CHICAGO'S FIGHT JUST BEGINNING
Buck, Robert M.
Chicago's Fight Just Beginning By ROBERT M. BUCK THE REPUBLICAN MACHINE in Chicago finds itself in a most unpleasant situation, following the defeat of Alderman Charles E. Merriam who ran for...
...The fighters have the Cook County Republican machine in a tight place...
...The progressives plan to organize a club in every precinct and run candidates for precinct captains at the primaries...
...The Republican organization lost sixty per cent...
...For the first time in Chicago's history he conducted a campaign without corporation contributions or levies on vice or gambling...
...Merriam's candidacy accomplished many real results...
...The leaders deliberately surrendered the city patronage to defeat Merriam...
...Such a tremendous sentiment had been worked up by Merriam in favor of the introduction of principles and ideals into politics and public life, that his defeat was turned into victory and made a real benefit to Chicago by arousing such a fighting spirit among the "new idea" Republicans that they have banded together, 25,000 strong at present, to go out into the wards and precincts and smite, hip and thigh, the old party leaders until the new organization, now called the Progressive Republican Club, shall be in control of Cook County Republican politics...
...It will be a battle royal and the rest of the country will watch it with more than ordinary interest...
...Chicago's Fight Just Beginning By ROBERT M. BUCK THE REPUBLICAN MACHINE in Chicago finds itself in a most unpleasant situation, following the defeat of Alderman Charles E. Merriam who ran for mayor as a Progressive Republican against Carter H. Harrison, Democrat of the old gang type...
...Merriam's defeat was directly traceable to the treacherous knifing at the polls on the part of the regular organization leaders, who had pretended to rally in support of the ticket after Merriam had won at the direct primary...
...He demonstrated the need of a corrupt practices act, publishing his own campaign contributions and expenditures and proving to the public that a machine man will not publish an honest statement unless compelled to...
...Then they will kick out the ward committeeman and seize the county central committee...
...They are barely hanging on to the limbs of the party tree and Merriam's battlers say they are going to shake them down...
...of the county patronage last fall...
...He showed in Chicago the existence of a spirit of fight for principles that would survive defeat and continue, win or lose, to battle toward ultimate victory...
...Patronage is the only thing it can use to keep its men in line...
...The bosses have nothing left to offer their followers...
...He put the direct primary on the map by showing how it could be made impossible, under the Illinois direct primary law, for the party bosses to make nominations in defiance of the people...
...The Democrats have everything in sight and will have more before the Republican ranks can rally under the new leadership...
...They will run candidates at every primary and every election, win or lose, until they have their men in the city council, the state assembly and Congress...
Vol. 3 • April 1911 • No. 15
