The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-03
CUTTING COOK
COUNTY POWER
CON CON ISSUE
Question of Chicago
Representation in
Lin1elight.

Sprlngnelds Jan. Shy the
Associated Press Failing to
agree on a course of proceed.
ure when 1t recOnvened today
after a years recess, the two
year-0ld constitutional conven-
ton recessed until 9 p. M,
while dOwnstate and Cook
county delegates divided and
held conferences over the stand
they will take this afternoon on
the question of another recess
until January 81.
Cook county delegates de-
elared they were ready for the
showdown ON the legislative ar
ticle. DOwnstaters were split
over the question of a recess
until the six new delegates who
will be named in special cleo
tons January % are seated.
Springfield, H., Jan. 3.-The is
sue between Cook county and the
downstate on the proposal to re-
strict Chicago's representation in
the general assembly was, all dele
gates agreed, the point upon which
Illinois fourth constitutional con-
vention hinged as it went into ses-
sion today after a recess of more
than year.
Except for a brief 80 minutes or
SO on Sept. 6, when few delegates
met and Immediately adjourned,
the convention has been at a stand
still since December, 1920. The 1920
session broke up suddenly in the
heat of the disagreement over the
question of representation in the
legislature.
AS the delegates assembled today
nothing but a compromise on the
big issue between Cook county and
downstate can avert disaster for
the proposed new constitution,
practically all of the delegates as
serted. Without an agreement on a
plan Of representation mutually
satisfactory, Illinois will have no
new constitution, they said. All
depends upon the legislative arti-
Gle.
For this reason many delegates,
as the 1922 session approached,
asked President Woodward to be-
gin the showdown Immediately. 1t
would be ridiculous, they argued
to spend several weeks on articles
over which there is little dispute,
only to reach a deadlock on the big
issue and then throw up the whole
job.
Showdown at Once.
President Woodward has indicat-
ed that he will follow that plan
even letting the revenue and SUI
preme court articles wait until the
! legislative sections are out of the
way.
Failure to effect a constitutional
provision satisfactory to both Cook
county and downstate delegates
would only result in defeat for the
new constitution il 1t is finally
written and submitted to the peo-
pie, delegates argued. Sentiment
in the convention will be reflected
in the votes of the populace, they
said.
The plan of representation now
before the convention is that OF
county representation in the lower
house, with Cook county limited to
10, or one-third of the senate Of 81
members. Under this system each
county would have one representa-
tive and an additional member in
the lower house for every $4,000 OF
major fraction thereof in popula-
ton.
Six new delegates will take theiI
seats in the convention after the
special election Jan. % to fill va
cancies. Sponsors of the county
representation plan expect to gail
Four ~ tho CIV UnfaS the
naming two coming from Coof
county. These two are expected Il
retain the Chicago unit against re
striction.
Drys i'm Fight.
Aligned with the downstate sup
porters of the plan is the Anti Sa
loon league. The wet and dry is
sue is apparently subordinated
however, by Cook county drys wht
are expected to stick in a com
pact group for what they character
ize as Cook county's right on th'
question of representation.
All articles of the proposed new
constitution are on second reading
Two legislative articles seemed. pos
sible as the basic law makers re
convened. One would be embodied
in the constitution and the othel
| submitted to the people separately
So intense is the feeling over rep
| resentation, however, that neither
side takes well to such a settlement
of the problem, realizing that the
article embodied in the constitution
would have the advantage at the
polls.