Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-03-31
WIN AT SPRINGFIELD.
Democrats Defeat Unjust Re-
publican Meas
ureS.
LEADERSHIP OF HON. E. W. HURST.

With Assistance of Representatives Nc
Goorty and AIschuler Succeeds in Knock
Ing Out Berry's Fee and a Bill to Place
Booths In State Institutions-Battle Over
Election Bill.
Party lines were drawn in the house
at Springfield yesterday, and under the
leadership of Representatives E. W.
Hurst, of Rock Island, McGoorty, of
Chicago, and Alschuler. of Aurora, the
democrats succeeded in staying the
passage of unjust republican meas
ures, scoring a brilliant victory for
the state.
There was lively partisan conflict
over the omnibus appropriation bill
for the payment of salaries and eX-
penses for the maintenance of the
state government for the next two
years. The result was the bill failed
to pass.
The bill was on third reading. Nc
Goorty, rs the leader.of the democratic
side, asked that the bill be recalled to
the second reading for amendment.
He wanted stricken from it the APP
preparation of 81, 900 for legal services
and SO, 900 for expenses of prosecu-
lions for the insurance department,
and declared that he would oppose the
passage of the bill until that was done.
Curtis Defends the Item.
Mr. Curtis defended the item under
attack, saying the state of Illinois
saved money by employing several
special expert counsel to attend to in
surance cases.
Mr. Hurst read from the constitu-
ton the provision forbidding mem bers
of the general assembly from holding
any other position under the state
government, contending that the pay
ment of money to Senator Berry as
attorney for the insurance department
was a violation of the spirit if not the
letter of this provision. He also read
from the statutes relating to the at
department. to show
that it was the duty of that depart
ment to furnish opinions to other de-
partments and to conduct all prose-
cutions.
McGoortv's motion to recall to sec
ond reading was laid on the table,
and Speaker Sherman ordered n roll
call upon the passage of the hill, but
curei, while n were necessary. Mr..
Curtis gave notice of motion to re-
consider. and the matter will come up.
again next week.
Battle Over Election Bill.
There was n good battle earlier in
the morning between the democrats
and republicans in the house over the
election law amend
ment. The bill provided that county
boards of supervisors should estab-
fish an election polling place within
the Enclosure or on the grounds of
any state institution "the Inhabitants
of which might be entitled to vote"
Mr.. Lee, Mr.. Alschuler, Mr.. Hurst,
NJ. H. Cleary and others objected to
this. The argument of MIR. Schlagen-
hauf was that the bill applied only to
soldiers homes, and he complained
that it was necessary in Quincy. Mr..
on the other hand, argued
that it was virtually 4 bill to legalize
ballot-boX stufling and coercion in state
Mr.. Curtis was in the chair when
this bill came up. Mr.. Lees motion
to strike out the enacting clause was
tabled on n roll call, "a to 30. Mr..
Hurst's motion to strike out the Of
paragraph was tabled by a
smaller margin, Mr.. Heimberger, a
and Mr.. Regain, the prohi-
bitionist, voting with the democrats.
Then Mr.. Schlagenhauf weakened,
md himself amended the bill so as to
restrict it to soldiers homes. Then
t was sent to third reading.
Among the appropriations recon-
is S161, 720 for the hospital
for the insane ut WATERFOWL.