"My God, Spooner, what are you doing here?" I told him the business that had called me there, when he asked me to get right out on the first train. I asked him why and he answered, "Why, man, you only voted thirty-two times here yesterday." I thought it was time to get out of that town, and when I inquired later I found that they had voted, religiously and constantly, as many times as possible, every man whose name they knew in any county of the State.

mating an

Those were the days when in county seat elections and railroad Checkbond elections the number of votes cast in a county sometimes election exceeded the population of the State. We had a railroad bond count. election in my own county, and from the adjoining rival town watchers came down. Neither town wanted bonds to go through for the benefit of the other town. So these watchers came down and watched our election. They were primitive in their method of checks and safeguards they were farmers and the chairman of that committee had his left-hand overcoat pocket full of corn; as fast as a vote was polled he transferred a grain of corn from that pocket to the right-hand pocket. One of our residents caught sight of the color of the corn, was gone a few minutes, came back with his pockets suspiciously full, and then stood for some time very close to the watching chairman, who soon found that his right-hand pocket was full and could not understand how it had happened. He lost his count.

A political worker in New York City thus describes his experience with a packed convention several years ago:

How the minority ran the con

I attended as a delegate an Assembly district convention, which was composed of 93 delegates. Sixty-four of those delegates, duly certified, with their credentials in their hands, were known to be vention. in opposition to what was understood to be the controlling power of the organization in the city (New York) - the county committee. Twenty-nine were in its favor. The man who was designated by the county committee to call that convention to order stood upon a narrow platform, with a police captain directly in front of him,

The list of party committees.

The state committee.

called for nominations for temporary chairman, refused every demand for a call of the roll, would not permit a standing vote, but simply called for a viva voce vote on the nominations made, and declared that one elected who was favored by the minority of the convention, claiming to base his declaration on his perception of volume of sound. The one so declared elected chairman was immediately inducted into office, the police captain standing in front protecting him in the retention of his place upon the platform, and that man in presiding over that convention never once allowed a call of the roll or a standing vote, but decided everything, even to his declaring the close of the convention, on his perception of volume of sound recognized no appeal or any objection or protest whatsoever. The real majority of that convention, retaining their places on the floor, were obliged to organize the convention and conduct its proceedings without a platform for the real chairman to occupy.

228. State Control of Party Organization

The extent to which state legislation has gone in controlling party organization, and attempting to prevent boss rule is indicated by this extract from the recent primary law of Illinois :1

SEC. 8. The following committees shall constitute the central or managing committees of each political party, viz.: A state central committee; a congressional committee for each congressional district; a senatorial committee for each senatorial district; a county central committee for each county; a city central committee for each city or village; and a precinct committee for each precinct. Provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall prevent a political party from electing or appointing in accordance with its practice other committees.

SEC. 9. (1) The State central committee shall be composed of

1 While these pages were passing through the press this law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Illinois, but the extract given here still serves its original purpose, that of illustrating an important tendency in state legislation controlling political parties.

one member from each congressional district in the State and shall be elected as follows:

At the August primary held in the year A.D. 1908 and at the April primary held every two years thereafter, each primary elector may vote for one candidate of his party for member of the State central committee for the congressional district in which he resides. The State central committee of each political party shall be composed of members elected from the several congressional districts of the State as herein provided and of no other person or persons whomsoever. The members of the State central committee shall, within thirty days after their election, meet in the city of Springfield, and organize by electing from among their number a chairman and may at such time elect such other officers from among their own number, or otherwise as they may deem necessary or expedient. The outgoing chairman of the State central committee shall, ten days before the meeting, notify each member of the State central committee elected at the primary of the time and place of such meeting.

member.

(2) At the August primary held in August, A.D. 1908, and at Precinct. the April primary held every two years thereafter, each primary elector may write or attach in the space left on the primary ballot for that purpose the name of one qualified primary elector of his party in the precinct for member of his political party precinct committee. The one having the highest number of votes shall be such committeeman of such party for such precinct. In case of a tie the primary judges shall cast lots. The official returns of the primary judges shall show the name and address of the committeeman of each political party.

committee.

(3) The county central committee of each political party shall County consist of the members of the various precinct committees of such party in the county.

[4. The senatorial committee.]

sional com

(5) The congressional committee of each political party shall Congresbe composed of the chairmen of the county central committees of the counties composing the congressional district, excepting that

mittee.

Officers and

powers.

Party con

ventions.

in congressional districts wholly within the territorial limits of one county, or partly within the territorial limits of one county and partly within the territorial limits of another county, then the members of the precinct committees of the party residing within the limits of the congressional district shall compose the congressional committee.

(6) The city central committee of each political party shall be composed of the precinct committeemen of such party residing in such city.

(7) Each committee and its officers shall have the powers usually exercised by such committees, and by the officers thereof, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act. The several committees herein provided for shall not have power to delegate any of their powers or functions to any other person, officer or committee, but this shall not be construed to prevent a committee from appointing from its own membership, proper and necessary sub-committees, and particularly defining, by resolution, the duties of such sub-committees. . .

SEC. 10. (a) On the second Wednesday next succeeding the April primary, the county central committee of each political party shall meet at the county seat of the proper county, and proceed to organize by electing from among its own number a chairman, and either from among its own number or otherwise, such other officers as said committee may deem necessary or expedient. Such meeting of the county central committee shall be known as the county convention. The county convention of each political party shall choose delegates to the senatorial, congressional, and State convention of its party: Provided, only precinct committeemen residing within the limits of a senatorial or congressional district shall participate in the selection of delegates to senatorial and congressional conventions respectively: And, provided, further, that in the county convention each delegate to the county convention shall have one vote and one additional vote for each fifty or major fraction thereof of his party as cast in his precinct at the last general election.

(b) All senatorial conventions shall be held on the third Wednesday next succeeding the April primary.

(c) All congressional conventions shall be held on the fourth Wednesday next succeeding the April primary. The congressional convention of each political party shall have power to choose and select delegates and alternate delegates to national nominating conventions and to recommend to the State convention of its party the nomination of candidate or candidates from such congressional district for elector or electors of President and Vice President of the United States.

(d) All State conventions shall be held on the fifth Wednesday next succeeding the April primary. The State convention of each political party shall have power to make nominations of candidates for the electors of President and Vice President of the United States, and for trustees of the University of Illinois, and to adopt any party platform and to choose and select in accordance with the rules and regulations of its party, delegates and alternate delegates to national nominating conventions.

(e) Each convention may perform all other functions inherent in such political organization and not inconsistent with this act.