Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-18
BILL
Likely to Take Place of the Re-
publican One for Primary
Election.
LATTER is UNSATISFACTORY
Bearing on Senatorial Fight Seen in
Amendment Including Sen
ators.

1t seems probable that the democrats
will have the honor of authorship OF
the next primary election laws of Hi
nois. in which the people are perhaps
as much interested as in any enact
ment likely TO come from the present
session of the general assembly. The
original republican primary measure
offered TO the committee was such a
complete failure that it was withdrawn
and a substitute offered in its place
and Chairman Rinnaker, of the com.
mittee. gaveled the latter through with,
out having it read. The bill as thus
engineered through the committee was
presented to the house in open session
yesterday morning and was presented
for its first reading. Thereupon Rep
resentative Dougherty offered this pro
test, which was ignored by Acting
Speaker Church:
Is Formal Protest.
We the undersigned members of
The committee on primary elections, de-
sire to present to the house of repre-
sentatives of the 49th general assem-
bly,, this. our formal protest against
he action of the majority members of
said committee, in reporting TO this
house a certain bill, known as a COM
mittee bill, and offered Feb. 16, 1908.
as a substitute TO house bill No. I05,
entitled, a bill for an act providing
for the holding and regulation of pri-
mary elections We respectfully sub
nit:
l. That upon the reading of the
original house bill, No. 105, when the
minority offered to argue the same,
hey promised the minority that we
should have a hearing after the bill
was read. This was denied by moving
the previous question.
,. That the undersigned members of
said committee were denied any OPP
portunity of reading said committee
bill, or any part thereof, or of having
said bill read in their presence.
>. That we were denied the privl-
lege and inherent right of Offering any
amendments germane to said commit
tee bill.
No Chance to Consider.
/. That the majority members OF
said committee refused to postpone
further consideration of said commit
ltt 'iii lpl al ltdotlldBlc illut, u enable
the undersigned To acquaint themselves
with the provisions and terms thereof,
and then and there, Immediately upon
its presentation to the chairman Of the
committee, adopted the cIoture rule
and voted that said bill be reported to
this house, with recommendations that
t pass.
5. That the undersigned members of
said committee desired to then and
there offer such amendments as would
cause said committee bill to contain
provisions necessary to insure to the
people of this state, in the event of
the enactment Of such bill into law,
the right to nominate candidates for
public Offices by direct vote, without
the Intervention of conventions. to
which enactment this house and each
member hereof are committed by the
state platform of both the republican
and democratic state conventions and
by 100000 voters at the last general
election in this state.
6. We respectfully appeal to the
members of this honorable body that
the action of such committee was CON
trary to the principles of fair play and
N derogation of the rights of the un-
dcrsigned as members of said commit
tee, as the chosen representatives OF
the people of this state