Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-05-14
COMPULSORY VOTE.
AND ONE ELECTION
OK. EXPERIMENTATION
PUT POWER TO COMPEL EVERY
PERSON TO EXERCISE RIGHT or
STATURE.

Springfield, Ill, May 12.-The con
stitutional convention late yesterday
voted to prohibit more than one reg
ular election day annually for the neNt
six years and then granted power tc
the legislature to compel every citi
zen 10 vote
This latter action is interpreted az
forecast of defeat for the initiative
and referendum.
The constitutional provision for ont
election day a year says that EXCEPT
as otherwise provided by general Law
ooncnrrcd III by two-thirds of the
members elected TO each branch OF thu
general assembly and passed after
Jan 1927 all regular final elections
TO fill Offices shall he held on tile first
Tuesday after the first Monday in No.
Vember, which shall be a lega! holi-
day,
Special Election Permitted.
The provision does not prohibit pri-
mary or preliminary elections for OF
fees. nor special election for bond is
sues, establishment OF school districts
or referendums. or ordinances. Il
does prohibit special elections TO fiji
vacancies in office They are u be
filled by appointment until the next
regular election. with d few eXcep-
tions. One Of these is a membership
OF the legislature II legislator dies
a ata1 a1DGt lac tAllgl tn ilI
the vacancy
An attempt to eliminate from the
draft OF the new basic law the declare
ton that citizen OF Illinois is ineli-
gible ito appointiye or elective office
unless he is able 10 read and writ
the English language" was defeated
by a vote OF II to 10.
SIS Tax on Nonvoters.
Then followed long battle on com.
pusory voting. Delegate Gale pro.
puosed that every citizen be taxed s.
a year. but payment cancelled upon his
affidavit that he had voted at the
regular final election.
THAT VIII cost millions in money
and mountains i'll trouble. comMent-
ed former Governor filer.
The tax plan and others offered ap-
peared too drastic to the convention
so it adopted the proposal of Dele
gate Kerrock, which reads:
THE general assembly. may pass
laws conducive TO the fun exercise Of
the right of suffrage by all persons
possessing sucn rights.
The vote was - to 81
Delegate Michai urged prohibiting
primary elections except for the pur-
pose Of selecting delegates TO conven-
lions
in the language you can under
stand said Cichal. I'VE should get
back 10 the soap hoy primary. The
citizens Of Chicago are tired of the
primary system. The poor man has
not a chance fer office against thu
man with barrel Of money.
Rich Only Have Chance.
Except fol The rich this wicked
law il of no use, except to the bill
posters ana The political haranguers,
The press tells us frequently Of the
stupendouS sums being spent by one
OF the leading candidates for the pres
idency. that he may get the primary
Endorsement of each state for his
candidacy The SPENDING OF a fortune
should not be qualification of any
citizen for office. The convention
voted, % to q. against the abolish
ment OF primaries.
Il shall renew my motion later and
demand ron CALI said Michal tic
predicted privately he viii have
enough votes on roll call to Kin pri-
mares in Illinois.
The committee on the bin of rights
reported yesterday section permit
ting excess condemnation. II reads.
THE general assembly may author
ize the state or any county city, vii
lage, or incorporated town to take. in
the furtheranec OF any public improve /
ment, by ana with the approval Of the /
court as to the necessity for such TAX |
ing and the quantity TO be taken, a |
reasonable quantity Of land in excess /.
OF that which is actually to be occu- |
pied by the Improvement. such excess |
taken to be IN fee simple, and to hold, !
sell, or lease such excess
To Finish July I.
This will permit Chicago 10 acquire |
all of a lot when only twO-thirda OF 1t /
is needed to straighten or widen a /
subject to the view OF |
court The city could thus add grass .
flot8 beside wideued street as in .
the Improvement of Michigan boule- .
ward.
The steering committee of the con
YentiOn has decided that it will ad- .
iOurn for the Republican national con .
vouti0n in Chicago June S. 1t is fur
thCr planned to fecOnVene Immediate /
ly thereafter and complete the consti- I
tuition by July /.