The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-06-17
ILLINOIS ATTEMPTS
POLITICAL REFORMS
Long Delayed But Apparent
ly Badly Needed House
Cleaning Is Begun.
BY o. P. NEWMAN.

CHICAGO. H., June T7.-From the
middle Of the highway it looks as IL
the much misgoverned old State Of uli-
! nois is actually getting started on a
| long delayed but badly needed period
OF political house-cIeaning. Illinois IS
wrought up-decidedly wrought up.
Illinois is mad Illinois is outraged. and
/ Illinois proposes 10 get right
From outside the borders Of the State
/ II IS impossible 70 realize the degree
Of fncensed feeling which has come 10
the surface and is boiling over as an
! immediate result of the legislative
l bribery scandals. While the United
States Senatorship case. involving In
William Lorimer. the milG-mannered
blonde boss Of beef, boards, and but
| terine' friendships, stands out distinct
~ as n political sensation toward
which the public gaze has been tempo
rarlly directed, yet the ambition OF
Illinois in its present efforts to laundor
IT'S dirty linen goes far behind this one
| issue. which IN itself presents an ex-
| ceIent opportunity for activity at the
Washtubs.
Big Task Self-Imposed.
What Illinois is trying to do is to
Teud apart her big business Interests
and her politics. rogeuerate her state
government and establish decancv and
honesty IN civic affairs. Illinois has cut
out a mo1strous task for herself but
she's mad through and through and has
gone AT her unpleasant duties iu "a spirit
Of angry determination to rip out and
throw away roueuness wherever she
can hnu H.
For instance. Illinois has awakened 10
thc fact that beer Lcaisia ture has been
meeting ~ SnrinCf.eid from time 20
H#.H DO
OF big business men and little poIit clans
and 10 the DISADVANTAGE Cf the masses
or The people From the Little EZyut
country 70 CHICAGO this battle CRY has
gone forth
Clean ID the LEGISLATURE"
Partisanship Forgotten.
Partisanship has been almost forgot
ten bv the better element Of Illinois
citizenship IN its determination 10 wipe
out the old ring al the capital and es-
ta,olish a new order. This is forceuUv
illustrated by the fact that mass
meeting Of newspaper editors has been
called for Peoria for June =. On that
date the publishers Of the newspapers
Of Illinois. irrespective OF party. VIII
assemble and adoDt q definite. concert
90 policy as 20 how they viii go about
The attitude Of the NEWSPAPERS OF
the State IS strikiugly shown hy ,-har
they are printing about the Ilorimer
Sase- Alnost without exception they
demand the Immediate resignation of
Lorlmcr. For the Republican and
Democratic members OF the T.pgis1a-
ture VINO put L0rimer iu office they
serve up the most bitter deuuuCiatiou.
ley call upon the voters every
where 90 send 10 Springfield this wear
men who viii be above the influence
OF old-ume political leaders and be-
Eono the possibility OF corruption at
me hands or great commercial and
financial interests which have DOM
mated legislative action for so long.
Fight for Cleanliness.
In Chicago the fght for a decent
legislature IS led by the Illinois Leg
lslative Voters League. an organiza-
ton Of new. vigorous. young men.
most OF whom appear in politics for
the first time. President OF the league
is Clifford Barnes. a Chicago capital
lst who, for years. has been STRUGGLING
vainly for better things I'm Illinois
governmental affairs.
Governor Deneeu- while not as uro-
Eressive as the iUsurgent leaders Of
w lsconstn and Iowa is still the most
Inn ueutlal parsonage I'm the fight for
reform ana IS accepted by the people
as worthy leader
Another effect which the legislative
scandal seems destined TO have on
lilnols politics concerns the Congress
sloual representation. Aided by the
general political unrest the Demo
Gratis are quite likely 10 have eight or
ten instead Of six members of the
national house from Illinois Con
EreSSiCnal fights are beginuin- TO
shape themselves. bur Just now every--
thing else is OverShadoWed by the de-
termination to clean up the LcEisla-
ture
Startling Conditions Exposed.
The awakening OF the paople concern
ing their legislature has brought 10 light
one OF the most startling conditions one
could discover In politics anywhere. The
election laws Of Illinois very adroltIy
authorize the chairman OF each party
committee In the various legislative dis
tricts 20 designate how many candi-
dates shall be nominated. Each dis
trict elects one senator and three reore-
sentatives. but the district chairman
Of each party decides whether his PARTY
shall nominate one. two, or three cam
dldateS for the house
Then comes this peculiar provision.
Eacn voter may cast one vote for each
OF three candidates, one and one-half
votes Tor each Of two candidates or
three votes for one candidate
rms unusual condition has worked
out beautifully to the advantage Of the
Republican and Democratic bosses who
operate with more or less harmony in
behalf Of the big business interests of
Illinois The Republican district com
miteeman has been deciding there
should be two or three Republican can
didates in his district and the Demo-
cratic committeeman has been decfdinE
there should be one Democratic can
didate.
Not Enough Candidates.
In the last election the Democrats
could not have controlled the house even
if all their candidates had been elected.
That is. the Democratic party in UU-
noiS did not nominate enough Caudi-
dates for the house to have given them
majority Of the whole membership of
LOB even If all their men had been chosen
The people Of Illinois have suddenly
discovered this condition. and sinnul-
taneOusly, have concluded that the svs-
TEN has been used for the deliberate
purpose Of keeping the Democrats in
the minority IN which position they
could be handled much more easily by
the bosses and delivered 10 the sDeciaI
interests with much less difficulty.
As result of the awakening. the
rank and ME Of Democracy has let ont
wall that reaches from end 10 end
Of the State, and district committeeman
find themselves up against the necessity
this year Of putting the number of can
didates at such a figure that il will
at least be possible TO elect q Demo-
cratic majority of the House.
The extent to which the State Is
aroused over this issue IS shown hv the
fact that meeting of Democratic
No s. 49,