Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-05
TAX BILL AND BIG BILL
ARE ISSUES In CHICAGO
Alleged Graft and Municipal Waste Are
Determining Factors in
Campaign.

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lums, gangs and racketS. with organ
lied prostitution, syndicated gambling,
beer wars, bomb terrorism, kidnapping
and extortion, the exploitation of legiti-
mate business and control over the bal
lot box and the agencies of criminal
justice-all linked together in one vast
conspiracy. The distinguishing mark
of this alliance is murder on large
scale.
During the l0-year period from 1920
to 1929 there we're 2,722 murders and
manslaughters committed in Chicago.
This total excludes homicides due solely
to criminal negligence. No sensational
| rise and fall characterized them during
the passing months and years; just
continuance and almost daily repetition
OF the one offenSe. above all others,
which is everywhere accepted as the
final challenge to oragnized society.
Here the agencies of law enforcement,
normally ineffective and negligent, sink
to still lower levels.
Opinions differ concerning the exact
! definition Of gang murder, and hence
the totals derived vary greatly. The
| daily and periodical press has estimated
the figure to run as high as 800 during
the past 10 years and has stated that
no penalty has been eXacted in any
such case. The Illinois Crime Survey
/ identified 81 gang murders in Chicago
! and 48 in other portions OF COOK
! County, during 1926 and 1927, and de-
clared that none had been followed by
| convictions. conservative analysis
conducted by the Citizens Police Com
mittee now shows a total Of 257 muir
| ders as the direct result of gang COM
petition and activity during the seven
years from 1928 to 1929"
! Further embarrassment OF Big Bill
| developed late in the campaign with the
| grand jury investigation of Homer K.
Galpin regarding campaign contribu-
| tons from AL Capone'S Hawthorne Ken
mel Club in a previous contest and the
| indictment of Chris P. Paschen, Thomp-
sons building commissioner, for viola
| ton Of the income tax law.
Two Vital Issues.
| The vital issues before the Chicago
! voters are clearly ThompsoniSm and the
mounting tax situation
Opposed to Big Bill, Cermak has
made an outstanding battle. He is
self-made business man and politician
who began work in Illinois coal mines
1 at IL years of age He came to Chi
cago when he was Is years old. With
| in five years he had become head of
| teaming and coal business employing
| 90 men. Driven by his ambition, he
| attended business college and studied
! law at night
| His affability and friendliness, his
| natural leadership won him many
| friends. Soon he was head of a sue
cessful real estate firm.
Early gaining foothold In politics,
| he was elected to the Illinois House
Of Representatives where he was Demo-
cratic floor leader. He was then elected
successfully as a city alderman. chief
bailiff of the Municipal Court, and
president of the Cook County Board.
Many independent political leaders,
! who believe that Cermak would be an
| improvement on Thompson. realize that
Cermak is vulnerable. He is as 'prac-
teal" a politician as Thompson. His
administration Of the county affairs has
been criticized because of enormous
highway building expenses.
Both Candidates Are Wet.
| Both Thompson and Cermak are wet
| In part because of his wet sentiment
and his disbelief in the Hoover World
Court policy, Thompson broke with the
regular Republican organization, it will
be remembered, and favored James
Hamilton Lewis, Democrat for the Sen
ate in place Of the regular Republican
nominee, Ruth Hanna Mccormick
Political bellwethers thought, last
| November that Thompson was through
| politically. In a spirited primary battle
early this year, five former Thompson
| lieutenantS, George F. Harding, DR.
John Dill Robertson, Edward J. Brun-
dage, Charles v. Barrett and Bernard
w. Snow, deserted the Thompson camp
to support Judge John H. Lyle, former
Mayor Thompson affiliate, upon a clean
up-crime issue.
There were several reasons for this
dncpYfinT former laQd
the five lieutenants, termed the Hun
CRY Five" by opposition forces. knew
that the Democratic landslide in
November, 1880, was significant and
that consequently Big Bill was APP
parently slipping.
In the second place, these five lead
ers thought that Thompson, now 81
years of age, was through with his
reign; in the Fall Thompson had suf-
tered an appendicitis attack, undergo
ing an operation.
In the third place, Judge Lyle. in a
few months service as judge of the
Felony Court. had aroused popular ac-
claim by his forsy against the so-called
public enemies. Lyle did make the
front pages of the Chicago papers but
up to the time of the February primary
no public enemy was in Jail as result
Of Lyle decision. The Chicago
Tribune picked Lyle for winner; the
former Thompson lieutenants were en-
couraged
The Tribune having suffered political
defeats in its numerous fights against
Thompson and former Gov. Len Small
and still smarting under the defeat of
Ruth Hanna Mccormick by James
Hamilton Lewis, put every resource it
bad behind Lyle. Lyle was supported
by the Gov. L. L. EmmerSon faction, but
was bitterly opposed by the Senator
Charles S. Deneen group of the Repub-
lican party which brought forward
Alderman Arthur F. Albert, dynamic
youngster OF Chicago politics, who. for
10 years in the City Council has been
an unrelenting foe of ThompsoniSm.
Any forecast Of the Chicago cleo
ton Tuesday must be made on what
has happened in the recent past and
the alignments Of political factions of
the Republican Party in Chicago. Until
shortly aftar the primary. 1t was be-
lieved that DR.. Herman N. Bundesen,
Cook County coroner. would enter the
race as an independent candidate Dr.
Bundesen. Democrat, refused to file
his mayoral candidacy. His publicly an
nounced reason was a desire 70 avoid
complications or vote-splitting which
might re-elect Thompson.
The race is between Mayor Thomp-
son and Cermak. who controls the Cook
County organization and who for sew
eral years has been president of the
County Board, the next most important
office in both Chicago and Cook County
patronage. The election odds for day
after tomorrow distinctly and clearly
favor a Cermak victory
Just what political deals have taken
place within the last two weeks ren. airs
clouded and therefore an unknown
factor.
Take the Deneen group, for example.
which in the opinion of a keen political
| observer interested in the efficiency Of
government, represents the highest