The Washington times., 1910-07-11
Illinois Campaign Promises
to Be One Of Hottest
of Year.
VOTERS AROUSED,
DEMAND CLEANUP
Chicago County Republicans TO
Answer Charges of Negligence
and Graft.
By JOHN SNURE.

ITfe A4lELTlEE seaman VIII ne the para
mount issue in the campaign in Illinois
this sumner and fall- according 20 poll
ticians from that state.
National issues VIII be prominent. but
overshadowins everything else win be
the effort of the people TO shake them
selves loose from a political system
which has been a disgrace 10 the state
The preliminary campaign I'm Illinois
IS already wei under way The strug-
gle promises 10 be one Of the most IN
teresting political battles of the year
The primaries VIII be held September
Is, and viii ne hOJry contested
The people Of Illinois are thoroughly
aroused in =-JpOrt Of the proposition
that the State Legislature shan be
cleaned out from top 90 bottom Of all
men who voted Tor William LOrimer for
Senator
Makeup OF legislature
OF the 2o4 members of the Illinois
!. Legislature, hfty-fve Republicans and
sffty-three Democrats. Jos in all. voted
Tor I,orimer for the Senate A few
on the los are hoId-ove- senators
who cannot be reached by the
voters at the coming election
Four Of the los have confessed
they were bribed to vote for L0rime--
Another, who has not confessed, has
already been tried once Tor bribery and
VIII be tried again StiI another has
been indicted for alleged bribery
The situation IS similar I'm many re-
spects 10 that caused by the action OF
the Legislature Of 1897. which passed
The Humphrey gas bin and the Allen
street railway bII, the result Of which
wss that only one member OF the Legs
Iature was reelected For thirteen
D.
Il IS aroused, and an Indignation THAI
is non-narrIsan is sweeping over the
state as the result OF the Lo--ueC scan
GaL
The issues in Illinois this fan promise
TO be as follows
In the Congressional campaign, Can
nOnism. the 1ariI law. and the high
cost Of living VIII be the most discussed
In the state campaign the Lorir-er
scan6sI VIII be paramount
In me Chicago county campaign the
Republican party VIII have 10 answer
charges Of negligence and graft 10 the
administration Of the business affairs
Of the city.
The most significant thing with re-
spect TO the state campaign 20 date has
been the recent uOn-parrisan meeting
81 Peoria, at which the failure Of p0pu-
lar government in Illinois, due 10 the
rOttelness OF the state Legislature. was
under discussion The iui1uiries Of the
present political system IN the state
were dveIt on. and committees were
named 10 root these out a. the coming
primaries and elections
Various county committees, EepubIi-
can and Democratic. have passed -esO-
buttons condemClrE members OF the
state LEGISLATURE VINO voted for L0riuar
and in some instances have already de-
manded and secured the designations
Of such members and promises from
them that they VIII Do- run for re-
election
Eon-partisa1 Meetings Held.
Also. uou-partisan meetings in several
counties have accomplished the same
result. and in Chicago the Democratic
COUNT. central committee has gone on
record against returning 10 the IlezisIa-
ture any Chicago Democratic members
who voted for Senator L.orimer-
on the other hand, the Republican
leaders of Cook county have virtually
determined TO make up their county
states for the primaries without refer
ence 10 Senator LOrIDeT and his
friends who acmltted-E control Eve
wards in the city
At present. the Lorimer forces in Chi
CagO appear CUiesCeDr- Whether they
vii n AXE ND a primary slate o. their
Nft--H -r--E----E- ----- fa-a anne Ha-e-a
PonentS ~ their own party at the polls
In November. or whether they viii SUD
port them. Is q problem The Demo
Gratis have an opportunity TO carry
Cook county In which Chicago IS rgcar-
ed, such as they have NOT had in q
number OF years
Deneen's Standing.
one thing that favors the Republicans
In the state is that no Republican mem
61r OF the Legislature has been shown
% have been either q bride giver %
brfbe taker in connection with the Lori
mer scandal. Governor Deueen's ad-
ADMINISTRATION, moreover, has been almost
free from scandal One Republican sen
ator has been indicted in connection
with the alleged graft in the purchase
of furniture Tor The legislature The
Republican majority on joint ballot Ed
the Legislature IS ffty-
Governor DeDeeu was not IN sympathy
with the LOrimer forces in the LeEisIa-
ture, and IN fact the choice for speaker
OF his own supporters in that BODY was
~ defeated by a combination Of Lor-ue-
Republicans and Democrats. much sim
liar TO that which elected LOrimer sen
a-c-
The facility with which Rc7ubI5cans
and Democrats IN the Legislature were
brought together on these two PROPOSE
tons Is one Of the manifestations of this
allegation heard through the state fol
the last ten years 70 the effect that The
Democratic party has been merely al
annex 10 the Republican machine
Effect Of Cumulative System
This allegation was especially true VI
70 1904 when William Lorimer was IL
urdisputed control of the Republican
machine in the state since then tht
old combinations have been maintained
although Lo-iner represented only a mi
nority Of the Republican party
The principal reason for the cas-,
VIII which such combinations have
been brought about IN Illinois lies IN th
cumulative system of voting for mem
SeTs OF the Legislature which is pro
vided for by the constitution Of TIT
State In each legislative district. IN,
voter may east three votes for one can
didate, OF he may cast a vote and hal
FOR two candidates or one vote FOR eacl
Of three candidates
This system has made Il possible fol
the party bosses on each side To aETe,
on q legislative slate They nominated
their most subservient tools and wer,
able 10 elect them This year. however
q better standard Of candidates VIII %