Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-23
OUR CAPITAL LETTER.
Peace and Quiet Follows the Leg.
islature's Adjournment.
a Brief Re sumo of Some OF the Law
Making BOdy's Accomplish
ments-Our Own Craw-
ford.

SPRINGFIELD, June 22-Since the Leg
lslature has ceased ii. labors in this city
there has come upon the average politi-
clan peace that passeth all understand
ing. INTENDED to have told you parties
ulars OF the closing hours of the session;
how during the whole of the last day
nearly every member worked like the
prover5isl hired man; how the clerk
hurried through the reading of bills,
while the perspiration poured down his
face, aud everybody walked about and
chatted away in an earnest manner like
the preparatory moments of ward eau
Gus. Nobody knew what the bill was
about when resd-at least, very few of
them debut what mattered that when
the bill was considered in committee! 1t
was amusing though to hear members
VIXEN their names were called to vote, ask
from their seats what the bill was all
about, and some of them, it is suspected,
took plunge in the dark and voted aye
or no, as the fancy of the moment dicts-
ted. During the call of the absentees
afterward, nearly everybody, it seems.
wanted TO change his vote when he found
out how the matter stood II the legis.
lature had worked one tenth as hard as
during the last few days it could have
adjourned in 10 days after the election Of
Gen. Palmer. The senate closed its la
bors at o'clock, but met again at s
but the house kept right on working dur
ing the whole afternoon and evening IN
til nearly o'clock, the final hour. 1t had
been arranged between Speaker Crafts
and Reprs sentative Merritt that the lat
ter should. upon the passage of the bill
allowing women TO vote at school cleo
tons, move to adjourn sine die. but he
seemed to have forgotten all about it,
and the speaker called Eddy, of Bloom,
ington, to find ont if Merritt was asleep,
and that if the latter did not act prompts
" that Eddy should do so, and then
shout himself black in the face. But
Merritt awoke TO the occasion ard when
the adjournment took place there was
scene enacted similar to that when Gen.
Palmer was United States senator. Ev-
cry aisle and passase was covered foot
deep with printed matter. such as bills
| and resolutions and newspapers and SIM
liar material. There wss indeed a sense
of relief pictured in the faces of all, and
as the members and employees fled slow
" out they must have felt that many of
| last time in an official or representative
capacity.
There has been much said, especially
| during the struggle for the election of
senator about the willful extravaganza of
the assembly, and more particularly the
| house. But this ill-feeling came from
envious republicans who found themselves
in q minority and their schemes all
undone. Daily the shout went up that
| Speaker Crafts was ssddling upon the
people burden of % 600 a day just as
if the previous legislature had been run
| on a trife. The amount paid to the
members for per diem, mileage. postage,
etc, of the last geners! assem- bly,, and fol-
| per diem 10 the officers and employees,
ard employees of the secretary of state,
and also for the committee Xpenses was
| follows.