In the 1911 Chicago mayoral election, Democrat
Carter Harrison Jr.
Carter Henry Harrison IV (April 23, 1860 – December 25, 1953) was an American newspaper publisher and Democratic politician who served a total of five terms as mayor of Chicago (1897–1905 and 1911–1915) but failed in his attempt to becom ...
was elected to his fifth non-consecutive term as mayor, tying the then-record set by his father
Carter Harrison Sr.
Carter Henry Harrison Sr. (February 15, 1825October 28, 1893) was an American politician who served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1879 until 1887; he was subsequently elected to a fifth term in 1893 but was assassinated before completing t ...
for the most Chicago mayoral election victories. Harrison defeated Republican nominee
Charles E. Merriam
Charles Edward Merriam Jr. (1874–1953) was an American professor of political science at the University of Chicago, founder of the behavioral approach to political science, a trainer of many graduate students, a prominent intellectual in the Pr ...
and Socialist nominee
William E. Rodriguez.
The election was held on April 4.
[
On February 28, 1911, for the first time, direct ]primary elections
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
were held. Both major parties held primaries to determine their nominees, and both the Democratic and Republican primaries saw heated races. In the Democratic primary, former mayor Carter Harrison Jr.
Carter Henry Harrison IV (April 23, 1860 – December 25, 1953) was an American newspaper publisher and Democratic politician who served a total of five terms as mayor of Chicago (1897–1905 and 1911–1915) but failed in his attempt to becom ...
won a very narrow 0.97% margin of victory over former mayor Edward F. Dunne, also beating a competitive candidacy by banker Andrew J. Graham. With incumbent Republican mayor Fred A. Busse
Fred A. Busse (March 3, 1866 – July 9, 1914) was the mayor of Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois, from 1907 to 1911.
Biography
Busse became a local Republican leader, first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1894 and a ...
declining to seek a second term, the Republican Party also had an open race for its nomination. Charles E. Merriam won a strong victory over restaurateur John R. Thompson and former Illinois treasurer
The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois.
Current Occupant
The current Treasurer of Illinois is Democrat Mike Frerichs. He was first elected to head t ...
John F. Smulski, as well as two minor candidates.
Nominations
In 1910, Illinois adopted a law to hold ''direct'' primary elections
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
for public offices in the state. Illinois law changes scheduled for such primary elections to be held on the last Tuesday of February in the case of Chicago's municipal elections. Being the first Chicago mayoral election held since the law change, the Democratic and Republican primaries were the first direct primary elections for Chicago mayor. The primaries were incredibly tenuous, and even elicited incidents of election-day violence.[
]
Democratic primary
Carter Harrison Jr.
Carter Henry Harrison IV (April 23, 1860 – December 25, 1953) was an American newspaper publisher and Democratic politician who served a total of five terms as mayor of Chicago (1897–1905 and 1911–1915) but failed in his attempt to becom ...
, who had previously served four terms as mayor, defeated former mayor Edward F. Dunne as well as Andrew J. Graham (a wealthy banker) in the Democratic primary on February 28.[Mayor Carter Henry Harrison IV Biography]
/ref>[ Harrison's margin of victory in the primary was very narrow.
Harrison had, in late 1910, formed a political alliance with ]William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...
.[ Their mutual interest was that they both sought to oust ]political boss
In politics, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous off ...
Roger Charles Sullivan
Roger Charles Sullivan (February 3, 1861 – April 14, 1920), was a member of the Cook County Democratic Organization during the early twentieth century.'A Biographical History, With Portraits, of Prominent Men of the Great West,' John A Campb ...
and his network.[
Dunne announced his candidacy on November 19, 1910. His candidacy came as somewhat of a surprise, as his chances of winning appeared unrealistic.] However, he had a few factors that were still to his advantage. One was that he had strong support among the city's Irish middle class.[ Another was that he was a reform-minded politician in an election year in which reform seemed important to voters.][ Shortly after he announced his candidacy, he received backing from reformist figures such as alderman John J. Bradley (who would serve as manager of his campaign), ]William Emmett Dever
William Emmett Dever (March 13, 1862 – September 3, 1929) was the mayor of Chicago from 1923 to 1927. He had previously served as a judge and before that an alderman. As an alderman and judge he would work to become the Democratic candida ...
, Margaret Haley
Margaret A. Haley (November 15, 1861 – January 5, 1939) was a teacher, unionist, and Georgist land value tax activist,Arnesen, Eric. Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-class History. New York: Routledge, 2007. who was dubbed the "lady ...
, Clarence Darrow
Clarence Seward Darrow (; April 18, 1857 – March 13, 1938) was an American lawyer who became famous in the early 20th century for his involvement in the Leopold and Loeb murder trial and the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. He was a leading member of t ...
, and Raymond Robins
Raymond Robins (17 September 1873 – 26 September 1954) was an American economist and writer. He was an advocate of organized labor and diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia under the Bolsheviks.
Biography
He was born on 17 S ...
.[ Dunne's platform called for improving service and lowering the prices of gas and electricity, nighttime ]waste collection
Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable m ...
, universal transfer
Transfer may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Transfer'' (2010 film), a German science-fiction movie directed by Damir Lukacevic and starring Zana Marjanović
* ''Transfer'' (1966 film), a short film
* ''Transfer'' (journal), in management studies
...
s, the construction of city-owned subways, a consolidation of Chicago and Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
, and the creation of parks administrations.[ He also pledged to root out graft, bomb throwing.][ He pledged to instill a government which emphasized, "decency towards and fair treatment of the citizen from public officials".][ He would adopt "wet" stance, opposing ]prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
of alcohol.[ While Dunne's campaign had an invigorated launch, receiving the support many reformist endorsers, most of the press and political professionals still disregarded his prospects.][
Andrew J. Graham announce his candidacy on December 9, 1910.] was backed by Roger Charles Sullivan
Roger Charles Sullivan (February 3, 1861 – April 14, 1920), was a member of the Cook County Democratic Organization during the early twentieth century.'A Biographical History, With Portraits, of Prominent Men of the Great West,' John A Campb ...
. He, in essence, ran as Sullivan's hand-picked candidate.[ Graham was a prominent banker from the city's ]West Side
West Side or Westside may refer to:
Places Canada
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia
United Kingdom
* West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
* Westside, Birmingham E ...
, who was a longtime friend and associate of Sullivan's. Graham was known for acts of philanthropy which had earned him popularity in his locality of the city. With no political record, it was difficult for opponents to make political attacks on him. Graham's platform placed a focus on eliminating graft, pointing specifically to kinds of graft which incumbent mayor Busse's administration had been disgraced by. He also advocated a consolidation of Chicago and Cook County (something that would have served the political interests of Sullivan). He wanted subways and universal transfers. He supported "personal liberty", which was a euphemistic way of saying that he supported protecting access to alcoholic drink
An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...
s. Less than a week after he declared his candidacy, Graham received the formal endorsement of the Democratic Party of Cook County
The Cook County Democratic Party is a political party which represents voters in 50 wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County. The organization has dominated Chicago politics (and consequently, Illinois politics) si ...
Committee. He received 63 votes from the 84 members who were present at the vote (former Cook County sheriff
The Cook County Sheriff is the sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, heading the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
Office description
Terms are currently four-years in length.
Officeholders
Recent election results
, -
, colspan=16 style="text-a ...
John E. Traeger had received two votes and Harrison received no votes, and fourteen abstentions were made).[ Graham's official campaign manager was Thomas F. Flynn.][
Other individuals that had been speculated as potential candidates for the Democratic nomination included Fred W. Blocki, John T. Connery, Henry Gibbons, Charles F. Gunther, Lockwood Honoré, ]Ernst Hummel
Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst"
* Anton Ernst (1975- ...
, James Hamilton Lewis
James Hamilton Lewis (May 18, 1863 – April 9, 1939) was an American attorney and politician. Sometimes referred to as J. Ham Lewis or Ham Lewis, he represented Washington in the United States House of Representatives, and Illinois in the Unite ...
, Charles J. Vopicka
Charles Joseph Vopicka (born as Karel Boromejský Josef Vopička) (November 3, 1857 – September 4, 1935) was an American diplomat of Czech origin who served as United States Minister to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia.
Early life
He was born as ...
, and Charles H. Wacker.
The platforms of candidates did not heavily differ on substance.[ The primary was heavily centered upon personal attacks between opponents.][ In its (biased) coverage, Hearst's ]Examiner
Examiner or The Examiner may refer to:
Occupations
* Bank examiner, a kind of auditor
* Examiner (Roman Catholicism), a type of office in the Roman Catholic Church
* Examinership, a concept in Irish law
* Medical examiner
* Patent examiner
* Tr ...
emphasized Graham's connection with Sullivan, who the paper caricatured and portrayed as a villain.[ The Examiner reported on and exaggerated Sullivan's involvement with the local utility trust People's Gas Light & Coke Company, and claimed that Graham was running to simply keep gas prices high.][ Harrison used this narrative too, calling Sullivan the "gas dictator".][ Harrison declared himself to be the "Anti-Roger C. Sullivan and Anti-Gas candidate".][ He proclaimed that "Roger Sullivan is not a Democrat" and that neither was Graham.][ Roger's supporters went to great lengths to describe Sullivan as an immense villain.][ In an attempt to directly counter these attacks, for the first time in two decades, Sullivan delivered stump speeches, breaking his longtime policy of not delivering public speeches.][
Graham ran an extensive ]billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
advertising campaign, utilizing as many as 3,000 billboards.[ At first, most of his billboards used simple slogans such as "No Graft at the City Hall" and "A Seat for Every Pupil in the Public Schools".][ Eventually, the campaign began using former Hearst quotes and cartoons from 1904 (when Harrison had opposed Hearst's presidential campaign) that vilified Harrison.][
Graham received a celebrity endorsement from world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson.][
Dunne, while for much of the race having not been widely covered by the press and largely ignored by his opponents, attacked both Harrison and Graham.][ He accused Harrison of sabotaging his reelection campaign in 1907, and called Graham a puppet of Sullivan, who he claimed had also for sabotaged his reelection campaign in 1907 .][ After weeks of the press and both of his opponents largely disregarding him, Dunne's candidacy had begun to gain momentum, and the race began to move in his favor.][ Dunne secured the endorsement of the ]Chicago Federation of Labor
The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) is an umbrella organization for unions in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is a subordinate body of the AFL–CIO, and as of 2011 has about 320 affiliated member unions representing half a million union members in C ...
.[ The betting odds at James Patrick O'Leary's betting house, which had originally been 4-5 for Graham, 8-5 for Harrison, and 5-2 for Dunne, had changed to 3-5 for Graham, 9-5 for Harrison and 7-7 for Dunne.][
By the closing weeks of the race, Graham's odds of winning had subsided.][ There were even some reports that members of Sullivan's own coalition were quietly changing their support over to Dunne's campaign. In the closing weeks of the race, Dunne had ceased attacks on Graham and Roger Sullivan in his stump speeches. He focused his campaign instead on appealing to reformist sentiments that had been strengthened by the scandals of Busse's administration and the scandals of William Lorimer. Harrison, meanwhile, focused his campaign on convincing Democrats that he had strong electability for the general election, as well as using promises of ]patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
to his advantage. Harrison seized on reports that part of Sullivan's coalition was shifting their support to Dunne, painting Dunne as being tied to Sullivan.[ By Election Day, Harrison and Dunne were seen as the only two with chances of winning the primary.
]
Results
The initial result was so narrow, with a 1,420 vote margin of victory of Harrison, that Dunne requested a recount. A recount was held, with Sullivan remaining the victor.[
]
Republican primary
Incumbent mayor Fred A. Busse
Fred A. Busse (March 3, 1866 – July 9, 1914) was the mayor of Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois, from 1907 to 1911.
Biography
Busse became a local Republican leader, first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1894 and a ...
did not seek a second term. Despite the high hopes some supporters had for him, Busse's term had been rather uneventful in regards to achievements. Additionally, Busse's administration was plagued by allegations of graft.[ Busse reportedly believed that he would be able to defeat Merriam in the primary, but did not believe that he could beat a Democratic opponent in the general election.
Educator and politician ]Charles E. Merriam
Charles Edward Merriam Jr. (1874–1953) was an American professor of political science at the University of Chicago, founder of the behavioral approach to political science, a trainer of many graduate students, a prominent intellectual in the Pr ...
(a strong proponent of progressivism
Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, tec ...
) defeated a number of candidates, including restaurateur John R. Thompson and former Illinois Treasurer
The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois.
Current Occupant
The current Treasurer of Illinois is Democrat Mike Frerichs. He was first elected to head t ...
John F. Smulski.
Smulski was considered to be a leader in the city's Polish community.[ He received the backing of Governor ]Charles Deneen
Charles Samuel Deneen (May 4, 1863 – February 5, 1940) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 23rd Governor of Illinois, from 1905 to 1913. He was the first Illinois governor to serve two consecutive terms totalli ...
and noted businessman John R. Thompson.[ He was seen as a natural heir to receive the support of Busse's political base.][ He ran on a campaign calling for clean and efficient government rooted in "Progressive Republicanism" based on "the value of conservation as applied to municipal affairs as in the relation to state and national interests".][ He aimed to launch "a straight challenge to the graft system, spoils system, and the special privilege system".][ Some of Dunne's reformist colleagues backed this Republican candidate over their Dunne, including ]Raymond Robins
Raymond Robins (17 September 1873 – 26 September 1954) was an American economist and writer. He was an advocate of organized labor and diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia under the Bolsheviks.
Biography
He was born on 17 S ...
who campaigned extensively won Smulski's behalf.[ The ]Chicago Federation of Labor
The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) is an umbrella organization for unions in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is a subordinate body of the AFL–CIO, and as of 2011 has about 320 affiliated member unions representing half a million union members in C ...
endorsed him for the Republican nomination.[
During his run, Merriam's campaign manager was Harold Ickes.][Reagan, ''Designing a New America: The Origins of New Deal Planning, 1890-1943,'' 2000, p. 62.][Bukowski, ''Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image,'' 1998, p. 3.]
Merriam benefited from a reformist sentiment that had been fed by revelations of municipal corruption that he had played a large role in originally uncovering.[
]
Results
Prohibition nomination
The Prohibition Party
The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third party ...
nominated William A. Brubaker, its 1907 mayoral nominee and the chairman of the Prohibition Central Committee of Cook County.
Socialist nomination
William E. Rodriguez received the Socialist nomination.
General election
Both the Democratic and Republican Party had been divided by their contentious primaries.
The general election was contentious.[
For his 1911 campaign, Harrison adopted many progressive policies.][The Mayors: The Chicago Political Tradition, fourth edition by Paul M. Green, Melvin G. Holli SIU Press, Jan 10, 2013] The reform proposals which Harrison put forth were easily understood. "We plan to wage this fight on the theory that public utility corporations should be our servants instead of our masters. I believe that the gas company can sell its products not more than 70 cents for 1000 cubic feet."[ He also championed the ]Burnham Plan of Chicago
The Burnham Plan is a popular name for the 1909 ''Plan of Chicago'', co-authored by Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett and published in 1909. It recommended an integrated series of projects including new and widened streets, parks, new railr ...
.[ He portrayed himself as a pragmatic and experienced change-maker and Merriam as an overly-idealistic and bookish professor.][
To ward off potential immigrant support for Merriam, Harrison accused him of being a prohibitionist (a stance that was unpopular in the city's immigrant communities).][ While Merriam was well connected to the "dry" side of the debate over alcohol, as a mayoral candidate he tried to frame his position on the matter as being more about home rule and democracy than an outright support of implementing such laws.][ He claimed to be opposed to ]blue law
Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, Sunday trade laws and Sunday closing laws, are laws restricting or banning certain activities on specified days, usually Sundays in the western world. The laws were adopted originally for religious reasons ...
s, and said that he would respect the will of the people of Chicago as mayor, which he recognized as being overwhelmingly opposed to prohibition.[
Allegations surfaced that Merriam had been a member of the Hyde Park Protective Association, which was anti saloons and had also earned a strongly anti-]African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
reputation.[ Merriam denied these allegations.][
Due to Merriam's strong reformist views, many Republican ]machine
A machine is a physical system using Power (physics), power to apply Force, forces and control Motion, movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to na ...
operatives of political boss
In politics, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of their greatest influence. Numerous off ...
Lorimer had worked to strengthen Harrison's bid, sabotaging their own party's nominee.
Socialist candidate William E. Rodgriguez pledged that as mayor, he would focus on, “the problems of the
working class,” which he stated included, “comfortable and sanitary dwellings at low cost” and “adequate street car service in the working-class districts.” He also pledged to pursue and an efficient health department, fair pay, and for the public schools to be open for public meetings.[
]
Results
Harrison was able to win a relatively-narrow victory.[
According to polls, Harrison received 68.91% of the ]Polish-American vote
Polish-Americans in the United States comprise a voting bloc sought after by both the Democratic and Republican parties as they have a bellwether status. Polish Americans comprise 3.2% of the United States population, but were estimated at nearly ...
, while Merriam received 24.40% and Rodriguez received 5.60%.[Kantowicz, Edward. “The Emergence of the Polish-Democratic Vote in Chicago.” Polish American Studies, vol. 29, no. 1/2, 1972, pp. 67–80. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20147849.]
References
{{Illinois elections
Mayoral elections in Chicago
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
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20th century in Chicago
1910s in Chicago