The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-08-08
'COUNTRYD|STR|CTS
AGAINST CHICAGO
Will BE ISSUE FORCED UPON
PEOPLE OF iLLioNOlS BY
SPEAKER SHURTLEFF.
SHALL CHICAGO RULE
The State Or Be Limited In Represen-
tation AS is Done in Cases OF
Great Cities in Other
States2
Special to The Bulletin.

Special to The Bulletin,
/ Springfield Ill., Aug Tit begins
10 look as II the contest fol the Re
publican nomination for governor i;
to become a mere battle of sections
of Chicago against the rest OF the
state--and that the personality OF can
! aidates would be- To a large extent,
lost sight Of Whether the growing
| power of great city in the state gov
lernment shall he checked by consti
tutional amendment, or whether It
shall be allowed to go on until one
| city shall control the legislature and
make laws for all the state-this is
the "irrepressihle conflict" as pro
claimed by Edward II. Shurtleff of Nc
1 Henry county, speaker OF the Illinois
house of representatives and candi
date for the Republican nomination
Ifor governor Mr. Shurtleff has been
bitterly assailed by Chicago news
lpapers an d sectional candidate and
lii is declared that he can never be
soyernor CT Illinois 1t is admitted
that his nomination by his party is
lpossible. but II is plainly declared
THAT in this instance nomination
would not be equivalent 10 election
for with the issue squarely defined
| Chicago VS.. the Country it is point
"a out that with the average Chicago
voter LOYALTY to city is stronger than
loyalty to party, thar party lines
would be disregarded, and that Chi
Icago would elect a Democratic COVER
lror
Now it remains to be seen whether
Mr Shurtlem has committed politi
lcal hlunder as many experienced
ipcliticians declare or whether he has
raised an issue that will bring the
whole state. exclusive OF Cook coun
Ity. to his support. Mr. shurtleff's
lproposition is that by constitutional
amendment a definite limit shall be
placed upon the representation OF
lCook county in the legislature. He Is
lwilllng that it shah be represented inI
1.-THE lower house ON the present basis
taccordingt to populatinnJ but he|
t17r'rcer rpon IT'S Representation thar i.
mot applied 70 every other section az
rhe state-that population shalt con.
lhne 70 be the basis Of representation
I'm both branches OF the assembly
the Shnrtlen proposition is pro-
| Honced IAN insult to every voter in |
| Cook county" The reply is that con |
| ditons In city and country are as IN |
IKE rs night and day--that Legislators
from a big city are not fitted, as rula
% make laws for the country districts
that they are out of touch with the
country people and are unfamiliar
With their needs in the way of legjs.
lation
The ShurtleiG plan is now in prac
teal operation in New York. where II
Is provided that no county shall have
more than one-third Of the senators
IN PENNSYLVANIA. where no city or
county is allowed To have more than
onesiNth of the senators. in Mary
land, where the city of Baltimore is
limited to four senators: and IN Mis-.
souri,, where representation i'm the
lower house is reduced with the
growth OF population in county
Ihns the idea is not all new. But ,
Illinois has been slow TO adopt ii. The
ISSUE has been raised several times IN
he legislature during the past TON :
'ears but the country members have :
generally shown rather languid In =,
crest in the proposition During the =
asst session so many country mem. =
'ers regarded local option as the 4,
paramount issue" that they were :
liiing 70 let Chicago have its charter :,
nd to forego the demand for limited y
representation in order TO win the :.
ing battle for local option law. .,
II remains TO be demonstrated how
DIRECTLY Speaker Shurtlen has in.
irpreted the sentiment of the conn
y people people If he is right IA
IS assumption that the vast majority ell
the country people believe I'm his al
opposition. It is certain that a corn. so
y man will be the next governor 81
't necessarily Mr.. shurtlef. but ei'
me man who does not reside in Chi. oh
go. ge
According TO present Indications m'
q nomination for state treasurer eX
III be conceded 70 Andrew Russell ls'
Jacksonville. Mr. Russell was a
ndidate last year and secured a chi
lrality Of the primary vote and of II
g delegates in the conventional mil
'st a majority in faet-and If the sua
irit of the primary law had been res
-ried out would have been nomi-
ted. The feeling that he was right pro
" entitled to the nomination is so hDl
leral that nobody is likely to make sSOi
ontest against him this time From
@ to time Mr. RusselFs name has
N Associated with the governor Il
e' nut he viii not be candidate b 3
governor. Won
J. M'CAN DAVIS. y