Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-17
Get IT IN SHAPE
Old Primary Law is Brushed
Up and Prepared to Lay -
Before Legislature.
soM= AMENDMENTS MADE
Subcommittee Determined to Show
Direct Feature Has No Show
of Passing.

Springfield, ILL.,, Jan. 15.-(Argus
Special THE subcommittee of the
joint conference committee on the pri-
mary election law, consisting of Sen
ators Berry and Acton and Represen-
tatiye Shanahan, appointed to draft
the new measure, concluded their
work this noon and sent the bill to
the printer. They will NEE. again at
S O'Clock next Monday night.
Claims Votes Enough.
Senator Berry says careful canvass
of the legislature was made before
he conference COMMITTEES decided on
this bill and that it is assured of 80
votes in the senate and "a in the house.
Up 10 House Members.
Springfield, H.. Jan. 17.-If ~ house
members will vote for the primary bill
upon which the conference committee
Iagreed 70 last evening, the deadlock
on this subject will be broken next
week and Illinois will have two pri-
maries this year; one prior to July
to select delegates to the national con-
lvention. the other under authority of
state, county, senatorial and congress
sional nominees.
Two Series of Committees.
There will be also two series of
committees. one to select the dele
gates to the national convention and
the other under the new law to make
| state. county, senatorial and congress
sional nominations.
! Next Tuesday morning when the
Legislature reconvenes for business,
{ the conference committee will report
| a primary bill for its consideration.
! Is. 1t Will be the old law reincarnated
and imbued with new life.
.Jockeying" il Alleged.
The bill which is now in progress
of evolution in subcommittee is the
result of frame-up in high official
circles which. it is declared was made
several weeks ago. The jockeying
| with the Oglesby bill was entirely for
effect, to demonstrate, if possible. to
| the public. that there was no hope of
drafting and putting through any di-
| rect primary bill.
When the conference committee, by
a series of backing and filling. which
| had been prearranged to the last de
tail had exhausted the motions that
might be made to the Oglesby bill the
basis of action, Representative Shan
ahan called up the delegate primary
bill which he had introduced the day
before.
| Amendments Accepted.
| In addition to remedyinS the defects
| that the supreme court found in the
lold law, Mr.. Shanahan proposed. and
the committee accepted the following
amendments:
4 In state. senatorial and cOngression-
tinue to vote their instructions until
lthey have been released in open con.
yention by the candidate for whom
they have been instructed.
In county conventions, the candi-
dates with. the biggest popular vote
will be declared the nominees of the
party.
, Hope still Held Out.
81 There may be still a chance for {
Z direct primary bill. There is a banC
! of insurgents in the house, contemp
tuOusly called "the band of hope.
The members are mostly republicans
( and they number AZ, but they rely OF
the minority for aid and comfort
< Their program is TO defeat the plan o
the reactionaries led by Shanahan an,
( Berry and insist upon direct plura
: ity bill. To that end the PattisOn bil
! was recalled TO second reading an
Z amended late yesterday afternoon, an
< then advanced to third reading. A
] effort will be made to substitute it 70
3 the conference bill when the measur
2 shall be presented next Tuesday
: With the democrats voting solidl
: with the insurgent republicans, ther
N is a chance to defeat the Shanahai
X Berry scheme.
MI Whitewash for Canal Men.
WI Springfield, ILL.,, Jan. 1f.-There wa
x much oratory over the reports of tn
W canal investigating committee in I'll
IS house yesterday, but the canal con
" missiOners escaped scorching. AT III
W evening session, by vote OF q to D
U( the members refused to substitute IT
IS Hearn democratic report for the repu
X lican majority report, and by vote I
w 50 to IS they refused TO accept II
* Egan democratic report.
z Commissioners William Sackett al
: Clarence e. Snively sat in the SHADOW
of court order as the last storm
T. oratOry passed over the house, al
p when it was over they stepped forth
Of men relieved of responsibility. Thu
III had not been condemned and they n;
Of not been censured for their acts