Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-28
CAPITAL GOSSIP

Springfield. ILL.,, Aug. 28.-A bill ap-
proved Feb. Is, 1865, which permitted
civil war soldiers in active duty away
from nome to vote In the general cleo
tons, probably will be used as a mod
ell by Illinois legislators to guide them
in drafting a measure that will per
NIT Illinois militiamen now on the
Mexican border to vote in the ap-
preaching September primary and the
November general elections, IL Govern
or Dunno calls a special session OF the
general assembly for that purpose.
The Civil war bill provided for the
casting of soldiers votes by mail If
the soldier in the field wished to exer
else the privilege it granted. he made
affidavits to his commanding officer
who was empowered by the act to ad-
minister oaths, stating the place of
his residence, the date of his birth. and
the place where he was entitled to
vote
The affidavit was printed on the out.
side of large envelope In smaller
envelope marked Soldiers vote" he
placed the folded ballot. The voter
then mailed the envelopes to some
qualified elector of his home town. The
latter on election day handed the en-
ton at the polls, who opened the sol
dier's vote" envelope and placed the
ballot in the ballot box.
Copies of this bill have been sent out
on request of Finley Bell, secretary of
the legislative reference bureau. Sew
eral members of the legislature have
been studying it.
A national bill drafting conference
to be held in conjunction with the an
nual conference of the uniform laws
commission and the meeting of the
American Bar association in Chicago
Aug. 20, is of particular interest 10
Illinois because this state is one of the
very few of the union which has a
commission to draft bills for it's legis-
lature.
The Illinois legislative reference
bureau is the body which has the
task of drawing bills for the Illinois
general assembly. The Chicago confer
ence will deal with the functions and
possibilities of bill drafting.
Prominent among the executive Off
GERS of the conference will be: John
A. Lapp, of Indiana; George S. God |
ard, of Connecticut; Thomas l. Par
hnson of New York; Miles c. Wiley, !
of Wisconsin; A. E. Sheldon of Ne |
brska, and Finley J. Bell, of Illinois. |
all of whom are executives of the leg |
islative reference bureaus of their re-
spective states
Professor Freund of Chicago univer |
Sity, secretary of the Illinois uniform |
laws commission, will address the con-
ference. He will discuss many prob
lens with which the bill drafter must |
deal and enter into more or less detail |
respecting the work of the Illinois
bureau and other legislative drafting
departments. Other members of the
conference will deal with special
phases of bill drafting. Means for the
promotion of better statute making
will be considered.
John Warner, a farmer of Sherman,
Ill, loves children but he hates odd
lum bers. He has II children Six of
hem are girls and five boys. He wants
o add a boy so he can have an even
lozen. The county court here is at
empting to help him out. Warner has
Isked the court. which has jurisdiction
# Juvenile matters. to keep an eve
'pen for a bouncing baby boy which
lie can adopt. He says he and his wife
re experts in rearing children and
hat they have found them no trouble
t all.
Passenger traffic officials of rail
Dads of this section state hundreds
# persons who had contemplated tray
ling are staying at home because of
he threat of railroad strike. Many
eople from this locality who go to the
Orthwest and Canada every year, have
ancelled their contemplated trips. |
Danger of being stranded far away
home ri lie hoc |
allied passenger traffic. Many others
re hurrying home to escape possible
etention in other cities if the rail
trike comes.
year of prosperity enjoyed by the !
Wabash railroad has brought forth
lans for extensive improvements on
ne road, the most ambitious of which
J the contemplated laying of another
rack between Decatur, Ill, and Han
lbal, Mo, giving a double track sys-
I'm between these points. The double
'acking of the road through Spring |
ED also is being discussed. Purchase {
Is new locomotives is on the pro t
ram. Matntenance-Of-way men are il
ding over the road now to determine S
hat other improvements shall be n
Iade. a
Frank Champion and Laddie Laird,
viators who have been under fire in
lie European war, will supply thrills .
n state fair visitors here Saturday, 1
ept. 16.
Champion, Frenchman, is a pupil
the famous Bleriot, who was one of
Ie first to perfect the aerial loop-the-
OPP. Champion joined a French fly
g corps and was wounded in flying
yer the Garrnan limos dnrinp 70
an drive on Paris.
Laird has seen service with the Brit
h flying corps at the Dardanelles. He
helping swell the British Red Cross
nd by giving state fair exhibitions.
Among other feats, the men will
'monstrate the blowing up of forts
Id the dropping of bombs from the
y.
Motorcyclists daily are putting their
achines through speed tests on the