The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-20
REFERENDUM AMENDMENT WAS
ENDORSED BY ILLINOIS HOUSE.
Speaker Miller Caught Between Two Fires Offered No Active Oppo
son the Proposition and the Referendum League Rallied
TwoThirds Majority for It-Regarded Political Advan
tage TO the Democrats and AntiYates Republicans.
BYA STAFF CORRESPONDENT.

BIZ staff CORRESPONDENT.
Springfield, ILL.,, March i9-Yesterday's &C.
ton of the House. attaching a referendum
amendment to the civil-service BILL was in
dorsed to-day by an overwhelming majority.
The Illinois Referendum League, IRE
spective of the interest in civil service, ex-
erted every effort to force the reference Of
the radical measure to a popular vote.
The league is strong in Illinois. and the
majority of the Democratic members are
pledged to the support of the referendum
principle. The demand was made that the
Democrats line up on the question and this
influence swung all the Democratic votes,
save few from Chicago. to tho support Of
the referendum clause.
The added strength. united with the Re
publican element which is opposed to civil
service and which fell back upon the refer
endum proposition as their last weapon to
use against the bill. totaled a two-thirds
majority.
LEAGUE RALLIES MORE VOTES
When Lyon of Lake introduced the refer
endum amendment yesterday. it was not
backed to any extent by a genuine enthu-
siasm for the principle which gives the
people the final action upon matters Of mo-
ment. II was another of the underhand at
tacks on the measure, calculated to put 1t
out of business in seemly way. Similar
attacks had been beaten by the friends Of
the bill, but this prevailed by a narrow
margin.
Meantime the league, which has exerted
its influence to the utmost to secure recog-
milton from this Assembly. grasped the op-
portunity. and 1t easily secured for the
amendment much increased vote. Yester-
to table motion to reconsider the vote. 1t
was 81 to 43 against.
Throughout this fight on civil service
Speaker Miller has been ION the fence" so
TO speak Governor Yates's organization
made him Speaker, and the Governor was
fighting hard for the enacton Of a civil
service law by this Assembly. But in the
Speakers senatorial district, and in South
ern Illinois generally, the feeling Is decid-
was brought to bear upon him from his
county, and he could not well afford any
arbitrary tactics in connection with the bill.
LET MATTERS DRIFT.
These facts account for the confusion in
the House upon the proposition: The Speak
er let matters drift. He opposed moving the
previous question and cutting OF amend
ments And every proposed change had its
hearing. The division of votes on the merit
system as an abstract question was SO close
that nothing could be Jammed through. It
was a case of seesaw and the continued de-
batting resulted in no material progress.
The referendum came at time when ev-
erybody was tired, and offered an escape.
indeed. from everybody. On the whole, it
Is political advantage to the Democrats
and the anti-Yates Republicans. If the
PSofsS WV .ci Siki Sci NiSS t-'c o. olch Will
not insure the offices to the present occu-
pants. as 1t would IL enacted now. provided
Yates is not renominated and reelected,
and there Is q strong probability of that.
Consideration OF the bill providing a new
game law was the first order to-day. When,
after numerous amendments had been de-
bated. some Of which were adopted and
some defeated, 1t was passed on to third
reading, the civil-service bill was taken up.
wILKERSoNs POSITION.
Representative wilkerson. who had given
notice OF his intention to move to reconsid-