For those who don’t remember Political State Report comparing Arnold Maremont to Blair Hull, go here first
I am a nephew of Arnold H. Maremont, the subject of your article of May 29, 2003. I am fully aware of the events of 1961 and 1962 that are the subject of your article. Your article which is taken from the Royko book "Boss" as it relates to the 1961/1962 attempt to secure the democratic nomination for the U. S. Senate and its relationship to the late Mayor Richard J. Daley is basically accurate. Unfortunately, you have omitted two very important parts of the story that might be interesting to your readers.
First, Arnold Maremont was one of the most charismatic leaders in Chicago’s 1950-1970 period. In addition to being a very successful industrialist leading his family business to a NYSE listing as one of the most prominent auto parts manufacturers in the country, serving as chairman of the Illinois Public Aid Commission under Governor Otto Kerner; he was an important collector or pre-Columbian art that now resides in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. He was truly a man for all seasons.
Second, your story about the selection of US Representative Sidney Yates while accurate as to the rejection of Arnold Maremont does not relate the bottomless cistern of cynicism of why Sid Yates was selected and nominated. The Jewish faith of both Maremont and Yates while supposedly the official reason had absolutely nothing to do with the real reason which naturally was so deeply political that it defies reason but not political common sense. The problem was not Maremont: the problem was Yates.
Sidney Yates from a safely Democratic lakefront congressional district had been reelected so many times that he was about to become the Dean (the most senior member) of the Illinois congressional delegation. The dean, Representative Thomas J. O’Brien (the former Sheriff of Cook County known far and wide as "Blind Tom" for obvious reasons) had died and a new dean was about to take over. The "Dean" had much power in committee assignments and patronage and the "regulars" in the party and the congressional delegation did not want a non-regular, independent and quality person like Sid Yates to take over. He could not be controlled and the "boys" did not want any surprises.
What to do?
The answer was simple. Nominate him to run for the US Senate seat against the incumbent minority leader, Senator Everett M. Dirksen, that was up in the election of 1962. The seat that Arnold Maremont was campaigning to be the nominee.
This was a Richard J. Daley special. He could not lose. If Yates won he goes to the Senate and is not the new Dean of the delegation. If he loses, he is out of the House and no longer in line for the succession.
When a week before the election at the end of October, 1962, as the Cuban missile crisis loomed and President Kennedy call all of the congressional leaders including Senator Dirksen to Washington for consultation; the die was cast and the election decided. Dirksen won in a landslide.
And thus, did a fine man like Arnold Maremont get turned away in the cauldron of power politics, Daley style.
I hope you found all of this interesting. Every word is true.
Sincerely,
Ira M. Plonsker
ArchPundit