Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-11
STATE REFORM
MOVE is BEGUN
Peoria Conference Committee
Members Heard at Chau-
tauqua at Bloomington.
TO WIDEN CIVIL SERVICE.
All Appofntive Offices 20 Come Under
This Head, If Plan of Merritt
Starr Prevails.

Bloomington, m, Aug. 1.-The cam
paign Of the Peoria conference commit
tee for the enactment Of reform legis-
lation was opened yesterday at the
Bloomington Baptist chautauqua. The
speakers were Merritt Starr of Chi
cago, who advocated the extension of
civil service throughout all state Off
Ces; Charles L. Capen of Bloomington,
president of the Illinois Civil Service
Reform association, and Walter g.
Rogers of Chicago, chairman Of the
Peoria conference committee Of seven.
Praises Deneen.
Mr.. Starr praised Governor Deneen
for throwing his influence in the direcJ
ticn of the civil service law covering
the state charitable institutions and
ssid Mayor Busse was entitled to
credit for developing the efficiency rec
ord side of the merit law in Chicago.
THE state of Illinois is indebted to
the last Democratic governor for pro-
noting and approving the bill Of 1895
for regulating municipal cIviI service,
and to the present republican governor
foT promoting and approving the bill
os 1905 regulating the state charitable
civil service, and also for his public
declaration in favor of the extension OF
the system to the other branches of
the service of the state" said Mr.
Starr.
Public Opinions Demand.
Our public leaders are not stupid. |
They know a great thing when they
see it. They knew when the time has
come to put themselves in line with
the enlightened public opinion of the |
state. Public opinion demands today |
IN extension of the civil service law 70 |
ali departments of state service. The |
party of the politician who opposes II |
certainly will be relegated to private
life.
'It will be the part Of wisdom and of
real leadership for the men who guide |
the policies of both parties in Illinois
to take this question out of politics and
to see to it here and now that candi- |
dates are nominated and supported for
the state legislature in both parties |
who will give us this law without |
delay"
Capen Speaks of Graft.
Mr.. Capen spoke on the proposed |
corrupt practice act.
illinois needs a drastic and COM
plete law of this kind as badly as any |
state or country on earth to cover both
primary and general elections" he said.
"It may not be requisite, as is the case
in several states, that such law
should apply to township or school |
elections, because there the danger is |
less menacing, but it would be better to
cover them all.
"The ethics OF some OF our politi- |
clans have fallen as low as is possible
We read, and it is not denied, that Lee
O'Nen Browne, whom eight jurors de-
cfared guilty of bribery and who is un-
dergoing a second trial, not only Is
candidate for reelection, but has
vast fund at his command for cam
paign purposes.
Another democratic legislator who
voted for Mr.. Lorimer has rushed into
pint to say he is not a CRATER The
only reason he voted as he did was
because a promise was made to him
that if he did so a friend who is a post
raster would be allowed to retain his
office. AS If this were not dishonest
graft of the grossest and most danger
GUS kind. 1t is not so under the law,
but it should be made So"