Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-30

the party Tor Its respective primaries,
and also the name, place and time of
the lawful nominating conventions
they wish to hold. and cont aiming
other lawful suggestions, and upon
receiving such request in writing
said central or managing committee
shall include in said call or applica-
ton the name, place and time of the
proper conventions of such subdivi-
sion of the party and of such other
proper matters and things as will
make its primaries effective, fair and
equal, and shall make only such small
changes i'm the time of the suggested
primary election day or the conven-
ton days as may be required by this
act. i'm order to have all the primaries
IF each political party held on the
same day
The county of Cook has many
minor political subdivisions within it,
and, among others, several congress
sional districts, notedly the Tenth
congressional district, which en-
braces a portion of the county of
Cook and all of the county of Lake.
In order to comply with the law
it is necessary that the primaries
should be held upon the same date
as other primary elections in Cook
county, for the election of delegates
10 the various democratic conven-
tions, including the state convention.
The county central committee of
Cook county has nothing whatsoever
to do with the holding of primaries
for the Tenth district, inasmuch as
the Tenth district embraces territory
outside of Cook county, therefore,
the central or managing committee.
representing the largest political
territory for which primaries are
next in order" is necessarily the
democratic state central committee
of Illinois.
We are unable To come to any other
conclusion, and while good lawyers
differ in relation To the construction
of the language above quoted, yet
we are constrained to hold the above
to be the proper construction to be
placed upon that portion of Section
;. But as matter of safety and
inasmuch as the election machinery
of the state and county is in the
control of the republican party. we
advise that conference be arranged
between the democratic state cen
trail committee and the democratic
central committee Of Cook county.
with Il view of having the state cen
trail committee and the county cen
trail committee. in so far as the call
ing of conventions in Cook county is
concerned. comply with the provi-
sions of Section ,, in order to avoid
any contingency which might arise
81. L.
suit in depriving democratic candi |
dates of office TO which they might |
otherwise Ice legally elected. If we
agree with the argument that some |
advance, that the general or manag- |
ing committee referred to in the |
primary law means the Cook county |
central committee, then we agree in
placing il within the power of the |
Cook county committee of Cook
county to determine the ratio upon
which representation to a state con-
vention from this county may be
fixed. We would also agree that it
is within the power of such county
committee to locate primary election
districts and to fix the number of
them.
This primary election law provides
that there must be at least one dele
gate i'm each convention from each
election district. In Cook
county there are now about 1,400
election precincts; under the primary
law not less than two nor more than
seven Of these election precincts may
be- grouped together to make up one
primary election district. thus max
ing il possible under this plan for
Cook county to have 700 primary
election districts. from each of which
you'd come not less than one delegat
TO the state convention. Under the
plan heretofore followed in calling
of giving one delegate
for each 400 votes cast at the last
late for president. Cook county
would be entitled to but 465 delegates
II a state convention, and upon the
oasis of the vote for MIR. Bryan, in
300, Cook county, under the old plan,
would only be entitled to about one
bird of the delegates at state con
-ention. Under the primary election
plan il is possible for Cook TO have,
f the Cook county committee is to
determine the ratio, at least 100 dele
rates more than half of those who
would sit i'm the convention. Such
'act being true. it is possible for the
county central committee of Cook .
county to make the number of pri-
nary election districts SO numerous
hat Cook county i'm state conven-
ion would be represented by dele
yates constituting more than one
lalf of those entitled to seats in the
We call your attention tn the fact
hat in the state convention of 1000, g,
Iankakee county, then under Il pri-
nary election law, was represented
-. ...1.,.l, thnn fNvirn tho 11nI1lner of