Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-05
A STATEMENT BY J. MCCAIN DAVIS.

. j.
oppose the third term for governor of Illinois
No man ought to be governor of Illinois for three
consecutive terms.
Such has been the unwritten law in Illinois for al
most century. 1t is law which until now, in the
whole history of the state has sought to violate
The governorship originally a term office
not by the unwritten but by the written law Prior to
1870 the constitution barred self succession in the Of
flee of governor.
The people believed that when they came to elect
governor-the most important Office within their gift
they should have a free aid untrammeled choice;
that the prestige and power of the Office should
not be used to prolong his tenure of office.
And they wrote in their constitution plain
But if it good law SO years ago
it is a hundred fold peter
For amazing change has come in a half century.
From few clerks in modest little state house, the
patronage of the governor has grown until his ap-
pointees directly and Indirectly numbered
by the thousands. He controls vast political organ
izaton, composed of the most expert wrepulers and
manipulators that lucrative Offices will commend-an
maintained at public expense.
In 20 years the state machine has grown enormous
y In the view of many who part of it, the machine
is invincibe. 1t has proved it's power repeatedly; it
proved it concusvely in 1908 when forced the
nomination of the incumbent of the Office.
The power-the machine-the in
vincible organization now seeks to overthrow the
precedent of hundred years, to thwart the unwrtten
law which heretofore no man has dared defy, to
mate and elect the present governor for the third
time and thus to perpetuate the state machine in its
existence and its autocratic power
There is no personal feeling in this statement I
not condemning personally the who hold Of
fees. denounce the system-a system sufficiently
powerful unless met by extraordinary opposition,
defeat the real will of the people
Abolish the third in the governors Office
that is the only remedy now at hand for state Of
things both dangerous and intolerable. The remedy
lies in the hands of the voters.
am not a chronic critic of the machine. I believe
in party organization, but not in personal machine
designed to perpetuate individual in Office of
great prestige and power
That is one great issue of this campaign
There is another issue-one that must become Of
greater magnitude unless the people effect a
change of conditions.
refer to the extravagant use of money to secure
nomination for governor 1t is aleged-and though
specific proof is not available, abundant crcum-
stances support the asserton-that in this primary
campaign candidate for governor has at his
mand 500, 900, another $500 600 another $3.50 Oo0
Where does this money come from?
do not pretend to know I do not pretend to say
from what particular interests it comes But it
comes from somewhere; it does not from empty
pockets; it does not grow bushes And rest
ed that back OF a 100000 campaign fund there is
somebody who is interested in seeing particular
made governor of the state.
The big campaign fund is public danger. 1t is
dangerous the jackpot for it is beyond the
of the law.
AS candidate for governor claim neither
machine a big campaign fund. 1 appeal to the
peeote their deliberate judgment, sc their good
sense. I am making promises to move mountains
only to give the people fair honest, decent ad-
rniaistration Of the Office OF governor.
J.. MCCAIN DAVIS.