Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-22
Speaker Edward D. ShurtIeff of
McHenry County Orator
OF the Day.
THREE THOUSAND PRESENT
Over One Hundred From Moline and
Rock Island Also Attend The
Upper End Event.


of his campaign at the annual outing |
of the Farmers Picnic association hell |
yesterday at LyfOrd's grove above Port
Byron. After the usual preiminaries |
the speaker took up his political ha |
rangue and dealt with his subject rath |
er fully. cOnfinin2 himself to the pass
age Of the Chicago charter bill by the |
last legislature and the proposed en-
largement of representation of Cook
county in the reapportiOnment due dur
ing the next administration
Mr. Shurtleff told of the additional |
power that was granted the city of
Chicago. which now has very close o
half the population of the state of Hi
nOis, within its municipal borders, if
the charter is accepted at the coming
election on the question:, stating that
of his knowledge many of the best
people of the metropolis were adverse
TO the acceptance of the charter On
the grounds of increased taxation. He
|alsO gave other causes. From this
point the speaker worked into the pow
er that would fall into the hands Of
Chicago and Cook county if the reap
pOrtionment bill granted them increas-
ed representation according to the in
creased ratio of population. He cite
instances in which power in legisld-
ton of certain highly contested dis
tricts in other states was being curtaii-
ed and asked that the people demand
that all candidates for governor at tEa
coming election should come out at
once and state their position in regaJ1
to the reapportionment bill. In plain
words the candidate stated that he
would oppose with all his power the
passage of any bill which added TO the
political strength of Cook county AMI
| if elected governor of the state of Hi
nOis he would veto any such bill which
came to him for his signature.
| Three Thousand Attend.
! Fully 5000 people were in attend
ance on the picnic. coming for miles
from the surrounding country, many
from Henry county. Illinois, and Scott
county, Iowa as we'll as from Rock Is
Hand county. A delegation from Mo
line and Rock Island went to the pie
mic via the steamer Pearson from NJ y
line. Basket lunches were taken b.
all and the mammoth grove of the Ly-
ford farm was literally pOlka-dotted
with the family and neighboThOOd pa
ties of picnickers.
The festivities opened in the morn
ling with a ball game between Hillsdale
and Cleveland. Henry county being
| hn
lIsIand county by the former, Henry
county winning after eleven innings,
the score being to ;. Shortly after
Il O'Clock the speaking began. DR.. w.
IA. Taylor of the Western Illinois hos
lpital for the Insane at WatertoWn be
ing the first introduced.
DR. TAYLOR eulogized the state of II
linois in glowing terms and tod of the
lmagnificence of the state among its
neighbors. giving entire credit to the
farms and farmers for this condition
He told of the growth of impOrtanc"
in the state and how this was bein2
brought about solely by the stand be
ling taken by the farmers. His talk wa,
greatly appreciated.
Speaker Shurtleff was next introduC
cd and paid high tribute to the stand
ing and efficiency of DR.. Taylor. He
. also spoke of the part that the farme
of Illinois was taking in the politics o
the state
Launches Into Politics.
| The speaker then launced into hi
discourse of present day problems il
a.. 1.-THE administration of the state of Hi
! nois taking up IN detail the danger 0
dominition of state politics of Illinoi
10y Cook county. He said at the pres
ent time Cook county had 10 of the 3
:. senatorial districts of the state, whic
g was not its full apportionment undo
: the constitution of the United and tn
state of Illinois. He also told that a
the ratio of growth which the city C
lChicago has experienced in the pas
few years by the time of the reappo
ltionment ordered from Washingto
was consummated two years henc
Chicago and Cook county would hav
the balance of Lower and the remain
der of the state would be at the mere
of the legislators from that section
As a remedy for this Mr. Shurtleff al
2 lnounced himself strongly in favor {
Iaction at the coming session of the legi
lature limiting the representation {
one county to certain proportion {
the total representation of the stat
~ citing as examples the state of Ne
+ York. Pennsylvania, and Missouri,
u all of which representation from coul
III ties are limited. in one as low as or
z2 sixteenth of the total representation (
81 the state.
e Mr.. Shurtleff. in speaking of II
re Chicago charter dubbed the people
s. that city towards, and afraid TO unde
d. take in a more responsible way Il
government of their own affairs b,