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Show HOPEFUL ILLINOIS EDITORS Whllo optimism pervades Republican Republi-can ranks overywhero, thoro Is no confidence that can glvo a better reason for Its cxlstenco than that inspiring in-spiring tho ICO members of tho Southern Sou-thern Illinois Itopubllcan Editorial Association which gathorod at East St. Louis Friday. Tho Illinois edl-tors edl-tors nro among thoso who have como up through great tribulations. In no stato was tho schism ot 1912 more catastrophic. Thero was not a slnglo party committee left Intact after tho revolt. Wiseacres talked flippantly of tho domlsc of tho Ropubllcan party par-ty and mock funeral orations wcro delivered. Republican leaders whoso names hnd becomo known from sea to sea went down to defeat boforo political nobodies Tho metropolis of tho stato becamo tho national headquarters head-quarters of tho disrupters, with tho great Journals ns organs of dissension, dissen-sion, nut tho rural Republican press of Illinois remained truo to Republican Republi-can principles. Evory rural newspaper newspa-per ofllco becamo a recruiting station of Republican hopo and enthusiasm, ns Senator Shcrmnn phrased It. Not ono swerved from Its loyalty. Not ono was indifferent to appeals for help. Tho world knows tho robtiU. I'llnols elected n Republican United States senator and retired a multitude multi-tude of ono term Democratic congressmen. con-gressmen. It was Southern Illinois tlint did It nnd Senator Sherman ascribes as-cribes tho pralso to tho Ropubllcan editors. St. T.ouls filobo Democrat. |