The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-01-22
NEW PRIMARY LAW
DOUBLE EBARRELED
COUNTY CANDIDATES 70 BE
cHos-l BY voTERs-oTHERs
BY CONVENTIONS.
MAY PASS THIS WEEK
TWO Ballots viii BE Submitted Il,
Voters and System viii BE More
Complicated Than Under
Old Law.
Correspondence to The Bulletin:

Correspondence to The Bulletin:
| Springfield, H.. Jan. 20.--At tha
ltime this letter is written lMondayl
There is strong probability that u
Iprimary election bill will pass both
houses before the end OF the wees
lTlicre will be some disappointment or
Ithe apft Of advocates Of a direct plu~
iality primary lew 70. this bin Is nor
| lfhat Kind cf measure, except la a
| limited sense. Comfy officers are to
| be terminated hy il direct plurality
Yote--- 4 ieaure net contained In tho
law of 1900, which is the basis for thu
new bill But al other nominations
are to Ee made bs convention sub
stallially In tie manner provided by
he old Law. The ssltc Is to be divid-
gl int delegate districts--the dis
Tfh.S this year IL tc the same as IN
1906 and hereafter ID be fixed by the
|ronaty central cnninittae OF each
marty Tile later provision Is taken
from the cid law but constitutional
objections are tscftnale by providing
that the county committeeman shall
be elected at the primaries. thus max
ing them election officers under the
law
The new measure contains one pro.
vision that distinguishes 1t yitally
from the old law. There are to be
two ballots at the primaries--one a
delegate ballot and the other candi-
date ballot. The plurality principle
prevails in the naming OF delegates
and in their instruction. The candis
date for Office receiving the highest
number of votes in any delegate dis
trict is given the delegates from tina.
ed but the delegates, instead OF be-
ing Instructed for one ballot only. are
bound by their instructions until re-
leased by the candidates in open con
yention The effect of this provision
Is likely to be far reaching. 1t win
mean many deadlocked conventions,
but on the whole Is received with sat
as an Improvement over the
one ballot" instructions provided In
he old law.
The new measure, which is the pro.
luct of the joint conference commit
Zee, is compromise, aud as stated
s not satisfactory to the direct plur.
Ality advocates; but there Is O ten
lency to accept Il on the ground that
10 other measure can be passed at
his time. and In the hope that 1t may
,e amended at the next session of the
legislature If serious defects appear
n the primary system which it pro-
'ides. Many members would like to
lass two bllls-one the Oglesby direct
plurality bill, the other a convention
I'LL like the committee measure now
then let the people say
It the next general election which
ind of law they want. But there
re many difficulties in the way Of
his plan, chief Of which Is that Il
Fould leave the state without a pri.
narp law applicable to the campaign
T this year.
Just how the new primary law wiz
Meet the gubernatorial contest is nor
et clear. The chances are that u
'ill have the effect Of bringing out
10 or three candidates, whose plan
III be to divide up the state In such
way that no one Of them win have
majority Of the state convention de-
gates and that a winning comblna.
on may be effected in the conven-
on. Politicians generally take the
ew that any kind OF a urinary law
III help Gov. Deneen. though prob.
bly, he would fare better under a n
'ct plurality law than he Will under
ie one now about to be enacted
II Is reported that James McNahb
litor OF the Carrollton Gazette. may
'come candidate for the Demo
attic nomination for lieutenant gov
nor. McNabb is a LAWYER as well as
journalist, and Is well known both
nong newspaper men and among
wyers II Is known that many Dem
rats in his district are urging him
become a candidate.
AoraN. naNrrE