Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-07
ALL Want PRIMARY
Opposition to Governor De-
mems Plan Will Have Bill
of Their Own.
ARE DRIVEN BY SENTIMENT
Said That One Providing for Dele
gate Conventions to do Nominate
ing viii BE Favored

Springfield, Ill, Oct .7.-DlreCt prl-
AIRY quotations made heavy adj
vances yesterday in politics pit" al
the state fair On the back porches
of the Sangamon club, where polite
JAMS and lawmakers assembled to
watch the horse races and to swap
gossip and ideas between heats, such
rapid Roadway was made by the
friends Of primary reform that the
opposition camp was moved to unex-
pected action.
Foes of the administration policies
had foregathered at the grounds en-
.pEatically avowiEg that they would
do nothing but watch and listen and
wait. The results of their Watching
and listening, however, threw them
into sbch a scare that they hurriedly
passing out the word, I'VE are going
to stand for primary law ourselves,
all right
Want Delegate Conventions.
They amplified this by making it
known that the kind of primary
iaw they favor is a delegate conven
ton law, as short and simple as pos
siEle, that would make all the pri-
marieS come on the same date and do
little more. They expect to push a
bill of this sort in the idea of block
ing Governor Deneens efforts to have
enacted real direct plurality pri-
mary law the old Oglcsby law,
with necessary amendments.
No Eject in Dencen Camp.
The news from the opposition
camp. however, had no perceptible
effect on the ranks of the direct pri-
mary advocates. Orville F. Berry,
railroad and warehouse commissioner
and field manager, for the Deneen
campaign fer new primary law and
deep waterway legislation, worked
like a Trojan all day long at the
Sangamon club. lie had heart-tO
heart talks with all the leaders and
legislators who appeared, and last
night after a thorough sounding of
The sentiment of the men who came
o the roundup" declared: within
he past three days the direct primary
idea has shown phenomenal
growth
Politicians who opposed primary
'eform are tumbling into camp, ter
rihed at the thought that if nothing
S done something will happen to the
.wo big parties; legislators who were
against direct primaries before have
hanged over. The situation shows
he cumulative effect of the events of
he past few days.
Causes of Sudden Change.
The growth in primary law senti-
nent is held to be largely attribut-
lble to the following chain of hap
)eninGs and guesseS:
The declaration of the election
commission of Chicago that the
big parties cannot get party can
didates as such on the ballots
for the special election Nov. %.
The general belief that the
primary act of 1898, now operat-
i've in Cook county, would go to
pieces if a test case were brought
in the courts.
The fears of politicians that
the resulting chaos would keep
the big parties from getting
their tickets on the ballots in
the aldermanic and county cleo
tions.
The announcement of Cover
nor Deneen that he will seek to
have the old Oglesby direct plu-
rality primary law TeenaCted
with additions.
Z he fact that the governor has
asked the supreme court for sug-
GCSJions, and the suspicion that
the answer has been that moth
ing but a bona fide direct pri-
mary law could withstand at
tacks in the courts.
The belief that if a makeshift
law were passed. it would be
knocked out without delay, and
the major parties would face
crisis.