Abstract

Editorial Paragraphs

This article presents information on the most disgraceful fact about the U.S. Republican Senatorial primaries in Illinois which is the amount contributed in behalf of public-utility interests. Since our brief comment on the subject last week, the investigating committee has brought to' light contributions totaling almost U.S. $1,000,000, and there is probably more to be accounted for. Although this sum is only a third of what was used in Pennsylvania, the sinister fact stands out that a fourth of the amount was public-utility money, most of which went into the successful campaign of Frank L. Smith, who was and still is chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission, with wide regulatory powers over gas, electricity, and street railways. Of the U.S. $241,234 of public utility contributions four-fifths was put up by Samuel Insull, who controls the Commonwealth Edison Company and other similar companies.