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Felt In Ouster Of G. 0. P. SolonArthur Bidwill to Be Unseated ; Sen. Smith Terms Action “Utmost Stupidity.”: •SPRINGFIELD (UP)—The Senate of the General Assembly today voted 28 to 14 not to reconsider the action taken last night to oust Sen. Arthur BidwtU (R) River Forest, in ai^ election contest and the ouster became, effective.SPRINGFIELD (UP) Crack of the whip of-what Republican opponents term P'the greatest political machine \n state history” ‘ had been felt in the Illinois state Senate today as an overwhelming Democratic majority acted last night to increase its membership by ousting a Republican senator.The ousted senator is (Arthur J. Bidwill. young River Forest Republican. elected last November with the aid of independent Democrats, who .made^leadership of a so-called Cook county Democratic machine ah issue.. The leaders were Attorney General Otto Ker-ner and^ Patrick Nash.One Demo for BidwillThe vote to adopt a Senate elections committee majority report recommending unseating ' of Bidwill was 30'to 14, but the carrying of it into.'effect was delayed b‘y a parliamentary maneuver in the form of a, motion to reconsider the vote. The motion automatically postponed the actual unseating.; Only one Democrat voted for Bidwill, Sen. T. V. Smith, University of Chicago professor of philosophy. He said that the unseating of the River Forest Republican was being accomplished “with brute power” and that the Democrats were acting in the utmost stupidity.”j “Lousy AVith Power”,, ..!• “The Democratic organization in Illinois is lousy with power,” said Smith. “The voting is strictly partisan and no one here knows a pamn thing about the real issues in the case, namely who received the most votes. There is no reason “vhy the votes should not be counted to settle the question fairly.”| The committee majority report jTecommended that Charles B. Baumrucker, River Forest Iijio-[crat, be seated in place OLBid-jwill. Baumrucker was .supported jin his campaign by Kerner 'and Richard Nash, brother , of Patrick Nash, Democratic national Committeeman. ,,Claim Ballot Errors 1Bidwill was elected on official returns by a majority of 149 votes’. .The Senate committee, however, j claimed to have found errors ini a number of precincts showing Baumrucker the victory by |e0 svotes. It declined to reopen ballot | boxes in other precincts which Bidwill said would show he was .tjhe winner. ’] ;Sen. Earl B. Searcy, ■ Springfield! Republican minority leader, termed the vote of the Senate as being “indecent.” He predicted that oti^ ing of Bidwill would/mean tfe downfall of the Democratic party next year. He charged that thleiil votes were dictated by Chicde-n Democratic leaders.Takes Crack at NashSen. N. M. Mason (R) Ogle injected the name of Nati Committeeman Nash into the bate saying he had “pers knowledge that Pat Nash.ordi Bidwill unseated because Bic made some irreverent jenr about his brother.” Sen.Maypole (D) / Chicago, shouted: that’s not true.Bidwill, taking-the floor ii owp behalf, said that he halt; been given a fair de!\l, that the ballotsun certain precincts been recounted. He said if al ballot boxes in' the senatorial trict were reopened and recoi it would show he wa*s' decis elected.
Newspaper Details
Urbana Daily Courier
Urbana, Illinois, US
Thu, May 16, 1935
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Patuxent R.
AL, USA 07 Nov 2024
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