Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-23
Jack Pot Legislation De-
nounced in State Plat
form of Party.
MEET AT EASTST. LOUIS
Champ Clark, Principal Speak
er, Declares Party Will
Soon Be in Control.

I$oSI 81 LOUIS, Ill, sept. Zo.- bdIQ-
room" tactics and Jackpot legislation"
are vigorously condemned in the plat
FORM presented to the state democratic
convention late this afternoon. The in
itiative and referendum is favored on
the theory "the enactment of such
law will abolish the jackpot system"
The platform denounces trusts; IA
vors a corrupt practice act; govern
mental control of railroads; personal
liberty, and conservation. Road laws
and a tariff for revenue only are en-
dorsed.
Would Elect by Direct Vote.
The plank on bribery reads: THE
democratic party is unalterably oppos-
ed to the giving or taking of bribes by
those seeking legislative favors, and
we condemn in unmeasured terms bath
room tactics and jackpot legislation.
In this connection we wish to affirm
that we favor the election of United
States senators by direct vote of the
people"
Browne is Present.
Lee O'Neil Browne, recently acquit-
ted in Chicago in connection with the
alleged jackpot proceedings relating to
the election of Senator Lorimer, is at
tending the convention.
Platform Main Feature.
East st. Louis, Ill, Sept. 23.-Three
candidates for trustees of the Univer-
sity of Illinois were nominated and
a platform adopted by the Illinois
democratic convention this afternoon.
Congressman Rainey was chairman.
speaker.
Congressman Rainey. in taking
the chair. declared that ef-
forts Of the 'insurgent" congressman
had been purposeless and futile, and
predicted general democratic victories
throughout the country in the coming
election. He said in part:
"The democratic party is united to-
day as it has not been for IA years, and
the republican party is divided as it
has never been in all its history. The
republican party leaders stand today
moro thoroughly discredited than the
leaders OF any party have ever been
during all the decades of our history.
Needed a Leader.
"a great leader among the insur-
gents In the recent disturbances in the
house might have been able to accom- |
plish something for the country. Dur
ing the last session Of congress, insur- |
gent republican members professed to
be against the Payne-Aldrich bill. They |
professed to be against the speaker of |
the house of representatives, and they |
Insisted that they were in favor of re- |
vising the rules and enlarging the COM |
mittee on rules in order to make the |
house a deliberative body. Recently |
we gave them a chance to vote to re- I
peal the Payne-Aldrich bill, and every !
one Of them voted for 1t. The speaker
of the house charged them with being |
traitors to their party and insisted |
that they ought to be hung, not shot;
they ought to receive the punishment
usually given to traitors, and we then
gave everey one of them an opportuni
-ty to depose the speaker. Almost
without exception they voted for him,
and so the present speaker of the
house Of represen tatives has the honor
of being twice elected speaker during
the life Of one congress. When the
democrats succeeded In enlarging the
committee on rules, the insurgents at
once held a caucus and refused to &C
cept positions on that committee, but
declared themselves to be in favor of
going into a republican caucus and /
abiding the result, and they did. The
effect of this action on their part was
to almost completely nullify the fight
made by the democrats at the last ses-
sion of congress for the establishment
OF deliberative body. When the
speaker continued his denunciation OF
the insurgent members, they finally
fercely retaliated by shutting off the
gasoline from the automobile pur-
chased for him by the congress, and
this Is the only victory that can be
credited in any way to the insurgent
members Of congress up to the present
time
Both Factions Fail
"The regular republicans have falied
to accomplish the things the people
are demanding. The insurgents have
failed miserably, and the people are
about to give the democratic party a
trial.
Il do not desire to attack the ad-
of President Taft, it is not
necessary to do that. In all our his
tory as a niaton, no administration
.as been so thoroughly. discredited. +,
tIe has surroundeA himself by an off, I,
eisi family vA0 represent and who :
ftand for those criminal trusts against =.
which the people cry out in vain at !.