The Cairo bulletin., 1908-05-20
SLATE MAKING
TO Be ATTEMPTED
REPUBLICAN, BOSSES AT SPRING
FIELD AND IN CHICAGO WANT
ORGANIZATION TICKET.
PRIMARY LAWS OBJECT
To BE Defeated il Possible Next Au-
auss--County States Expected to
Go Through in Spite OF the
Law.
Special to The Bulletin.

Special to The Bulletin.
Springfield, ILL.,, May i9-Recent ra-
ports from Chicago are to the effect
that an attempt will be made to ex
tend the Chicago idea" OF slate-mak
ing to the state ticket. II Is said that
the Republican state central commit
tee will be called together at an early
date and an effort made to make np
an organization ticket" embracing
all the state Offices to be voted upon
at the August primaries.
There is not much probability that
such a program will be carried out.
Ii Is more than likely that certain
politicians, anxious IN know Just no"
the slate mafing idea would be 70.
ceived drwL the state, inspired the
stcr in order TO feel out" public
opinion However that may be be,
1t seems certain that If SLATE" Is
made up covering the state ticket
(no matter by whom II may be
made) the principal issue In the cam
paign henceforth will be the question
OF boss rule" All other issues vii
become insignificant, for OF necessity
the primary law will he on trial, and
the contest will involve the vital prin-
ciple underlying the primary law. ia
all the agitation for the enactment
of a primary law. extending back ever
- no gftlN
argument advanced to support the de
mand for such law was that II would
enable the people-that Is, the rack
and file Of the several political pasties
Ito select the party ticket. For raasly
years tickets had been ma,se up Ia
conventions and eancuses, controlled
VERY often byia handful of men. 1t
was the common practice In state aui
county conventions for certain leal
ers, In advance of the convention,
10 get together and agree upon 4
slate" which generally went through
against a disorganized opposition, The
slate sometimes was broken, but as
rule the organization Responsible
for II was successful In order, there
fore, to get upon ticket 1t was fire.
quently sufficient to see only the
slate-makers-pc perhaps half dozen
men perhaps only one man. the abso-
lutte master of the situation.
Ii was to put out of business the
despotc boss in politics that the
primary law was finally enacted. But
the boss" is hard man to down.
He is usually toIerably as1ute cti
zen, and 1t requires more than an act
OF the legislature to baffle him 1t
will be recalled that during the pro-
tracted debate in the legislature on
the primary bill, II was frequently as
serted, by those who opposed the di-
rect plurality primary plan. that such
law would prove 10 be the JOY OF
| the BOSSES" for they could combine
their forces and by supporting par
| ticular candidate or set Of candidates
could carry the primaries. Whether
or not that argument was we'll found
cd will more fully appear at the PIT.
mary election next AUGUST
Slate making was an essential part
of the old system. Four years ago.
It will he recalled. a protracted dead
lcck IN the Republican state conyen-
tion was brought TO an end by several
distinguished slate makers. Five can
didates for Governors Yates, DeneeH,
Sherman. Hamlin and Pierce. together
with their friends. assembled at the
executive mansion and not only agreed
upon candidate for governor, but
made up slate embracing the entire
state ticket-a slate that was broken
only in one particular Whatever NAV
have been the personal opinion OF
politicians respecting slate-makiug all
Of them were willing enough TO take
rart in IL under the OLD system they
had TO do so. in fact or find themselves
| In the minority. leaving the slate
makers TO carry of all the offices.
But the primary law Is based upon
the theory that nominations for office
are to he left to the people OF course
/
men of abaility whose aggressive &C.
ltivity will make their Influence felt.
Such men are necessary to the main
tensuce Of party organization. and
lno law will ever completely suppress
Them But the idea back of the pri-
mary Law is that the obnoxious boss
must GO Popular sentiment respecting
bosses and bossism Is such that IL
lis exceedingly doubtful IL any attempt
at slate making will not be bitterly
resented. The argument in favor
slate temaking will not he bitterly r..
sented. The argument in favor OF
slate making is that it IS the only
way in which good ticket can b
made up. with due regard to faction
race and geography. But the voters
are likely to give little heed to thes,
considerations On the other hand