The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-03-25
| STATES LEGAL GUIDE
Attorney General So Regard
ed by Officials and Public.
Hundreds Of Queries Are irrele-
vent to His Duties but Serl.
Gus Problems Keep Great
Office Busy.

sas, he replied. Il want to know
whether | can marry my girl who lives
in your state" The question would
have caused smile had he not at
once revealed the tragedy In his life
when he exclaimed: You know. she
Is In one of your insane asylums. and
] don't know how to get her"
All Go There for Help.
The attorney generals department
is the department OF opinions. To II
all manner of appeals are directed for
help and sympathy. This mans de-
sires were so different from those OF
hundreds, perhaps thousands. Of 9th
ers.
These furnish the high lights In a
day OF serious study OF big problems
that affect the administration of coun
ty and state in S,al points.
Stead Has Had More Than His Share.
Attorney General Stead has had
more than his share OF these big ques.
tions. but evidently finds them con
genial because he has asked to be
renominated.
Upon what he says Is the law, pub
lie officers proceed until such time as
the courts may decide to the con
trary, which, during his term of office,
has been infrequenL
Clears Election Law OF Doubts.
Among his first big opinions, MT.
Stead explained to the general assem-
bly, the system of counting ballots
cast In cumulative voting for member
OF the house His conclusions adopt
ed by the assembly, solved numoel
OF contested election cases pending be
fore it. These contests, together Wild
Mr.. Stead's opinion, furnished the
basis for amendments 10 the Austria
ian ballot law relating to the counting
OF ballots cast for legislative camel
dates
Constitutional Questions.
One of the first important constitu
tional questions submitted to him was
found in a new law purporting to vail
date certain county tax levies which
had been declared invalid by the su
preme court.
Mr.. Stead contended that the new
law was valid The supreme couFi
held with Mr.. Stead.
An important constitutional ques
ton arose out of an act Of 1905, e1
tending the jurisdiction of the probate
court to include the supervision Of
testamentary trusts Mr.. Stead held
this act to be invalid because the con
stitutlon defines the jurisdiction OF this
court and the legislature could not ex
tend IT, The supreme court upheld
this view.
The Illinois Central Case.
Mr. Stead rendered a number o.
opinions in 1905 and 1906 relating tc
the contract between the state and
the Illinois Central railroad company
These were forerunners TO the great
suit for an accounting by the company
Of its financial relations with the
state. case in which the attorney
general has since been sustained By
the supreme court.
The act OF 1906 requiring election
Judges to be appointed In each pre-
cinct in accordance with the vote o!
the last election for governor was at.
lacked on constitutional grounds. Mr.
Stead said it was valid and instituted
suit against the board Of Edgar county
TO compel compliance. He was signal
ly successful in the supreme court anc
since then county boards have Cbeyec
| this law,
Amendments TO Revenue Law.
/ The amendments TO the revenue Law
( of 1906, seeking TO exempt from capita
! stock assessment, the capital of mer
| camille. manufacturing and mining cor
porations. was declared by him to h.
unconstitutional and the suprem'
court later upheld Kim.
An opinion which has created wide
comment was that given TO the COVER
nor upon the right of the Econom'
Power and Light company to erect {
dam at Dresden heights across thu
Desplaines river. General Stead
opinion was sustained by the state su
preme court. Appeal from its decision
has been taken by the state to tn
United States supreme court
The Woman's Ten Hour Law.
Mr.. Stead declared the woman's ter
baur employment law, as original
passed, to be valid and some month
later the supreme court affirmed tina
decision. Since then an amendmen
, tn the law, extending Its scope, hn
, been passed and court test OF II
now pending with Mr.. Stead defendn
the law.
Il An important series Of opinions wa
rendered to the auditor relating to tn
b acts OF 1909, changing the basis OF a
r. sessment from one-fifth to one.thir
of the fair cash value Of property.
They have since been affirmed b
the supreme court.
Senate Asks for an Opinion.
The state senate recently asked hi
- whether the state game departmel
u had a right to expend Its fees witho
e appropriation. General Stead reptile
10 that. in his opinion, fees collected
:. state agencies should be turned in
n the public treasury and such agenci
supported entirely from specific a
propriations by the assembly In Il
regular manner.
% tu1f 4.