan might have been un- known to politics His mishap sent him to school where he pre- pared himself as q teacher, and
 when he came to Chicago short lily before 1900 he was on his way Ito political confluence. He built up an insurance business which
 was ono of tho largest in Chi fcago.
 Not until he passed his. sixticth birthday did Brennan first seek an elective office, and then only because he found no outstanding Democrat to run for the United States Senate on a platform ad- vocating punishment of prohibi- ton.
 He lost, but ran so well in Chi cago that he carried Demo- cratic county ticket to victory which counted heavily for the party.
 His first spurs in the field of national politics were won when he helped to engineer the nom- ination of James M Cox for President at the National Demo- cratic Convention in 1920. He was in the vanguard of the sup porters of Gov. Al Smith Of New York for the 1924 nomination, i, and was spokesman for the Smith camp when the deadlock with McAdoo was finally broken in flavor of John w. Davis. When critics called him boss and charged him with bargains with Republican factions Of Chi cago. Brennan pointed with pride to his maneuvering of William E. Deyer's election to the Mayoralty of Chicago in 1923 to succeed William Hale Thompson. Although a native of New York, where he was born at Port Byron on May 20, 1865, Bren- nan lived in Illinois from boy hood. He was married and had one daughter, Mary,
 Enters Combination | Several broad gauged lieuten- ants eyed obviously the leader ship of Illinois democracy when lSullivan's ieath left is vacant In 1920. lsI3rehnan's claim upon llt. precarlous at first, was tight ened when he entered frankly into bipartisan combination in 1921.
 Ton Republican Judges of Cook County. endorsed by the Chicago Bar Association, were defeated al the primaries and Brennan in duced them to run at the No vember election as Democrats With his post-primary ticket he appealed for support in the name of civic decency, and the ticket was elected.
 Through all his career Brennan Twas 'wringing wet''-a descrip- Ition he courted when he sought 1.-the United States Senatorship in E1926. He pleaded for local de. ltermination on the prohibition lquestion, and sponsored a pro! Inhibition referendum in conjunc. Ition with his Senatorial cam lpaign.
 | Brennan looked back at tho tragedy of his youth as the great lest personal factor in his success When the leg of the youthful mule driver in Braidwood, III. Ecoal mine was crushed between 1.-two cars, and amputated on tho spot without anaesthetlc, Dren' nan determined to make some thing of himself at a sedentary ltask. School teaching rewarded lhim with an assistant superin
 tendency of schools at Joliet, aht lied to his political career. : After he had been clerk fol the Secretary of state at Spring field, Ills finder Gov. John F lAItgeld, he came to Chicago ant lthe insurance istd. Ifc had beer on the ,codnty Detndcratic Com |mittse at gtfinkAefd, and fpunt d place on. thes StAte Committed Lsoon after. cbmfnE osChicako. {. The insurance 'busitisss yleldet wealth to Bfenndii.. and he mad' it help Him In politics. IL wal Ia comon tale that he turned tt
 rivals business he could no handle, and obtained in return political good will.
 | A heavy man Of medium height, Brennan was the personi dcation of jollity. His contagious Irish good human made warn friends of many who opposed hi political views, and his kindness 1 showed itself to many in need though fireman always cloaket This beneflccnces in anonymity. |