Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-01-08
THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE,
1t WIFI Meet at Springfield WednesGa
.--Candfdates ON tho ssrourd

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Jan. 5.---W ednesday
Jan. Z, the Thirty General Assem-
bly, of Illinois will convene in regular ses-
sion at the State Capitol
The respective bodies will be called to
order promptly at noon, the Senate by the
Lieutenant-Governor and the House by the
Secretary of State, and the permanent
organization of both bodies effected as soon
as practicable.
The Senators and Representatives are al
ready beginning to arrive in the city.
Up to last evening not more than one
half of the members elect had reached the
capital, and of the great throngs which in
fest the hotels q good portion is made UP
of candidates for the various offices at the
disposal of the two Houses. There are
three or four candidates for every office,
from that of presiding officer to the hum
blest clerk, and the rivalry for some of these
positions almost reaches the degree of acri-
mony.
A caucus of both parties will be held
Tuesday evening next to determine who
the successful candidates shall be.
Probably the most important office of
the General Assembly is that of the Speaker
of the House of Representatives, because
this official must preside over the delibera-
lions of the General Assembly and pro-
nounce on the regularity of proceedings in
the United States Senatorial contest. The
Democrats have seventy-seven members of
the House, the Republicans seventy-three,
and the Farmers Mutual Benefit Associa-
ton three, so that with every member of
their party present the Democrats have the
power to elect the Speaker of the House
on the first ballot For this position Mr.
~
foremost candidate. Up to within the last
few days Mr.. Crafts had a lively opposi-
ton in the persons of Rufus N. Ramsay of
Clinton, John Eddy of Mclean, J. B. Craig
of Coles, J. w. Hunter of Knox, and Reid
Green of Alexander Mr.. Green, however,
has recently Withdrawn from the contest
and Mr.. Craig is not pursuing an active
contest, while Mr.. Eddy in understood to
have recently thrown his support to Mr..
Crafts. Therefore the contest is now mar
rowed down to a race between Mr.. Crafts
and Mr.. Ramsay, with Mr.. Hunter of Knox
still an avowed candidate, but with DO con-
siderable following 1t is safe to say that
Mr. Crafts will find formidable opposition
only in Mr.. Ramsay, and estimates
as to the strength of the latter gentleman
are variable and greatly cOnjectural. Mr.
Ramsay is attempting to invoke the solid
support of agricultural Democratic mem
bers, and his principal following will be
from the Southern Illinois members, who
believe that, as this is the first time for
many years the majority Of the House has
been composed of agricultural members
the Speaker should be selected from the
agrarain classes. The official list of Repre-
sentatives-elect, however, shows Mr.. Ram
say to be banker and farmer and the
friends of Mr.. Crafts are using the declara-
ton of mixed vocation to Mr.. Ramsay's
detriment. There is no question as to the
accurancy of the assertion that at this
time Mr.. Crafts has far more pledges of
support than Mr.. Ramsay or all of his
competitors combined