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- WINNETKA WEEKLY TALK, FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1919 =. = Revision Lowden's Commission Favors the | Abolition of Primaries and a | of State Election Laws $ LER Election laws of Illinois should be, thoroughly revised and primaries] abolished, according to the following report of the commission appointed by Governor Lowden two years ago] to investigate election laws of the state under the authorization of the! fiftieth general assembly . "We find that the election laws of Illinois are cumbersome, inadequate and inconsistent. The primary elec- tion law seems to have failed to ac-| complish the purpose for which it was created. Cumbersome and un- | reliable election machinery, especial-| ly in the larger cities of the state, fail to protect the purity of the bal-| lot. Every election brings charges] of gross fraud of the will of the; "voters, causing dismay and conster- nation and agitated discontent det- rimental to the stability of our gov-| ernment. 'To remedy these defects it will be necessary to inaugurate a revision of the statutes throughout. | "The frequency of our elections] and theaccompanying exorbitant cost have contributed to breaking down! their efficiency and creating a de- mand for relief. The general election | and primary election laws together provide for as many as eleven elec- tions and registrations within a per- iod of one year. These elections of one year have cost the stupendous! sum of $5,000,000 and placed a real burden upon the taxpayers of the] state, the citizens of Chicago alone standing $1,991,014.77. "The present primary election law, after much discussion of differences of opinion, was inaugurated by the legislature in response to an insist- ent public sentiment which had been aroused by the abuses indulged in under our former methods of nomin- 'ating candidates for office. The theory on which the primary law is based seems correct, but experience 'indicates that these abuses could have been corrected in a much more practical way and it would appear that this same public sentiment is about ready to demand this more "practical and less expensive solution. "We believe this demand will be com- "plete within a period of two years. Experience has shown the primary law not only to be expensive, but that it attracts the general public to its support and co-operation only spas- modically, and in addition puts the ambition to aspire fer nomination for an office of any considerable im- 'portance beyond tle range of pos- sibility of any citizen of moderate wealth. "The primary also tends, strongly, to exaggerate and magnify religious, class and race differences. It increas- es personalities between candidates and arouses animosities between communities which tend strongly to disintegrate the parties, creating an unhealthy and undesirable condition. The primary carried to a logical con- clusion would promote democracy, while the history of this.republic has proven the representative idea in government to be the greatest poli- tical discovery in the history of the race. The chief problem of civiliza- tion from a political point of view Bas always been to secure concerted action among men on a large scale without sacrificing local independ- ence. The ancient and recently the modern history of Europe shows that it is not possible to solve this prob- lem without the aid of the American established principle of .representa- tion. We should, therefore, not. de- . part.too far from it. The town meet- ing and- the convention draw people together. to discuss their problems and to fight out their differences. Hedged about by restrictions to pre- vent fraud of unequal advantages, these cannot fail to produce results both helpful and satisfactory. Your commission has reached these conclusions and would present | f ! a remedy along the lines stagested] at this time, were it not for the com- ing constitutional convention which! may be expected to change many of | the fundamentals in the election] laws; we therefore believe that this question of simplified primaries and elections can best be treated finally by the fifty-second general assembly. We have, however, prepared two biils deémed essential which are sub- mitted fo rconsideration and recom- mended for adoption. { "One bill represents a large amount | of work and presents a complete, comprehensive codification of the general election laws. If adopted] this will prove to be a great con-| venience, bringing together the hun- dreds of provisions scattered | throughout the statutes in reference to our elections. This bill proposes a considerable addition to the pres- ent general election laws by providing | for a state election commission which | shall have supervision over all elec- tion matters in the state. We believe that the selection of this commission would form the basis upon which all needed election reforms and improve- ments may be built. It would, in our opiniog, very largely eradicate frauds would eliminate the dis- and suspicions now existing to the great detriment of our elections and our government and this commission could before the ses- sion of the next general assembly have worked out tor submission to| that body a complete plan of party] nominations and simplfied elections. and - 1 ana abuses, & satisfactions | "We earnestly recommend its adop- | . 1 tion. We are submitting also a bill which contemplates some changes] which seem advisable at this time 11 the primary election law. This bill would take from the primary nomin tions for city officers in cities of un- der 25000 population and would change to some extent the duties! and formations of the party organ-| izations and conventions. It pro-| vides that the county convention | shall be composed as at present of | the county central committees elect- | ed at the presidential primary but re- | quires that the names of candidates | for ward and precinct committeemen | who constitute the county central committee shall be placed on the| primary ballot by petition. The coun- | ty convention S$hall have power to| select delegates to the state, judicial] and district convention, to nominate | candidates for circuit judges in ju-| dicial districts composed of one coun- ty and candidates for judges on the] superior court of Cook county. "The delegates to the state conven- tion from each congressional district shall constitute the delegates to the congressional convention. All con- gressional conventions shall be held | at the call of the state convention and shall 'have power to nominate] candidates for the state board of equalization, delegates and alternate] . . 1 delegates to the national convention, | and to select a state central com-| mitteeman. "The state convention shall have| power to nominate candidates for] university trustees, congressmen-at- | large, presidential electors and dele-| ge, | gates and alternates at large to the] tricts composed of more than one| national election. "The judicial convention: in dis-| county shall be composed of dele-| gates selected by the county conven-| tion and shall have power to nomin-| ate. condidates for circuit..and sup- a penalty for anyone receiving a| reme court judges. "The section of the law providing bribe to influence his vote has been changed to include the giver of the bribe. "The county and state committees are given power to select their chair- men from among their own members or otherwise." LAKE FOREST TRIMS, WILMETTE NINE IN FAST TEN INNINGS | i | | baseball nine! Lake Forest away with in a Wilmette's amateur opened: 'the -season "at Sunday afternoon comin the short end of a 5 to , ten inning battle. Wilmette g dd ov 4 SCOorc 1€rS. Lake round when Scl on the strike and free passes all 'around the circuit by | pegging 'into the outfiéld. Lake For-| est dribbled 4 markers over the home rorest third ributed | station for eight innings holding the local boys scoreless. 3 In the eighth Wilmette plucked up courage. Schwall singled and Rapp duplicated the feat. Schwall stopping at the keystone sack. Both advanc- ed on a. double steal and came when Ra yr ar x athlete parry, star New I athlete, sent] a smashin t ft center stop- | 1 tt} 1 to' count 1 ) ) i 1 \ | 1 ) 1 I 1 r the 1 5 111 ) 3 LHOWS © stes, center ; Barn Cr Tight; les, thy Braun, first; De I. cattliér; Rapp, pitch : ( SUBSCRIBE NOW Sh Kindergarten Institute Dance May 37, in Recital Hall, Fine Arts terested in the Kindergarten Insti- The senior class of the Chicago Building, South Michigan avenue, tute have been invited to attend the | Kindergarten' Inst tne will lve on Chicago. North shore residents in- affair. ; informal dance Saturday evening, ERAS I RRNRRENY : =] I is a A . i Long | The Cemetery Beautiful [1] nl LANTED amidst nature's own beauty, G ry ; man has created a beautiful park ceme- tery. The sunken gardens, the winding paths, and the imposing chapel makes this or spot a vision of beauty. It is indeed a fit- ting final resting place for our beloved ones. 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