Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-08
BIG BILL THOMPSON
DEFEATEDBY 1896
Majority for Anton J. Cermak
Largest Ever Given for
Mayor of Chicago.
Continued From First Page.l

| NSiuldhS triumph as PARTISAN NlCVOfy.
Among them was Municipal Judge John
H. Lyle, one of Thompson's opponents
in the primary, who ran as an anti
gang" candidate.
Sees Double Victory.
"Mr Cermak's victory" said Judge
| Lyle, lis a victory for the Democratic
party and it is also a victory for the
Republican party"
! Judge Lyle said that it was a victory
I for the Republican party, because it had
purged itself of Thompson, adding that
| Cermak would make an excellent mayor.
Both candidates held that Chicago'S
future was the big issue of the race.
Taxation and unemployment were talked
about, but the cry of Thompson's oppo-
nents was chiefly "clean out the city
| hall and free the city of gangsters.
while his proponents shouted their cllal-
lenge in the form of a question:
Shall we establish Chicago Tam
many?"
Despite this Thompson waged losing
| battle, lacking the support of civic
| leaders normally Republican. such as
Julius Rosenwald, Silas Strawn and
Frank j. Loesch. He won but five of
the city'S so wards. In addition he had
a hard fight in the primary, although
he triumphed over Judge Lyle, the self
styled "gangster nemesis" winning a
| three-cornered fight, in which Alderman
A. F. Albert polled almost 1000 votes.
Little G. o. p. Solace.
There was a little solace in the re-
turns for the Republicans, however.
They succeeded in electing two out of
| three candidates for Offices below Mayor.
naming James A. Kearns, city treasurer,
! and Edward Casey, associate judge of
the Municipal Court.
Peter j. Brady, q Democrat, was
| elected city clerk over his Republican
| opponent, Patrick Sheridan Smith, q
Thompson lieutenant.
For eight years Cernak has been al
most continuously the head of the
| county board and his victory yesterday
makes him the undisputed chief of both
the city and the county Democratic Or
| CARNATIONS. His power as such is COM
parable with that Of the late Demo-
cratic leader of the Midwest-George
H. Brennan.
Cermak, born So years ago in Prague,
was brought to the United States in his
infancy. He is product of the grade
and night schools, his career reading
something like a Horatio Alger book
He served as a hired hand on Illinois
farms, dug some coal and came to Chi
cago when 16, earning his own way as q
tow boy for street cars and by carting
wood in the back Of the yards dis
trict.
Is Dripping Wet"
Once he got into politics, however,
his rise smacked something of the spec
tacular, the political route carrying him
to the City Council, the State Legisla-
ture, the county board and, finally, to
the worlds fair mayorShip Of Chicago.
He describes himself as champion of
personal liberty and as a dripping
wet"
One of the first to congratulate him
was Alfred E. Smith, who wired him
that his election is notice that the
gangsters must vamooSe"
Cermak is a widower, the father of
three children and has seven grand
During his 10 years as mayor '.Big
Bilp' helped change the physical map
of Chicago Under his administration
Michigan avenue was extended, straight
as an arrow, across the Chicago River
and through fiimsy buildings to the
lake. BoulevardS were extended. The
park system was created out of Moth
ing as land sprang up where there had
been water
He preached America first" and the
Principles of George Washington" He
could point to his family background
as a reason, for he was the descendant
OF general in the revolutionary war.
He went into politics 81 years ago, a
young man of ample means, fresh from
the ranges of the West, where success
rode with him. He was go-getter and
he won to the City Council.
Won by 100000 Votes.
He was popular, but no one thought
| nf him nondidata foV. rp4a xyrzV.
one night during the 1914-15 holidays
he rented theater, raised the curtain
| and disclosed huge bundles of pledge
cards-140,000 of them guaranteeing
votes for him.
They had laughed at him, the older
political heads. but he won election by
that figure of 100000. Until yester-
| Chicago mayor. His platform planks
were Drive the crooks out of town" and
Improve the street car service"
! In 1919 they laughed at him again
| when he ran on a Freedom for Ire
land" pledge. 1t brought him votes.
So did criticism Of Americas entry into
the World War
He stepped to one side, then, and
| Chicsgo thought big Bill" was through
as William E. Dever. a reform Demo-
| crat, took Office. Things proved differ
ent in 1927. four years later. He
| trounced white-haired Mayor Dover, but
the real news was his attack on King
| George. 1t brought him international
notice. 1t was based on the charge that
| British propaganda filled Chicago school
| history books. He saw to it that VIII
liam McAndrew was ousted for alleged
pro-British sympathies.
May Not Be Through.
Four years ago he produced two white
rats on the platform, named them
Fred" and DOC" after campaign rivals,
and clicked
In the 1891 Spring primary it was
| an animal parade-elephants, camels
and horses that daily threaded the loop.
He put on a variety show at a down
| town theater, charged admission, got
| capacity crowds.
The fight against Cermak, however.
went by with less showmanship and
actually found the quiet Democrat with
more tricks up his sleeve than Thornp-
son. The latter hammered away at
King George, charged Cermak with
dictatorship, reminded his audiences of
the "million-dollar prosperity drive"
that let the city know he was pre-
pared to conquer illness and run in the
primary.
Prior to this election he said: eff
defeated, I'm through"
A formal statement from him last
night did not repeat that, and he de-
clined to amplify. Chicago. co0nizant
that enemies are preparing to reor-
ganize the city Republican machine
and set him outside, still wonders Il he
has something planned backstage.