The Cairo bulletin., 1907-09-27
Oh ,RI[R D[FEAI
Z. HELPED Df Mem
Q wsSES'MACHlNE OF CHICAGO RE
CElVEO HARE BLOW IN gF Z
s* E LATE ELECTION. s@'
TIE ESHvR LEFT IDEA.
Emitting chiesso's Legislative Repre-
scntation Will Be Forced to the
Front--Sherman Prob
able Candidate.


likely to hear a good deal during Il
next six months about the "Shurtlc
idea" Of restricted reprasentatiC
! fci Cook cCrntY In the general a
sanbly." Tho defeat Of the Chicae
y charter az the recent special electio
adds vastly to the Importance Of tht
isGne in the gubernatorial contest an
: in the next election CT members OF tn
legislature, fer 1t seems that the Il
condition Ct things is restored Ch
ago mrst still come to the lcaisll
turc for fayors, and the iccuatry-
that is, the state outside Of Coo
i c~unty-- Is IN a position to deman,
constitutional amendment p'aci v
!, certain limitations on the representa-
4 fion Of Cook cornty in the law -makins
i body, if the country chocs SEES to do so
-TRatF is TO say, while the country II
! ret numerically powerful enough II
its membership in the legis azure tc
| force Through against the will q
Cock county a limitation amendment
r. the constitution. ii is in q positi n
70 exact this concession from the big
city in return for legislative fayors
This IS the old game of log rolling
in legislation. II has been resort III to
almcsn from time immemorial. it was
really the game that passed both the
Chicago charter and the local option
bills last spring-tbe trading of char
rc votes for local option votes.
While thu first suggestion OF limit
ing its representation brought an in
dignaat protest from Chicago. it is
nr secret that many of the leading
citizens of the big city are privately
disposed to favor the idea. just as
nany CT them are now saying about
the defeat of the charter we are
ret sure, after all, that il is not a
Ect hc a had thing to have a balance
wheel at Springfield" In other words
whatever may be the abstract theory
cs representative government how
ever vehemently it may be contend ID
tl'at one mans vote is as good as an
others whether be lives in big city
or In the country-tie practical fact
Is recognized that the standard of
politics is much higher in the country
than in a great city like Chicago cr
New York; that every large city has
an immense voting population tlat
knows little and cares less about tire
theory Of orr government. that the~c
are manv thousands of voters in Chi
cago who know absolutely nothing Of
the state outside Of their own narrow
confines This condition has alarmed
oxen many OF the residents of CNi
Cago, and they are disposed to fall
back upon the country for protection
The Shurtleff proposition is. in fact
not at all a radical rne, II is not prr
posed to reduce Cook county's repre-
sCntation below the present number
a slight increase is admissible: brit
the idea is to set up a barrier beyond
which Chicago shall not 20 IN en-
trolling the legislature. Thus. ono
plan is to let the representation IN
the lower. horse remain on the pres
ent basis, Increasing Cook couDty's
membership az its relative populat on
increases; but fix an absolute limit on
representation IN the senate.
The practical resrlt would be that
within few years Cook county would |
have n, majority of the members Of 4
the house, but the senate would he |
forever controlled by the country. So
that the city and the country wpd'l 4
be interdependent; neither coulI 10
anything in the legislature without /
the cooperation Of the other.
The influence of the liquor interests 4
upon the result Of the charter election
greatly strengthened the limited rep 4
resentation" idea in the minds of the
country people; for ii becomes clear
gist IL tle organized liauor traffic"
IS able to decide the most important I
LEGAL election that has been held IN
Chicago in many years. il will be able .
to control the legislature it the time
is permitted to arrive when Cook
county shall have a majority Of the
members Of that body
In its political results. the charter
election may he said to have helped /
Gov Deneen in Cook county. for II
mas dealt a blow tn the prestige OF
Mayor Brsse; hrt at the same time 81
will operate against him in the coun-
try districts. where the opposition is
less to Gov. Deneen personally than
it Is 10 the general proposition Of a
Chicago man for governor.
There is a story TO the effect that D
LieutGoy L. Y. sherman. who Is
now resident Of Springfield. win
seek election to the house from san
cannon COUNTY With view of being a
candidate for speaker He would. Of
course. be a formidable candidate.
J. MOAN DAVIS