The Cairo bulletin., 1910-10-15
GOOD Government
CHICAGO MEN CAMPAIGNING IN
STATE IN INTEREST OF
LITTLE BALLOT.
Voters Asked to Favor Measures
Which Will Break Up Jack
Pot" Government in
Illinois.

W SllagtOn avenue last nlglt 10 near
a discussion of three important ques-
tons to be voted upu1 al the coming
election. The melting was presided
over by W. 3. Huette, president Of
the Cairo Commercial Club and was
addressed by two gentlemen from Chi
cage, Raymond Robbins, Democrat,
and Herbert 4, Fleming, Republican.
These gentlemen have been
making a tour of the state in a 40
horse power auto. travelling SCI miles
in their machine and stopping at
scores Of points to make addresses.
They had large audiences every
where. They hai to abandon their
auto at Murphysboro because of the
aeayy rains had made roads too mud
dy and flooded them. Their auto
bears banners telling the public that
II is Gar No. ." In the Good Gov
eminent Campaign" OF the Commit
ee of Seven OF the ,ceoria Confer
ence-a non-partisan gathering The
addresses last night We're closely lis
tened TO by the audience.
Raymond Robbins, a member OF the
conn ittee of seven created at tne
Peoria conference, called upon the
people to vote for the three little
ballot propositions approved by that
conference. These are state wide
civil service corrupt practices and
initiative and referendum acts. Mr..
Robbins is a man who has devoted
his time during the last ten years to
working for philanthropist and pro.
giessive labor leg Station. He has
been in position to watch the work
ings OF the Jackpot crowd of crooks
at Springfield. He has national
reputation as public speaker. Mr.
Robbins laid greatest emphasis on
the initiative and referendum as the
means for providing a popular check
on the legislature and for removing
from Legislators the temptation to be-
come grafters. He said in part.
To-day in Illinois you 10 NOT gel
laws YOU don't want and you can'c
get laws you do want Let's see If
| can make good on that. / Ike to
specify, Take for example the mat
ter Of express rates: You pay much
more on every express package you
receive than you should; but you
have been unable to get from the
legislature a law regulating express
rates. With the initiative the PEG
pie could secure such law by start
ing petition and having the people
vote it through.
Then as to laws you don't want:
Did any Of you want the legislature
to sell your land down on the lake
front in Chicago for $4,000 an acre
when it was worth 100000 an acre.
With the referendum you could have
stopped the law which made the sale
to three rich corporations
Mr.. Robbins was a spectator in
the house gallery on the day OF the
great delivery" of the senatorship
to Lorimer Republican, by Demo
Gratis and by Republicans instructed
at the primaries for Hopkins. He
cited this Of an illustration OF the
way in which dishonest Republicans
and dishonest Democrats unite to
promote the interests Of political
boss and Of corporations seeking spe,
cial privileges. He said.
Since crooked Republicans and
crooked Democrats unite to pass
crooked legislation isn't it time for
honest Republicans and honest Demo |
Gratis to unite for honest legislation?
30 we want you TO unite for the
initiative and referendum,
Now as to the civil service promo
'tion a state wide civil service law
will make the state employees free
men, not wearing any boss's collar.
1ot forced to go out and do dirty
politics for boss to keep that boss
in power.
what VIII cofrupy practices mean?
Simply that every candidate for
elective office will have TO publish
under oath the name OF the contrlbu.
tors to his campaign fund and the
amount Of their contribution. so that
you may know whose man ne ia when
You vote for him
Mr. Robbins urged his hearers to
form a little ballot club, TO pass fine
word around in the locality to vote
for the three little ballot pro2osi.
lions. He invited them TO sign al
dressed cards which were distrbut.
ed. He promised to have the commit
lee of seven send to the signers
Senator Burnes' speech on popular
government and other literature on
the,three propositions
For Civil Service
Herbert f. Fleming, secretary of
he Illinois Civil Service Reform AS.
ISOLATION, urged the voters TO vote
Yes" on the little ballot question.
November Sth next. He said in part: |,
THE Lorimer Senatorial committee
hearings and the Browne trials
lrought out evidence showing how
patronage in the public service may