John W. E. Thomas and the election of the fist African American to the Illinois General Assembly

Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Summer 2001 by Joens, David A

Meanwhile, Lincoln attended a large gathering of African American voters. Lincoln at the time was a prominent local attorney, blessed with his father's last name. The previous April, he had officially entered local politics, when he ran for and won the position of South Town supervisor. South Town was a township-type entity that encompassed the entire south side of Chicago, including all the Second Senatorial District.54 With his background, Lincoln was a logical choice to represent the Municipal Reform Club to the African American voters and attempt to Booth their anger.

At the meeting, Lincoln argued that the club was working for the best interests of the Republican Party. He said the club was attempting to do this by seeking to remove some of the less qualified candidates and replacing them with more qualified candidates. Lincoln said it behooved all, if they wished to have good men in office, to vote for the best men, regardless of who had been nominated by the Republican conventions. Lincoln was followed by William Baker, a long time African American activist. Baker was a Thomas supporter, although he lived outside the Second District in the First Ward. On October 23, he had addressed a similar meeting of African Americans and praised them for ratifying the nomination of Thomas for the legislature.ss Baker, in a cautious and respectful manner, criticized both the Municipal Reform Club and the son of the Great Emancipator. He said he didn't think that any body of men, however good they might be, had the power or right to say what should be done with the nominees of the Republican conventions. Then, in words similar to Smith's, Baker said "it is the duty of all Republicans to vote for the men who had been selected and that they not be led astray by any side issues." He said any other action weakened the party, created dissatisfaction and assisted the enemy.56 In hindsight, it appears that Thomas won the evening, two meetings to none.

The Executive Committee of the Municipal Reform Club met almost daily in the week before the November 7 election. It met three times on October 31 alone. Eventually, the Municipal Reform Club supported most of the Republicans on the ticket with whom it had had a problem. It still did not endorse Thomas, which increasingly became a hot potato for the club. On October 31, the Fourth Ward Republican organization passed a resolution which endorsed the entire Republican ticket and which criticized both the Municipal Reform Club and any Republican who associated with it. A Chicago Evening Journal editorial on October 31 stated, "Clough and Mills (two other Republican candidates not endorsed by the club) and Thomas stick in the municipal reformers' throat. And yet, any one of them is the peer of these would be reformers." The next day the paper stated, "The Municipal Reform League cannot defeat J. W E. Thomas for the Legislature and, what's more, they ought not to try, for he is honest, faithful and capable." On November 2, the paper added, "Mr. J. W E. Thomas will be as honest and intelligent a Representative as will be sent to the Legislature. We know him."57