Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-07
Forty-third General As
sembIy Convenes at
Springfield.
YATES MESSAGE IN
Miller Wins Speaker
ship of the
House.

Springfield, Jan. THE 43rd gen
eral assembly of the state of Illinois
met in this city this afternoon. After
the usual formalities both houses con-
vened in joint session to hear the
reading of the message of Gov. Rich
ard Yates. The message begins by
telling why it was unnecessary to
submit a message in 1901, because,
under the circumstances, the legisla-
ture being in session to receive the
message of the outgoing governor,
the constitution did not demand
message from the incoming governor.
The governor speaks hopefully of the
capabilities of the members and Op-
portunities of the coming session of
the legislature, and asks that a reso-
luton of respect to the memory of
the late John r. Tanner be adopted.
OF the primary election law he says:
Primary Election Law.
There are many who believe that
n great deal of the friction which
does arise in all parties is due to the
varying kind of primaries held, and
to the scattering of the county con-
ventions throughout four months. 1t
is argued that if it would be absurd
to hold an election in Cook county
Monday. in Peoria Tuesday. Kane
Wednesday. Sangamon Thursday. st.
Clair Friday. and Morgan Saturday,
why is it not absurd to hold 100 con-
ventionS on 100 different days? If it
is desirable to vote at the polls on the
same day throughout the state, why
is it not desirable to vote at primar-
les on a common day? Why not have
all the ward and township primaries
of all parties held on a given Monday,
the county conventions on the next
day, Tuesday, and the state conven-
tions on the third day, Wednesday,
and thus simplify the whole matter?
1t would keep every politician at
home and the colonizer and the walk
ing delegate would be out of job
1t would leave every county and town
ship and ward to settle its own af-
fairs and so give home rule. 1t would
remove from every contest the ham
pering question of its effect upon 9th
er contests at other times. And it
would compel every county to give up
the unprincipled idea of joining the
winner at the last moment. AS to
primaries, the day is sure to come
when every man must vote his direct
choice, by ballot, for both delegates
and candidate. The plan is Ameri-
can, republican, and productive of
honest politics. / sincerely hope to
see it enacted into law at this session
in some form.
A Merit System. by Statute
1T is scarcely necessary for me to
say here, as / have said repeatedly on
former occasions, that l am in hearty
sympathy with the advocates of
statute for a reasonable merit sys-
tenn; nor should it be necessary to re-
peat what has been pointed out here
tOfOre SO many times that all must be
quite familiar with the fact, namely,
that we already have the merit sys-
TEN, without a statute; that not only
in the state charitable institutions.
but in all branches of the state gov
ernment coming under my control,
merit or fitness has been the largest
consideration in the making of APP
pointments.
1T will afford me great satisfaction
to cooperate with the legislature to
the extent of signing and enforcing
an act making the merit system com
pulsory.
THE governor heartily recommends
an appropriation of $25O,OOo to enable
Illinois to properly exhibit at the ST.
Louis worlds fair and opposes con-
stitutional convention at this time.
The TIIInota NatfonaI T.uard
by prudent management and the
practice of the strictest economy. the
Illinois National Guard has been
maintained upon the appropriation
made two years ago, and j am glad to
be able to say that a deficiency APP
preparation will be unnecessary. al
though an additional regiment, bat
TALON and battery have considerably
increased expenses.
''While the National Guard, as 1
have stated, has been supported with
out exceeding the appropriation made
for that purpose. it has felt seriously
the need of more liberal provision. 1
concur fully in the recommendations
made by Adit Gen. James b. Smith,
in his recent biennial report, with a
view to increasing the efficiency of
the National Guard.
The Naval Militia.
'Tke naval force of the state con-