The Cairo bulletin., 1908-07-01
TO RESTRICT VOTE
OF. COOK COUNTY
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF ILL
KOlS WILL BE ISSUE IN
NEXT ELECTION.
SHURTLEFF'S CANDIDACY
Promises Determined Fight For Act
to Keep Senate Always Under
Control of Country
Members.
Special To The Bulletin.

Special to The Bulletin
Springfield, H.. Jane 30-Tte re-
cent announcement Of Edward d.
Shurtlef of McHenry county that he
will again be a candidate for the
lower house Of the state legislature
means, in all probability, that Cook
county restriction" VIII he an issue in
the next general ass mDly. Mere than
a year ago, in speech from the faor
Of the house. Shurtleff stated that he
would not return to that body. A
few weeks later the full significance
of this remark became apparent when
the speaker announced Lis candida y
for governor Eut the decision of the
seprome court that nulifcd TIE old
primary law also nuiiified ShurtleF's
declaration that he would not return
to the assembly After the enact nent
OF the new primary law few months
ago, and the entry OF Richard Yates
as a gubernatorial candidate, he fer
mally withdrew from the contest fer
the governorship. The natural course
for him to follow then was to come
back to the Legislature and presum-
ably to take up the Speakers gavcl
Unless the next house shall 10
radically different from the present
one, il viii be difficult to defeat him
for the speakership; and from the
speakers chair he viii probably S elk
10 carry out the platform which he
promulgated last year when he be
came candidate for governor-the
Of some restriction upon the number
of representatives Chicago shal have
HI thr lcaisl ;nrr IT,. DGAtls ago
il lOoFod sif Cook county restric.
ton" world be the main issue in this
years campaign, but when Shurtlcff
got out of the guberna'or'al fight the
restriction issue went with him. and
in the controversy between Deneen
and Yates we have heard nothing
of it,
But Cook county restriction" is by
no means a dead issue, for it is Ger
tain to be revived Mt the next Sos ion
of the assembly, and will become an
exceedingly live question we may as
sumo, If Mr. Shurtlef should again
occupy the speakers chair Whether
definite results can ne accomplished
or not is "anotherstOry:" for 1t Is to
be borne in mind that ii will be i'm
4tl al. Ia e..
for a constitutional amendment resO-
luton without few votes from Cook
county members. Cook already has
(mOre than onethrd) of tn
hfty-one senatorial districts of the
state, and is in abso;rte control of the
Nothing IN the way cf n
restriction amendment can he gotten
If the Cook county members
stand solidly together Yet the "coun-
try" end of the assembly, If il ca
be united is in the majority and wi
be able to force some concessions
from CHICAGO, II Is certain that
Chicago will want favors at the hands
of the next legislature. and If the
country members are well organized
they will be able to block al Chi.
cago legislation until Chicago agrees
to some restriction" plan that Is
to the rest of the state.
SO far as the discussion of the
matter developed any ideas last year,
the plan most generally favored would
provide that Chicago Tor Cook coun.
tyl should never have more than It's
present proportion OF members of the
senate. but would leave representa-.
tion in the house just As It is now.
based on population. Such a scheme
would mean that eventually Chicago
would control the house of represcn-
tativos. hut that the state at large
would operate rs check or safeguard
against the other even In Chicago
it Is said. this plan has found con
siderable favor. aud its adoption next
winter is not at all impossible But
net much will be heard on this qUes-
ton until after the November e'ec-
ton, though here and there eandi
dates for the legislature are likely T.
make an issue of it in the sourse OF
the campaign II is certain that no
restriction plan will Re put through
hat will work any hardship or inius
tice upon Chicago: brt it is fairly well
settled that a restriction amendment
to the constitution, emb9dying tho
plan put into cffcc: in New YORK.
Pennsylvania. Maryland and some
ether states will he seriously at
tempted
II begins 20 look as if the contest
.or the Democratic nomination for
governor lies between Col J Hanil
ION Lewis cf Chicago. and Represen-
atiye Douglas Pattison Of Fresport.
Col. Lewis apparently will have very
strong support in Chicago and will
get 2 very respectable vote in the
My Pattisoa Is making a