A Handbook FOR THE Women Voters of Illinois BY ALICE GREENACRE Member of the Chicago Bar EDITED BY SOPHONISBA P. BRECKINRIDGE PRICE FIFTY CENTS CHICAGO SCHOOL OF CIVICS AND PHILANTHROPY U. of ILL LIBRARY URBANA ;i! '' BOOKSTACKS CENTRAL CIRCULATION AND BOOKSTACKS The person borrowing this material is re- sponsible for its renewal or return before the Latest Date stamped below. You may be charged a minimum fee of $75.00 for each non-returned or lost item. Theft, mutilation, or defacement of library materials can be causes for student disciplinary action. All materials owned by the University of Illinois Library are the property of the State of Illinois and are protected by Article 16B of Illinois Criminal Law and Procedure. TO RENEW, CALL (217) 333-8400. University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign DEC 2 o NOV 2 3 1999 When renewing by phone, write new due date below previous due date. L162 A Handbook FOR THE Women Voters of Illinois BY ALICE GREENACRE Member of the Chicago Bar EDITED BY SOPHONISBA P. BRECKINRIDGE PRICE FIFTY CENTS PUBLISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL INVESTIGATION CHICAGO SCHOOL OF CIVICS AND PHILANTHROPY 1913 COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY ALICE GREENACRE The Hildmann Printing Co. 722-732 Sherman St., Chicago EDITOR'S PREFACE The purpose of this Handbook should be clearly under- stood. It has been prepared in the hope that it may be of service to the women of Illinois in preparing for the exercise of their new political power. Its preparation was begun at the request of a committee of the Woman's City Club of Chicago. Help and generous co-operation have been given by members of the Illinois Equal Suffrage Asso- ciation. It was at first intended to publish the Handbook under the auspices of a joint committee representing these two organizations, and acknowledgments are made espe- cially to Miss S. Grace Nicholes and to Mrs. Florence Ben- nett Peterson, members of that committee. The original plan was to prepare a brief outline of gov- ernment with citations of authorities, and it was hoped that such an outline might serve as a basis for discussions of governmental action which would interpret to women the significance of their enfranchisement. With the organiza- tion of numerous classes in civics for women voters, it be- came evident that effective interpretation must be preceded by an exact knowledge of structure, and our plan was neces- sarily enlarged. The Handbook, therefore, describes the structure of government as authorized and determined by the constitution, statutes and ordinances under which we live. It neither criticizes nor discusses on the basis of effi- ciency, nor does it, as has been said, interpret. Criticism and suggested changes in accordance with principles of efficiency can, we believe, be soundly based only on a rea- sonably wide and exact knowledge of the facts included in the following chapters. The book then differs from most handbooks. It is simpler than some, and not so simple as others. It is not a primer; 255535 6 EDITOR'S P REPACK neither is it a treatise. The effort has been made to have it as simple as is consistent with accuracy of statement and adequacy of content. Doubts have been resolved in favor of the" technical rather than the simple form of statement. in favor of including rather than of excluding material of uncertain importance. The sources of information are the constitution and statutes of the United States and of Illinois, the city ordi- nances, and official reports. All persons may have access to the same sources to test the accuracy or to add to the information. Miss Greenacre has, however, tried to include all the information necessary for an understanding of the structure of the government under which we live. It is hoped and believed that the task has been well enough performed to make simple the preparation and the publication of other handbooks in which the functions of good government and the relative value of alternative policies may be set forth. It is the author's hope and mine that many women will be willing to familiarize themselves with the relationships existing between the different governments under which they live ; and we especially hope that leaders of clubs and classes and groups of all kinds who are definitely and seri- ously undertaking to prepare themselves to vote may find it useful. For such leaders we suggest that in connection with each chapter they formulate a number of definite questions similar to the following, which can be easily answered by reference to the text. 1. Am I a qualified voter? 2. If not, how can I become one? 3. To what governmental districts does my place of residence belong? 4. How are they named? 5. How many people represent me as a voter in the government and to what bodies do they belong? EDITOR'S PREFACE 7 6. How many others, whom I do not help select, repre- sent me? 7. In what places is the governmental business con- ducted? 8. At what times during the year do I vote ? 9. What direct voice have I in the choice of federal officers? 10. What judges do I have a direct voice in electing? 11. What other judges are there? 12. Who pays their salaries? 13. Who decides what taxes I have to pay? 14. What governmental agencies control the schools of rny town? In addition to the acknowledgments already made, thanks are due to Mr. Charles E. Merriam and to Mr. I. T. Greenacre, who have read portions of the text, to the Elec- tion Commissioners of Chicago for aid in the preparation of the maps, to many officials who have given generous aid, and to Mrs. Emmons Elaine, through whose generosity the publication is made possible. S. P. BRECKINRIDGE. December 19, 1913. CONTENTS EDITOR'S PREFACE 5 CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT 11 CHAPTER II. CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION Citizenship by Birth 13 Citizenship by Naturalization 14 Expatriation 20 CHAPTER III. VOTING AND REGISTRATION Election Officials 22 Arrangements of Polling-Place 24 The Ballot 25 Voting Machines 28 Registration 29 Nominations and Primary Elections 31 Women as "Qualified Voters" 35 CHAPTER IV. GOVERNMENT OF CITIES AND INCORPORATED TOWNS AND VILLAGES Chicago 37 Legislative Department (City Council) 38 Executive Department 40 Judicial Department 46 Board of Election Commissioners 46 Other Forms of City Government 47 Commission Form of Government 47 Minority Representation in the City Council 49 Village Government 50 Incorporated Towns 50 Park Districts 51 CHAPTER V. COUNTY GOVERNMENT Counties Under Township Organization 55 Counties Not Under Township Organization 59 Cook County 60 Provisions Applying in all Counties 61 Assessment and Review 64 Sanitary Districts 66 Illinois School System 67 8 CONTENTS 9 CHAPTER VI. STATE GOVERNMENT OF ILLINOIS The Legislative Department 74 The Executive Department 78 The Judicial Department 85 CHAPTER VII. THE NATIONAL, OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT The Legislative Department 93 The Executive Department 98 The Judicial Department 102 CHAPTER VIII. REVENUE General Taxes (Tariff, excise and stamp duties, income tax, land and property tax) 105 Special Assessment 108 Fees 108 Borrowing Power 108 Income from Public Utilities 109 Income from Public Property 109 APPENDICES I. THREE ILLINOIS STATUTES AFFECTING WOMEN Ill II. CALENDAR OF ELECTIONS 113 III. TABLES OF COUNTIES SHOWING ELECTORAL DISTRICTS 117 INDEX 121 NOTES TO MAPS 128 Maps of Chicago showing Ward Boundaries, Senatorial and Con- gressional Districts. Map of Illinois showing Counties and County Seats. CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT On July 1, 1913, an act that greatly enlarged the po- litical capacity of the women of Illinois became effective. This act was entitled "An act for granting women the right to vote for presidential electors and certain other officers, and to participate and vote in certain matters and elec- tions." This act does not attempt to give full suffrage to the women of Illinois, since such suffrage can be given only by an amendment to the state constitution or by an amendment to the Constitution of the United States similar to the Fifteenth Amendment, which enfranchised negro men. The state constitution directs that certain officers shall be elected, and prescribes the qualifications of electors, re- quiring among other qualifications, that they shall be "male citizens." Such officers are called "constitutional officers," and the legislature cannot give to women the right to vote for them. The legislature may, however, grant to women the power to vote for any officers who are not by the constitution required to be elected, for whose selection it is the duty of the legislature to provide. The legislature has apparently attempted in the act of July 1, 1913, to en- franchise the women of Illinois as fully as lies in its power. In a number of states, women have for many years been allowed to vote on school affairs or for school officers. In other states, tax-paying women have enjoyed a limited suf- frage. In nine states, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and in the territory of Alaska women have full suffrage on equal terms with the male population. Under the Illinois law, women enjoy much greater power than in any other state where a limited right has been granted. The officers for whom they can vote are : presidential electors, members of the 11 12 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS State Board of Equalization, clerk of the appellate court, county surveyor, members of the boards of assessors, mem- bers of boards of review, sanitary district trustees, and all officers of cities, villages and towns (except police magis- trates). They may also vote on all questions submitted to a vote of the electors of municipalities or other political divisions of the state. Many questions will probably be raised requiring de- cision, both by the courts and by administrative officers, with reference to the effect of the act and to the extent to which duties have been laid upon women and rights ob- tained by women in matters other than the direct election of the particular officers named in the act. In the follow- ing discussion no attempt will be made to forecast the reply to such questions. The purpose of this discussion is to interpret the apparent meaning of the statute in rela- tion to the constitution and to other statutes, and to fur- nish such facts as the women of Illinois will need in order to exercise their new franchise intelligently. CHAPTER II. CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION By citizenship is meant membership in the nation, or the state; by reason of this membership the citizen owes the duty of allegiance to the state and is entitled to the protection of its government. Citizenship is the founda- tion of the right to vote, although in many states citizens who are in some way incapacitated by sex, infancy, mental defect or pauperism are denied suffrage, and in some states, e. g., Nebraska, persons who have not yet fully ac- quired citizenship are allowed suffrage. Citizenship exists either by birth or by reason of a pro- ceeding called "naturalization." CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH. Under the Constitution of the United States "all per- sons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." This provision is not held to apply to Indian tribes, to the native inhabitants of the Philippine Islands, nor to the people of Porto Rico and Cuba, who were formerly Spanish subjects ; they are re- garded as dependent but separate nations, with different de- grees of dependency upon the United States. It does apply, however, to all other persons born within the limits of the United States, including native-born Chinese and Japanese. Furthermore, a child born abroad, whose father is at the time of the child's birth an American citizen, who has him- self resided in America, is also an American citizen. But this citizenship will be lost unless the child either returns to the United States or, upon becoming of age, records before an American consul his intention of remaining a citizen of the United States, and takes the oath of allegiance to the United States. 13 14 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION. Naturalization is a proceeding prescribed by act of Congress by which persons formerly the subjects of other governments may acquire, together with their family, United States citizenship. The privilege of naturalization extends to persons of foreign birth, either men or women, who are "free white persons, aliens of African nativity, and persons of African descent." It will be noted that it does not extend to Chinese, Japanese, other Mongolians or to Eskimos. No person, moreover, who does not believe in organized government or who belongs to a society that does not believe in organized government, and no person who believes in or practices polygamy may be naturalized. Naturalization proceedings may be made in any district court of the United States, or in any state court of record, having a clerk and a seal, and with jurisdiction not confined to controversies in which the amount involved is limited. In Cook County, these state courts are the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Superior Court of Cook County. Full in- formation with regard to naturalization requirements can always be had from the clerk of any court in which naturali- zation proceedings may be taken. The present requirements for naturalization are de- termined by two acts : the first applies to foreigners who arrived on or before June 26, 1906, or took out their first papers before September 17, 1906; the second applies to foreigners who arrived after June 26, 1906. The first step in naturalization is generally called "taking out first pa- pers." It costs one dollar, and consists in filing with the clerk of the court a declaration, under oath, of intention to reside permanently in the United States and to renounce al- legiance to the foreign government from which the appli- cant has come. The law requires certain facts as indicated in the following form,* which is likewise prescribed by the new statute. *The clerk of the court will also supply in advance a blank ques- tion form, so that the applicant may know the facts which will have; to be stated in the declaration. CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION 15 DECLARATION OP INTENTION (Invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof.) , ss: I, , aged years, occupation , do declare on oath (affirm) that my personal description is: Color complexion , height , weight , color of hair color of eyes , other visible dis- tinctive marks ; I was born in , on the day of , anno Domini ; I now reside at ; I emigrated to the United States of America from , on the vessel ; my last foreign residence was It is my bona fide intention to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to of which I am now a citizen (subject); I arrived at the (port) of , in the State (Territory or District) of on or about the day of , anno Domini ; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to permanently reside herein. So help me God. (Original signature of declarant) Subscribed and sworn to (affirmed) before me this day of , anno Domini (Official character of attestor.) Declarations cannot be filed by anyone under eighteen years of age, and under the earlier act people who came to this country when they were minors, under eighteen years of age, did not have to file this declaration. Under the new act, however, everyone except a person who has been honorably discharged from the United States Army, or has served five years in the United States Navy, or one enlist- ment in the United States Marine Corps must take out first papers. Declarations filed under the earlier law are good without limit as to the time at which naturalization is completed, but under the new law naturalization must be completed within seven years from their date. Further, under the new law a certificate of arrival must be filed with the first papers. This certificate can be ob- tained from the Department of Labor. It is sent directly to the clerk of the court indicated, who will notify the appli- 16 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS cant upon its arrival. The following is a proper form of request : CHIEF, DIVISION OF NATURALIZATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, WASHINGTON, D. C. SIR: I came to this country after June 29, 1906. Please obtain a certificate, showing my arrival in the United States and forward it to the Clerk of the (Give title of court and city and county and state where court is located in which petition will be filed.) for filing as the law requires, with the petition for naturalization, which I intend to file in that court. In the accompanying statement I have given the date I landed and the place of my arrival and shown the facts which will go in my petition for naturalization when it is filed. Respectfully, (Name in full.) (Address.) The second step of naturalization proceedings is called "taking out second papers." Persons over twenty-one years of age who have been honorably discharged from the army of the United States and have lived in the country one full year, or who, after taking out first papers, have served with good conduct for three years in a United States merchant vessel may take out second papers with- out waiting until they have been five years in America. Everyone else must wait until he is twenty-one years of age and has been in this country at least five years, and further until at least two years have passed since the filing of the first papers, and until he has been at least one year in the state where he takes out the second papers and com- pletes naturalization. Under the new law he must also be able to speak English by the time he takes out the second papers, unless he is physically unable to speak or has made a homestead entry upon the public lands of the United States. To take out second papers the alien goes to the clerk of the court where he wishes to get his papers of citi- zenship and files his first papers ; gives the names, addresses CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION 17 and occupations of two persons who are both citizens of the United States, who will be witnesses for him to prove that he has filled the residence requirements, that he has lived as a man of good moral character and as a law-abiding citizen should and that he will make a desirable citizen; and upon paying a fee of two dollars files a petition for naturalization, which is in the following form : PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION Court of In the matter of the petition of , to be admitted as a citizen of the United States of America. To the Court : The petition of respectfully shows : First. My full name is Second. My place of residence is No street, city of , State (Territory or District) of Third. My occupation is Fourth. I was born on the day of , at Fifth. I emigrated to the United States from , on or about the day of , anno Domini , and arrived at the port of , in the United States, on the vessel Sixth. I declared my intention to become a citizen of the United States on the day of , at , in the court of Seventh. I am married. My wife's name is She was born in and now resides at I have children, and the name, date, and place of birth and place of residence of each of said children is as follows : ; Eighth. I am not a disbeliever in or opposed to organized gov- ernment or a member of or affiliated with any organization or body of persons teaching disbelief in organized government. I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I am attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and it is my intention to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to , of which at this time I am a citizen (or subject), and it is my intention to reside permanently in the United States. Ninth. I am able to speak the English language. Tenth. I have resided continuously in the United States of Amer- ica for a term of five years at least immediately preceding the date of this petition, to-wit, since , anno Domini , and in the State (Territory or District) of for one year at least next 18 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS preceding the date of this petition, to-wit, since - day of , anno Domini Eleventh. I have not heretofore made petition for citizenship to any court. (I made petition for citizenship to the court of , at and the said petition was denied by the said court for the following reasons and causes, to-wit, and the cause of such denial has since been cured or removed.) Attached hereto and made a part of this petition are my declara- tion of intention to become a citizen of the United States and the certificate from the Department of Labor required by law. Wherefore you petitioner prays that he may be admitted a citizen of the United States of America. Dated (Signature of petitioner) , ss: , being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is the petitioner in the above entitled proceedings; that he has read the foregoing petition and knows the contents thereof; and that the same is true to his own knowledge, except as to matters therein stated to be upon information and belief, and that as to those matters he believes it to be true. Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of anno Domini Clerk of Court.* Petitions may be filed at any time, but are heard only on special days, when a judge examines the applicant and his witnesses and administers the oath of allegiance to those who are admitted to citizenship. For a certificate of naturalization the new citizen must pay two dollars more, which makes the total amount of naturalization fees five dollars. It should be noted that no one may be naturalized and no certificate issued during the thirty days next before any general election in the court's territory. CERTIFICATE OP NATURALIZATION Number Petition, volume , page Stub, volume , page (Signature of holder) Description of holder : Age ; height ; color ; complexion ; color of eyes ; color of hair ; visible distinguishing marks Name, age, For this also a set of questions indicating the facts necessary to be known can be obtained ahead of time from the clerk and filled out for convenience. CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION 19 and place of residence of wife , Names, ages, and places of residence of minor children . . Be it remembered, that at a term of the court of , held at , on the day of, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and who previous to his (her) naturalization was a citizen (or subject) of , at present residing at No street city (town), State (Territory or District), having applied to be admitted a citizen of the United States of America pursuant to law, and the court having found that the petitioner had resided continuously within (he United States for at least five years in this State for one year immediately preceding the date of the hearing of- his (her) petition, and that said petitioner intends to reside permanently in the United States, had in all respects complied with the law in relation thereto, and that ..he was entitled to be so admitted, it was thereupon ordered by the said court that ..he be admitted as a citizen of the United States of America. In testimony whereof the seal of said court is hereunto affixed on the day of , in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and and of our independence the [L. S.] (Official character of attestor.) As has been said, the naturalization of the head of a family also affects the status of the other members of the family. The naturalization of a man naturalizes his wife, provided she is a person who might become naturalized in- dependently, and also his minor children who take up per- manent residence in this country. A child whose father is a naturalized citizen of the United States but who has him- self never been here will, to be sure, be examined and treated as an alien upon his arrival, before he is allowed to enter the country ; and cases have occurred in which the children of naturalized citizens were kept out of the country by reason of their diseased condition. If a man who has filed his declaration of intention of becoming a citizen, dies before completing naturalization, the widow and the minor children may comply with the other provisions of the act and be naturalized without any of them filing separate declarations of intention. 20 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS EXPATRIATION. Citizenship, whether acquired by birth or by naturaliza- tion, may be lost. Surrendering, or giving up, citizenship is called "expatriation." The status of a woman married to an alien, who had herself before marriage been clearly an American citizen, was for a long time in doubt. The mat- ter is now controlled, however, by the national Expatriation Law, which went into effect on March 2, 1907, under which any woman who marries an alien, by the fact of her marriage alone, acquires the nationality of her husband. An American citizen, however, who loses her citizenship by marriage, may at the termination of the marriage relation resume her American citizenship either by returning to the United States to live or by .remaining here if she be already here, or by registering, if she be abroad, within one year as an American citizen, with a consul of the United States. Any American citizen, man or woman, is allowed to expatriate himself by naturalizing in any other country or by taking an oath of allegiance to any other country. Furthermore, naturalized citizens who remain abroad two years in the country from which they came or five years in any other foreign country without reporting to an Ameri- can consul and registering their desire to retain American citizenship, are held to have abandoned it. Any child, too, who is an American citizen by reason of birth abroad of a father who is an American citizen, is also taken to have abandoned his American citizenship and loses it, if he remains abroad and does not, when he comes of age, report to an American consul his desire to retain American citizenship and take the oath of allegiance to the United States. REFERENCES. Constitution of the United States', Fourteenth Amendment. Pierce's United States Code (1910), 1583 ff. titles "Citizenship" and "Naturalization." Federal Statutes Annotated, titles "Citizenship" and "Naturaliza- tion." Revised Statutes of the United States, 19922001 ; 2165-2174. 34 U. S. Statutes at Large, Pt. I, p. 596 ff ; p. 1228 ff. CHAPTER III. VOTING AND REGISTRATION There are four qualifications for voters for constitutional officers in Illinois. They are: (1) citizenship, (2) sex, (3) age, and (4) residence. For example, only male citizens, twenty-one years of age, who have lived in the state one year; in the county ninety days; and in the election district thirty days, can vote for the officers whose elections are regulated by the state constitution. The residence must be just before the election and must be true "resi- dence"; that is, a person whose home is in one election district, who is cared for as a pauper in an almshouse in another, does not acquire residence in the second district. Neither does a soldier or sailor stationed by his superior in a given district acquire residence in his new or lose resi- dence in his old dwelling-place. Mental incapacity, in- sanity, infancy, and conviction of an infamous crime dis- qualify. Voting is so important that a voter, both while he is voting and while he is on his way to and from the polls, is assured protection from arrest, except for treason, felony and breach of the peace. And employers must allow each person entitled to vote, to take two hours during the time when the polls are open, without docking his pay; but the employee who wishes to secure the two hours must notify the employer before election day and must take his two hours at the time of day chosen by the employer. All of these provisions apply to women in those cases in which they have been granted the power to vote. In order to protect the community against fraudulent voting those who are eligible are often required to register; and it is important that women voters should know how they may qualify and exactly how the voting is done. Elec- tion officials from time to time issue posters containing in- 21 22 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS structions for voters. These instruction cards are posted be- fore each election, at each polling-place, where they can be read by anyone who will take the trouble to do so. One copy will also be found in each election booth. But every voter should be familiar with the general appearance of a ballot, with the method of marking and depositing bal- lots, and with the requirements of registration. The way in which the state and its subdivisions are di- vided into election districts and precincts is explained later in the outline of government. In each election district, or precinct, a place is chosen by the election officials as a poll- ing, or voting place. The statutes, however, limit the kind of place that may be chosen. The general election law, for in- stance, provides that at the elections controlled by that law, the polling-place must be on the ground floor in a front room with a door opening into a street at least forty feet wide, and must be near the voting center of the district. It cannot be in a saloon, bowling-alley, billiard hall, or in any place where idlers congregate. Store build- ings, barber-shops and many kinds of buildings are used ; that the use. of school buildings for this purpose should be rapidly and widely extended is now being somewhat ad- vocated. When the polls are open, no other business can be car- ried on in the polling-place, and no electioneering may be done within one hundred feet. ELECTION OFFICIALS. At each polling-place there are certain officials responsible for the proper and honest conduct of the election. The chief ones are the election judges and the clerks of election. The judges, who have custody of the ballots and ballot-boxes and are in charge of the polling-place, may administer oaths and examine anyone whose right to vote is doubted. It is their especial duty to maintain order in the polling-place while the election is in progress, and to count the ballots after the polls are closed. The clerks of election, on the other hand, merely assist the judges, check on the register the names VOTING AND REGISTRATION 23 of persons who vote, and record the count of the ballots which is made by the judges. The judges and the clerks of election must be in constant attendance while the voting is going on and must remain, after the closing of the polls, until the ballots are counted and sealed. The method of selecting judges and clerks of election is different in the different governmental units and depends in part on whether or not the county employs township form of local government. The county board in each county selects the polling-place and appoints the judges and clerks of elec- tion, but in counties under township organization, certain township officers must always be appointed, and the town- ship lines are the basis upon which the precincts are laid out. In cities under the city election law the judges and the clerks of all elections are appointed by the election commission- ers.* The selection of election precincts, of polling-places and of judges and clerks for a city or village election is made by the city or village authorities. In election districts where registration is required these same judges and clerks must make the registration and examine those who desire to have their names placed upon the list of qualified voters. In cities under the city election law, clerks of election must also serve as canvassers to check and to verify the registry list of their particular dis- trict. 4 . , . , , '. ^ ' , To facilitate the work of checking voters and to mini- mize confusion in the challenging of voters, each political party is permitted to have one or more official challengers or watchers who attend at the polling-place while the voting is in progress and remain afterward to scrutinize the counting of the ballots. While these men are not properly election officials, they are usually grouped with the judges and the clerks and are permitted the privileges indicated. Each polling-place returns its ballots and makes a re- port of the election to the central election officials. In cities under the city election law these are always the elec- *See p. 47. 24 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS tion commissioners. In election districts outside these cities the authority to whom the report is made is always some regularly elected officer, as for instance, in a county election, the county clerk. ARRANGEMENTS OP POLLING-PLACE. Regarding the arrangements of the polling-place, it may be said that : Within the room which is the polling-place, a guard rail is put up, behind which are allowed only the election offi- cers, the official challengers and watchers, and the persons ad- mitted by the election officials for the purpose either of voting or of maintaining peace. And behind this rail are the election paraphernalia the ballots to be voted, when ballots are provided ; the poll lists or necessary documents and records of the election officials ; the ballot-box or boxes ; the election booths into one of which the voter must go alone to mark his ballot. Each booth is fitted with a shelf upon which one may write, and is provided with pens, ink, blotters, and pencils. The booths must be so arranged that the voter cannot be seen from outside the booth while he is marking his ballot, and so that no one who is not inside the guard rail can come within six feet of any booth. Both the booths and the ballot-boxes must be in plain sight of the election officials and from the rail, and the ballot boxes, before any ballot is placed in them, must have been inspected by the judges of election to see that they are empty, and then kept closed and locked until the voting is over and the ballots are taken out to be counted by the election judges. A voter may remain in a booth only five minutes, if others are waiting, and only ten minutes at most. This requirement makes it necessary that the voter shall first have familiar- ized himself with the tickets and have made up his mind how he will mark his ballot. It is possible that merely to read the ballot would take more than the time permitted the voter, and one who was not familiar with the ballot would be unable to make an intelligent decision. For this reason specimen ballots are prepared by the election offi- VOTING AND REGISTRATION 25 cials, and may be secured on request before each election. After the ballot has been marked, the voter must fold it so that no one can see how it is marked, come out of the booth, and deposit the ballot in the ballot-box.* To ex- hibit the marking on a ballot is an offense punishable by fines, etc. THE BALLOT. The constitution, which provides that all elections must be by ballot, says nothing about the form of the ballot ; and what form of ballot must be used at any particu- lar election and how and by whom it is supplied, de- pends upon the terms of the particular statute governing the election. The statutes to be considered are : the school law ; the township act ; the general election law ; the cities and villages act ; the Australian Ballot Act, the exact title of which is "An Act to provide for the printing and dis- tribution of ballots at public expense, and for the nomina- tions of candidates for public offices, to regulate the man- ner of holding elections, and to enforce the secrecy of the ballot" ; the city election law, which applies only to cities and incorporated towns that have adopted it, and under its provisions have election commissioners ; the voting- machine law ; and the primary law. All voting for officers done in the city of Chicago is under the city election law and also under the Australian Ballot Act. But a full sched- ule of all elections, whether of officers or upon propositions showing which one or ones of the acts named apply to each election, would be very voluminous, though made only for the county of Cook, or for one of the smaller cities in Cook County, as, e.g., Evanston. The following statement therefore attempts only to in- dicate the kinds of ballot in use. The voter is left to the statutes and to the election officials and the posted instruc- tion cards, to determine, if necessary, ahead of time, what particular statute applies to any particular election. *In elections in Chicago and other territory under a board of election commissioners, the voter hands his folded ballot to a judge of election who places it in the ballot-box for him. 26 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS To consider first, an election at which a proposition is submitted to the people : when a question is submitted, the electors vote for or against the formulated proposition. Even here there are three forms of ballots. One is like that prescribed by Section 98 of the School Law. By it voters approving cast a ballot upon which is printed or written only the affirmative of the proposition, e.g., "for a county normal school," and those opposing, cast ballots upon which is printed or written only the negative of the- proposition, e.g., "against a county normal school." The second method is illustrated by Section 85 of the School Law. Where it is followed, ballots are supplied in such form that the voter may make an X, or cross mark, in the square following and opposite the proposition which he favors. For the establishment of a township high school. Against the establishment of a township high school. The third form of ballot is the one now most frequently used for the submission of questions. It is the one provided for the submission of an amendment to the constitution. The voter puts his X, or cross mark, in the space op- posite the word "Yes" or No," according as he favors or opposes the proposition. This proposition ballot may be printed upon the regular ballot at the end ; or it may be on a separate piece of paper, and is then called the "little ballot." Proposed amendment to the Constitution Yes (Substance of amendment) No The simplest form of ballot for candidates for office is a paper upon which is either printed or written the names of the office to be filled and of the persons voted for, for each office. Ballots of this kind are either printed at private expense by individuals and then used by the electors whom they please, or are prepared entirely by the individual VOTING AND REGISTRATION 27 elector either at or before the time of voting. This form is unsatisfactory where the election is large or the popula- tion dense. Therefore, now, in all elections of public offi- cers, except school trustees, school directors, officers of road districts in counties not under township organization, only official ballots may be used, which are printed at pub- lic expense and supplied by the judges of election to each voter at the time he votes. But the voter should be sure that the judge who gives him the ballot puts his (judge's) initials upon the back of the ballot. Without these initials the ballot will not be counted. The following form taken from the statutes indicates a usual pattern of the Australian ballot. C ^REPUBLICAN ( ^DEMOCRATIC C ^PROHIBITION For Governor For Governor For Governor D JOSEPH W. FIFER rj JOHN M. PALMER Q DAVID H. HARTS For Lieutenant Governor For Lieutenant Governor For Lieutenant Governor D LYMAN B. RAY rj ARTHUR J. BELL n JOS. L. WHITLOCK For Secretary of State For Secretary of State For Secretary of State D I. N. PEARSON Q NEWELL D. RICKS n JAMES R. HANNA [And continuing in like manner as to all candidates to be voted for at such election.] Obviously, the voter may want to vote either a straight ticket, i.e., for candidates all of whom belong to one party, or a split ticket, i.e., for candidates, some of whom belong to one and some to another party. A straight ticket can be voted by putting a cross, or X mark, in the circle at the head of the party column and nowhere else. A split ticket may be voted in either of two ways. First, the voter may put an X in the circle of the party of which he wished to vote for the most candidates, and an X in the square in front of the name of each candidate for whom he wishes to vote from each of the other parties. This is dangerous where there are several persons to be chosen to the same office. For instance, if three trustees of the University of 28 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS Illinois at large are to be elected and an X is made op- posite the name of only one candidate outside the chosen party column, since a man may vote for only three and not for four he must further mark by another X the name of each of the two candidates which he chooses from his own party column. If he fails to do this, he will have voted for only one trustee. Or the voter may also vote a split ticket by putting his X in the square in front of the name of each candidate for whom he votes and ignoring the party circle. But here, also, care must be taken not to mark too many candidates for the same office. Further, a voter may add to any ballot any name of his own choice and vote for that person by marking an X in a square in front of the name. In the fall of 1912, Judge Ryan was elected in this way to fill a vacancy in the office of Judge of the Municipal Court of Chicago, which occurred too late for any nominations to be made or the name of any candidate to be printed on the ballot. Where there is cumu- lative voting, a ballot must be carefully marked. If three members of the state House of Representatives are to be elected, an X placed in the party circle, if three candi- dates only are named, gives one vote to each candidate of that party, but is not counted at all if the party has more than three candidates. If two candidates only are marked, it is counted one and one-half vote for each one. If one only is marked, it is counted as three votes for him. VOTING MACHINES. The voting machine act may be adopted by a majority of the legal voters in any voting unit at an election called after a petition has been filed and notice given as required by the act. Under it, the election officials may buy or lease a proper number of voting machines, which can be used only after they have been inspected and approved by a commission consisting of the secretary of state and two mechanical experts, appointed by the governor. Wherever a voting machine is used, it must be placed behind a sep- arate railing in the part of the room occupied by VOTING AND REGISTRATION 29 the election officials and in plain view of them. But it must stand at least three feet from any wall or partition and at least four feet from any table or chair, and must be so curtained that no one can see how the per- son at the machine is voting. A voter may remain behind the curtain for one minute only. A sample, or label, ballot in the usual form is posted within the booth formed by the machine. In the machines used in Chicago the party tickets are arranged in cross-wise rows and the name of each can- didate on the official ballot is there printed and above them are horizontal levers which can be pulled down, one for each vote that may be cast; another lever for voting a straight ticket is placed at the front of each party row. To vote a split ticket one pulls the lever over each candidate for whom he wishes to vote, and the machine is so con- trived that he cannot have at one time more levers down than the number of votes to which he is entitled. After the voter has set the machine as he wishes, he swings a large lever at the top of the machine from left to right. By this movement his vote is recorded, the small levers spring back to their horizontal position, and the curtain across the front of the machine, which has hidden the person while voting, is thrown back. Until the swing of the large lever, the voter may put back small levers he had pulled down and pull down new ones instead. REGISTRATION. In large communities where the election officials can- not be personally acquainted with the qualifications of those who come to vote, it is necessary to prepare a list of persons qualified to vote at any election. Registration is the method provided for securing such a list. When the voter comes to the polling-place to vote, he announces his name, one of the judges of election repeats it aloud, and his name is checked on the register before he is allowed to pass the rail to vote. In all the state, except territory within the control of 30 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS city election commissioners, registration is highly desirable but not necessary for any election. The registry is first made up from the poll lists of. the last election and the personal information of the judges at a private meeting of the judges held at the polling-place, on the Tuesday, three weeks before any state election and in each election district wholly within the limits of an incorporated city, for every election of any kind. It is then revised on the Tuesday of the week before election at a public meeting, held in each polling-place and then are added the names of persons who appear and show that they are entitled to vote. But per- sons who have failed to register may swear in their votes. If their vote is challenged, they must prove their qualifica- tion by affidavits sworn to by themselves and by some registered voter in the district who is also a householder. Chicago and Other Places under Election Commis- sioners. Here the method of registration is different, and persons must be registered in order to vote. A general registration occurs every two years before the congres- sional election, on two days : the Saturday before the Tuesday four weeks before election, and the Tuesday three weeks before election, e.g., October 5 and 15, 1912. De- tailed arrangements are provided for the checking and veri- fication of the registry and the erasure of names found to be improperly upon the register in the time before elec- tion ; and provisions are made by which persons improperly refused registration may have their names added by appli- cation to the proper election officials. The judges of elec- tion act as a board of registration and the clerks of election serve as canvassers for the purpose of verifying the regis- try, and in addition each political party under certain re- strictions is allowed to choose another canvasser of its own. It is for the purpose of verifying the registry that each keeper of a boarding- or lodging-house or hotel within the territory of the election commissioners is required to make a written statement in a form prescribed by the com- missioners concerning the residents in his house. VOTING AND REGISTRATION 31 A person who registers at each general biennial regis- tration need not do so at any other time, but he must then appear in person on one of the registration days and under oath answer the questions put to him concerning his quali- fications as a voter. No revision of the registry is made for any special elec- tion occurring in only one part of the city or to fill a vacancy in a single office or at any election where only judicial offi- cers are elected, but a qualified voter who has moved into the precinct and aside from registration is entitled to vote there, may be allowed to vote if, on election day, he files with the judges of election in his precinct, his own affidavit establishing his qualifications, supported by the affidavit of at least one householder who is a registered voter of the precinct. This is the only case of swearing-in votes under the city election law. For each other election intervening between the con- gressional elections, one day of registration is provided for the benefit of those who did not register at the last general registration ; the Tuesday three weeks before election. Fol- lowing this registration day the register is revised and verified in the same way as after a general registration. NOMINATIONS AND PRIMARY ELECTIONS. Where no official ballot is supplied, as at the elections of school officers (except where there are elective boards of education), no definite system of choosing candidates ahead of election time is necessary. A voter may write on his own ballot the name of any person for whom he washes to vote, or frequently a group of persons before election time agree upon candidates suitable to them and have some bal- lots printed with the names of their candidates. This group gathering is the simplest form of caucus. Neighborhood interest in the local matter involved in the election is de- pended upon to accomplish a natural selection of a few candidates for office at election. But whenever there is an official ballot, the name to be 32 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS printed upon it must be determined in advance. The selec- tion of these candidates is done by nomination, of which there are three methods: 1. The Caucus Method. The caucus, or party conven- tion method, is applied in the nomination of candidates to elective boards of education and of town officers in town- ships that are not co-extensive with a city, incorporated town or village. This nomination by party caucus or con- vention is recognized by the Australian Ballot Act. The delegates to the party convention or caucus that' makes the nomination may be elected at a primary. Candidates for election of such town offices may also be nominated by nominating-petition as independent candidates under the Australian Ballot Act. 2. The Primary Election Method. If the candidate for any other office than these is to represent a political party, he must be selected by primary election under the primary election laws, passed in 1910 and since amended. Under these laws any group that is recognized as a political party of the state, county, city or village must have cast two per cent of the total vote at the last general election in the state, or its county, city or village, as the case may be. One of the primary laws has to do with the nominations of members of the General Assembly and the election of senatorial committeemen of each party. The other is a general primary election law. Under both,- candidates for office are nominated directly by the vote at the primary election. An exception exists in the case of candidates for president of the United States, as to whom a vote is taken which is only advisory and does not nominate. There is another exception in the case of candidates for presidential electors and for trustees of the University of Illinois, both of whom are nominated not by primary vote but by state party conventions. Each political party has a national nominating conven- tion and a state and a county convention, and also state central, county, congressional, city, and precinct or (in VOTING AND REGISTRATION 33 cities of over 200,000) ward central committees. State central committeemen, a precinct committeeman from each precinct or ward and senatorial committeemen of each party are elected at the primary elections, and the or- ganization of the other committees and conventions named is controlled by the primary law. The county central com- mittee consists of the precinct and ward committeemen from the county. The county convention is that meeting of the county central committee held at the county seat on the first Monday after the April primary. The county conven- tion selects delegates to the party's state and congressional conventions. The state convention, which is held on the Friday after the county convention, adopts the party plat- form besides nominating candidates for presidential electors and trustees of the University of Illinois. The congres- sional convention, which is held on the Wednesday after the county convention, chooses delegates to the national nominating convention* and may make recommendations to the state convention concerning presidential electors to be nominated from its district. The various committees of each political party are responsible to the party for its organization, conduct and campaigns. No person's name is printed upon the primary ballot of any party unless a proper primary petition has been filed in his behalf. A primary petition is a different thing from a nominating petition. The primary law determines the time and place of its filing and the number of signatures neces- sary, which vary with the office of which nomination is sought. It should l>e noted that at the regular primary election in each even-numbered year, a space is left at the bottom of the primary ballot, and in this space may be written or attached the name of some person for precinct "This statement is in accordance with the primary law as it ex- isted in 1912 and is not an opinion as to the effect of the apparently contradictory provisions of the 1913 amendment, which re-enacted the provision that delegates and alternates to the national nominating con- ventions should be selected by the congressional conventions of each party. But in a preceding section of the law, this same amendment reads that an election shall be held "for the purpose of electing dele- gates and alternates to the national nominating conventions." 34 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS committeeman. But in cities of over 200,000 inhabitants no precinct committeemen are elected. Instead, a ward com- mitteeman is elected at large from each ward. In 1913 the general primary law was amended to allow women to vote at the primaries "for the nomination of can- didates for such offices" as they may vote for at the regular elections. But there is no other provision extending women's right to vote at primaries and the amendment nowhere says that women may vote for members of any party committee or delegates to any party convention. The same qualifications are necessary to vote at primary elections as at other elections. In Chicago and other cities with boards of election commissioners, registration is abso- lutely necessary. The general primary law makes additional requirements. The primary elections of all parties occur on the same day and are held at the same polling-place in each precinct. Separate ballots for each party are provided by the election officials in charge. A voter must tell with what party he is connected and can have the ballot of only one party. It should be emphasized that no one can vote at a primary if he has signed a primary petition of a can- didate from any other party at this election, or if he has signed the nominating petition of any independent candi- date to be voted on at the same election and for the same office for which party nominations are being made at that primary. And he cannot vote if within the two years be- fore, he has voted at a primary election as a voter of any other political party. The only exception to the two-year rule is made where the voter wishes to vote in the primary of a purely local political party recognized only within his city, town or village. For example, a man will not be pre- vented from voting at a village primary as a village "Liberal" because within the preceding two years he has voted at another primary as a Democrat or a Republican. A person does not need to vote at the primary in order to vote at a regular election. A party choice at the primar- ies cannot limit the voter at the regular election, where the VOTING AND REGISTRATION 35 names of candidates from all parties are on one ballot. Many men have been unwilling to vote at primaries because of the two-year rule and the other partisan requirements. But the primaries are important because unless good can- didates are nominated, good officials will not be elected. 3. The Nominating Petition. If the candidate is to repre- sent an independent group of voters or one whose vote at the last general election was too small for it to be recog- nized as a political party by the primary law, the nomina- tion must be by petition under the Australian Ballot Act of 1891. These nominating petitions must be signed by qualified voters. And the requirements as to number of signatures, time and place of filing vary under the act and depend on the office for which the candidate is to be chosen. It is especially to be noted that no person who has voted at a primary at which candidates were chosen to run for the same office at the same election as the petition candidate, can sign such a petition ; nor can one person sign more than one primary petition for each office for the same elec- tion. WOMEN AS "QUALIFIED VOTERS." Citizens have certain rights and privileges by reason of being voters. It is provided that certain offices can be filled only by "a duly qualified elector" of the district. Furthermore, only duly qualified electors, may, as a rule, sign petitions for the submission , of a question to a refer- endum or for the calling of a special election, such as one to determine the question of a bond issue or the organiza- tion of a park system. In certain instances these petitions must be signed by a specified number of qualified electors; in others a definite per cent of the voters in the affected district is required. "Obviously the question of whether or not women are eligible to serve as judges and clerks of election and to sign these petitions and of whether they shall be counted in a district's number of qualified voters is of great impor- tance. Unfortunately no satisfactory answer has as yet 36 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS been made to the question ; and it is impossible to state the extent to which the suffrage act of 1913 and the right to vote for particular officers and on certain questions men- tioned in the school law entitles women to participate in those additional privileges of "duly qualified electors." REFERENCES. Constitution of Illinois, 1870, Article VII, "Suffrage." Kurd's Revised Statutes of Illinois (1911), Chap. 46, "Elections", including: General Election Law. City Election Law, If 155 ff. Australian Ballot Law, If 288 ff. Voting Machine Law, If 430 ff. Primary Election Laws, If 452 ff. and II 532 ff. Illinois Laws of 1913. Amendments to Primary Laws, pp. 310, 330 and 331. Woman's Suffrage Law, p. 333. CHAPTER IV. GOVERNMENT OF CITIES AND INCORPORATED TOWNS AND VILLAGES CHICAGO The government of Chicago rests in the hands of officers elected directly by the people of the city and responsible to the people. But the powers that may be exercised by a city government are only those delegated or allowed to the city government by the state government. These powers are conferred by a number of statutes, which, taken together, are often called the city charter. The government of Chicago, as of every other city, is charged with the duty of preserving the peace and the health of the community and has charge of local improve- ments ; it decides whether there shall be streets or parks and where and how they shall be laid out and improved and makes improvements ; it controls the use of the streets, de- ciding how long teams may stand in them, whether children may play in them, e.g., in ordinances concerning hoop-rolling and roller-skating; it determines what kind of signs shall be hung or carried in the streets; it controls the buildings put up in the city and may regulate their construction ; it controls the water, sewer, garbage, gas, electric light, telephone and street car service. Water and sewer services are rendered directly by Chicago itself; telephone, gas, electric light and street car services are furnished by separate public utility companies, each of which has been subjected to some regula- tion by the city, especially in the matters of the; charge to be made.* In other instances e.g., garbage the city has hired some company to do the service free of charge to the indi- *The legislature in 1913 provided for the creation of a public utili- ties commission, as a state administrative board, to be appointed by the governor, and to take over the regulation of street car, telephone, tele- graph and many other utilities. This will diminish the power of the cities in this respect. See p. 82. 37 38 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS vidual, and the pay to the company ha's been made from the city treasury. The city has power to regulate and license peddling and saloons and some other particular trades or occupations. These are all matters in which women are in- terested. Many of them, moreover, are matters where it has been hoped that women's experience would be of particular value. Women may vote for those city officers that are elective, namely, mayor, city clerk, city treasurer, aldermen, judges, clerks and bailiff of the Municipal Court.* The task of handling the work of the city is divided into three large divisions. The first is that of the City Council, or the legislative department. The second is that of the ex- ecutive officers, of whom the mayor is the most important. The third is that of the Municipal Court of Chicago, or the judicial department. Legislative Department. The city legislative depart- ment, or City Council, consists of the mayor and members called "aldermen." Chicago has seventy aldermen, which is the highest number that any city is allowed to have. A city is divided into wards, and there are two aldermen from each ward. In Chicago, the mayor's term of office is four years. The term of the aldermen has been two years, and one alderman has been elected each year from each ward. At the last session of the legislature an act was passed making the term of office of Chicago aldermen and city clerk and treasurer four years, like that of the mayor. It has, however, to be submitted to a vote of the people of Chicago before it will take effect. If it is approved and each alder- man serves four years, each Chicago ward will then elect one of its aldermen every two years. City elections in Chicago always occur on the first Tuesday in April, e.g., April 7, 1914. This is the same date as for other cities that include one or more whole townships. The primary for the city election is the last Tuesday in February, e.g., February 24, 1914. The February, 1914 primary will be the first regu- lar election in Chicago at which women may vote. See p. 92. GOVERNMENT OF CITIES 39 City Council. The city council as a whole must enact ordi- nances for the government of the city, levy taxes for city purposes, and make appropriations to meet city expenses. Each alderman has one vote, but the mayor can vote only in case of a tie. Most of the work of the council is first considered in committees, of which only aldermen are members, and therefore a list of the names of the com- mittees indicates the general work of the council. The stand- ing committees of the Chicago council usually consist of fifteen members each. Those for 1912-1913 were : Finance : Local Transportation; Harbors; Wharves and Bridges; Gas, Oil and Electric Light; Local Industries; Judiciary, State Legislation, Elections and Rules ; Streets and Alleys, Taxation and Street Nomenclature; License; Buildings and City Hall; Schools, Fire, Police and Civil Service; Health; Water. . There was also a number of smaller or special commit- tees, called select committees, viz., Track Elevation; Compen- sation; Bathing Beaches and Recreation Piers; Special Park Commission. The council may also require the city treasurer to de- posit the city funds in responsible banks of its choice. It divides the city into wards upon the basis of equality of population with half as many wards as the city has alder- men, i.e., thirty-five wards for Chicago. The council has some authority beyond the limits of the city to enforce quarantines and to protect public health. It is a check upon the power of the mayor, because by a two-thirds vote it can pass ordinances over his veto and because his appointment of members of the Board of Education and of some other officers must be consented to by the council. The City Council of Chicago meets regularly in the Council Chamber in the City Hall, on Monday of each week. 40 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS Executive Department. The Mayor. The chief executive officer of Chicago is the mayor. In other cities his term of office is two years, but in Chicago it is four years. The mayor, besides his strictly executive duties, is the presiding officer of the council ; has power to veto ordinances, which can be passed over his veto by a two-thirds vote ; and is required from time to time and at least once a year to recommend to the City Council what ordinances he thinks the city needs. As an executive, he himself or through executive departments should enforce the ordinances of the council and preserve peace in the, city ; and to preserve peace, the mayor has the same authority in the city that the sheriff has in the county, and may call to his assistance every man over eighteen years of age. Of the executive officers, the mayor, the city clerk, who is the clerk of the council and the custodian of the city ordinances and records, and the city treasurer are required by state law to be elective, but practically all other officers and heads of executive departments are appointed by the mayor; his appointments, however, must be concurred in by the council. Among those appointed by the mayor are: Secretary to the mayor, who has to perform most of the routine work for the mayor. City collector, who receives all fees payable to the city, and who must keep accurate accounts of them and daily turn over to the treasurer the money he receives. He is a member of the Department of Finance. City comptroller, who is the city's financial agent and has general charge over all officers who either receive or pay out city money. He audits the books of such officers and has charge of deeds, mortgages and similar documents belonging to the city. He also is a member of the Department of Finance. Business agent, who has charge of the city's supplies and is its general purchasing agent. Commissioner of public works, who has charge of the construction of public improvements, of the use and the repair GOVERNMENT OF CfTl/lS 41 of streets and alleys, and of permits for connection with city sewers or drains. He has supervision of the work of the following officers, each of whom is employed under the city Civil Service Commission, upon the merit basis. ( 1 ) The superintendent of streets, who has especial charge of the city's streets and alleys and the duty of inspecting them. He works under the commis- sioner, but must make weekly separate reports to the aldermen of the separate wards. (2) Assistant, second assistant, and third assistant su- perintendent of streets. (3) Superintendent of water, who assesses and collects water rates and assessments. (4) Superintendent of sewers. (5) City engineer. (6) Superintendent of maps, who examines maps of pro- posed subdivisions, keeps maps of all of the city, and has charge of matters concerning street numbers. Deputy commissioner of public ivorks. City electrician, who has charge of the fire alarm serv- ice, of the police telephone service, of public lighting, and of other matters pertaining to electricity in which the city is interested, including the inspection of all electric wiring that is installed within the city limits. The city electrician, with another member appointed by him, constitutes the board of examiners of moving-picture operators. Board of Examiners of Stationary Engineers, consisting of three practical engineers, who examine and pass upon can- didates for licenses as stationary engineers. Harbor master, who has control and supervision of the bridges and of the city life boats. Under the commissioner of public works he has general charge of the harbor on be- half of the city. Assistant harbor master. Assistant vessel dispatcher. City physician, who may be called on to examine persons who are in charge of the police, dependent or delinquent 42 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS children in the Juvenile Court, city employees, and persons injured because of alleged' defects in city's sidewalks, bridges or other public structures. Commissioner of buildings, who passes upon the plans of buildings to be erected in the city, and inspects those in the course of construction ; who has supervision of billboards, elevators and fire-escapes, and who must make annual inspec- tion of theaters, churches and other public gathering-places. Fire marshal, who is the head of the Fire Department. Superintendent of police, who is at the head of the Police Department, which is charged with enforcing within the city both state laws and city ordinances. This department also has charge of the inspection and licensing of vehicles. Corporation counsel, who is the city's lawyer and advisor- in-chief, although some departments have individual depart- mental attorneys and several 'more have law clerks. Prosecuting attorney, who prosecutes criminal and quasi- criminal cases for infringement of city ordinances. Board of Education* consisting of twenty-one members, seven of whom are appointed each year. The Board of Edu- cation has full charge of Chicago schools, including its Teach- ers' College, but it cannot buy land or erect buildings without the consent of the council, which also levies the local taxes for school purposes. Inspector of gas and gas meters Inspector of oils. Inspector of boilers and steam plants. Inspector of weights and measures. Library directors, consisting of nine directors, appointed three each year. Not more than one alderman may be library director at any time. The term of office begins on the first of July after appointment. These directors have charge of the Chicago Public Library, which is supported by a tax levied by the City Council. Market master, who is in charge of each of the city's public *See p. 68. GOVERNMENT OF CITIES 43 markets one on West Randolph Street, west of the Chicago River, and another on Jefferson Street. Smoke inspector. Subway commissioner. Inspectors of House of Correction, i.e., Brideivell, of whom three are appointed by the mayor, one each year, for a term of three years each. The mayor is ex-officio an ad- ditional member of the board of inspectors. Superintendent of the Hous.e of Correction, to which per- sons may be sentenced by any court in the county. The inmates are kept at work, and two houses of shelter for girls and a school for boys are maintained there. The mayor's appointment of the superintendent is subject to the approval of the board of inspectors, under whom the su- perintendent works and by whom he may be removed at any time. The superintendent's regular term is three years. Traction expert. Commissioner of health, who is at the head of the Depart- ment of Health. This department has charge of protecting the city from epidemics of disease. It has a sanitary depart- ment to enforce the city's sanitary regulations with regard to public and private buildings, residences, places of work, mar- kets, bakeries, factories, etc. It also inspects and licenses hos- pitals. Among the officers of the department are the follow- ing, all selected by the city civil service system : (1) An assistant commissioner of health. (2) A secretary of Department of Health. (3) A registrar of vital statistics. (4) A director of laboratories. (5) A chief food inspector. (6) Medical, meat, milk and ice inspectors. (7> Disinfectors. (8) Bath and hospital attendants. Inspector of fish. Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium. The Board of Di- rectors of the Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium, organ- 44 HANDBOOK FOR II'OMKX VOTERS ized to supply free nursing, care, attendance and medicine to persons afflicted with tuberculosis, and to undertake measures to stamp out tuberculosis. There are three direc- tors, one appointed each year for. a term of three years ; at least one of the three must be a member of the health de- partment, and is usually the health commissioner. The directors have exclusive control of the sanitarium and its work and all money belonging to its fund. The money is held by the city treasurer, who pays it out upon order from the directors. They may receive gifts for the sanitarium, but at least once a month must report the gifts received and turn over donated money to the city treasurer. A one mill tax is provided, but required, before the original assessment, a vote of the people of the city. The Chicago Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium is now in process of construction, but the directors have already established ten dispensaries, where clinics are held, conducted by doctors selected by the city civil service examinations. There is also a staff of field nurses, selected in the same way, who work in the dispensaries and also in the homes of the patients. The directors, who receive no compensation for their services, must inspect the sanitarium at least twice each year and must make an annual report to the City Council by June of each year. City Civil Service Commission, which classifies city em- ployees who are not elective or exempt from the act and conducts examinations for the selection of qualified candi- dates for employment. The principal employments exempt are the heads of departments. There are three commission- ers. The term of office is three years and one commissioner is appointed by the mayor each year. No more than two commissioners may be of the same political party. Board of Local Improvements, which consists of five mem- bers, all appointed by the mayor, who choose from their own members a president, a vice-president and an assistant secretary. This board has preliminary consideration of any proposed improvement, such as sidewalk, or sewer, or GOVERNMENT OF CITIES 45 waterpipe extension, estimates the cost, and recommends action to the council. The superintendent of special assess- ments, selected under the Civil Service Commission, is ex-offtcio secretary of the board. This type of board is con- fined to cities of over 100,000 people that is, to Chicago. In cities of from 50,000 to 100,000 people, the board con- sists of the commissioner of public works, the superintend- ent of streets, the superintendent of special assessments, the superintendent of sewers, and the city engineers. Special Park Commission. The Special Park Commis- sion, often classified as a council committee, has charge of the city parks and recreation places that are not under the control and management of some independent park district. It now maintains seventy small parks, most of which are equipped with wading-pools or other playground facilities ; at least eighteen playgrounds ; and three bathing beaches and swimming pools. The superintendent of parks, who is also acting- forester and in charge of all street tree-planting, and the superintendent of playgrounds and bathing- beaches, both selected by the City Civil Service Commis- sion, are subject to the control and management of the Special Park Commission and report to it. The Special Park Commission itself was created under a resolution of the Chicago City Council, passed November 6, 1899. It provided for a committee, which is now the commis- sion, to consist of nine aldermen, three from each division of the city, and of six citizens holding no official position, among whom there should be one lawyer, one civil en- gineer, one landscape gardener or architect, and one phy- sician or sanitary engineer, all to be appointed by the mayor, and of three members, appointed one each, by the South Park Commissioners, the Lincoln Park Commis- sionejs, and the West Park Commissioners from their own members or employees, and further of not more than six additional members appointed by the commission itself. The entire commission is appointed every year and makes an annual report to the mayor and the City Council. The 46 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS members of the commission receive no compensation for their services, but many members have accepted reappoint- ment through several terms. For the year ending De- cember 31, 1912, this commission spent $119,287.05 in park and recreation maintenance and $10,000 in addition was used for the construction of a swimming pool at Washing- ton Heights. Besides these officers and commissions regularly ap- pointed by the mayor, special commissions are from time to time created for special or temporary purposes by the council and appointed by the mayor. Judicial Department. The Municipal Court of Chicago constitutes its judicial department. It takes the place of city courts, justices of the peace and police magistrates in other cities. Besides having jurisdiction in all cases that arise under city ordinances, it has jurisdiction in cases arising under the state law. But this court can deal only with cer- tain classes of cases specifically enumerated in the Munici- pal Court Act.* The organization of the court is described in connection with the other courts.f As a local court it is largely important because of its attempt to treat the cases brought before it from a social as well as from a legal point of view. The Court of Domestic Relations, the Morals Court and the Speeders' Court are particular branches of the Municipal Court to which all cases of the particular type named are respectively assigned. Board of Election Commissioners. Chicago and a num- ber of other cities^ have adopted an act called the "City Elec- tion Act," by which all election matters are placed in the hands of a board of three commissioners, appointed by the county judge, one each year, with the requirement that there shall always be one commissioner from each of the two leading par- *The 1913 session of the legislature passed a, new act with regard to the Municipal Court of Chicago, and this act will have to be sub- mitted to a vote of the people of the city for approval. See Illinois Laics of 1913, p. 213 ff. tSee p. 91. |The following cities have adopted this act: Chicago, Danville, East St. Louis, Galesburg, Peoria, Rockford and Springfield, GOVERNMENT OF CITIES 47 ties in the city. They have full charge of all elections, regular or special, within their territory, and prepare and supply ballot- boxes, ballots, booths and other election paraphernalia. They divide their territory into precincts, each containing as nearly as possible 300 voters. Whenever the number of voters in any precinct reaches 450, a rearrangement must be made. In Chicago this occurs frequently ; but after each rearrange- ment the election commissioners issue precinct maps and lists of registered voters by precincts. In each precinct the elec- tion commissioners choose a place of registration and a polling- place which may not be in any building where liquor is sold ; and for each precinct, once each year and at least sixty days before the first election at which they are to serve, they ap- point three judges of election electors who must be house- holders and entitled to vote at the next general election and not candidates for office and two clerks of election with the same qualifications except that they need not be house- holders. (As there is only one householder for each houses hold, and he is usually the husband or father of the family, com- paratively few women are qualified to be judges of election ; but women may probably be clerks of election as easily as men.) The judges and the clerks of election must be apportioned by a prescribed scheme between the leading political parties. Persons chosen as judges and clerks of election are notified and required to appear in order that their qualifications may be determined. The term of service is one year, and persons may not be required to serve, again during the following three years. OTHER FORMS OF CITY GOVERNMENT. Commission Form of Government. The experiment of democratic government seems to have been less successful in American cities than in any of the other governmental divisions. The suggestion has been made that a form of government dividing the powers among three divisions, the legislative, the executive and the judicial, which may be adapted to the state and the federal government is 48 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN I'OTERS less suited to the functions of municipal government, which should be largely dominated by the principle of sound busi- ness administration. The division of responsibility is thought to result in lowered efficiency. To remedy this weakness the so-called "commission form of government" has been au- thorized for any city of not more than ,200,000 which votes to adopt it. The following cities have already so voted : Springfield Jan. 2. 191 1 - Braceville Feb. 7, 191 1 Moline Jan. 3,1911 Pekin Feb. 7,1911 Rock Island Jan. 3, 1911 Hillsboro Feb. 14, 1911 Carbondale Jan. 7,1911 Spring Valley Feb. 14,1911 Rochelle Tan. 10, 1911 Waukegan Feb. 14, 1911 Decatur Jan. 17, 1911 Clinton Feb. 28,1911 Dixon Jan. 17, 1911 Hamilton Aug. 1,1911 Elgin Jan. 21, 1911 Forest Park Nov. 7,1911 Kewanee Jan. 24, 1911 Harvey April 16, 1912 Jacksonville Jan. 31, 1911 Under this system, instead of electing a number of alder- men from wards (and as representatives of political parties) four commissioners are elected from the city at large, for terms of four years at the regular city elections counting from 1911, so that the city is governed by a mayor and four commissioners instead of by a mayor and a city council or board of aldermen. Primary elections are held as under the other system, but no party name or emblem appears on either the primary or the final ballot, and one may be elected with reference to his fitness to administer the affairs of the city instead of because of his activity in national or state politics. The names of the two candidates for mayor and of the eight candidates for commissioner who receive the highest vote at the primary are placed upon the final ballot ; and in case of a tie, the judges of election determine by lot which of the tied names shall be considered nominated. In these cities the council meets regularly once a week. The mayor has one vote and is ex-ofhcio presid- ing officer. The work of the council is divided into five departments : public affairs, accounts and finances, pub- GOVERNMENT OF CITIES 49 lie health and safety, streets and public improvements, pub- lic property. The mayor is ex-officio head of the depart- ment of public affairs, and each one of the other depart- ments is assigned by the commissioners sitting as a board, to one of their number. The board, or council, may elect a city clerk, a corporation counsel, a city attorney, an assistant attorney, a city treasurer, a library trustee, local improvement officers, and such other local offices as it finds necessary. Three votes are necessary to pass any measure, and three con- stitute a quorum. The commission plan as adopted in Illinois includes, likewise, the right of referendum, initiative, and recall of all officers except judges and court officials. An ordinance does not become effective until thirty days after its passage, and, if within that time a referendum on it is demanded, it must also be submitted to a vote of the people. All ordinances furthermore dealing with the granting of franchises must be submitted to such a vote before they become effective. If the commission, or council, does not enact measures that seem im- portant to a considerable number of the citizens, those meas- ures may be suggested to the council by petition, and the council must then consider them. It should be noted that no official can be recalled until he has served at least one year of his term. Minority Representation in the City Council. Under the statute governing the election of aldermen, two methods of election are allowed. The method followed in Chicago is the more common, the other, known as the "minority representa- tion method," is still in the law but its use is practically obsolete. Whether any city shall adopt or discontinue the minority representation method is determined by submit- ting the question to a vote of the people. Aldermen have the same powers under either system. Under the minority representation system, however, the city is divided into from two to six districts. Three aldermen are then chosen from each district for a term of two years. Elections may be so arranged that the election in one-half of the districts 50 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS occur the year intervening between elections in other dis- tricts. The essential feature of the system, however, is the cumulative voting. That is the system by which, when three aldermen are to be elected and each voter has three votes to cast, he may cast all three for one of the three, or distribute his three votes or equal parts thereof among the candidates. In this way a well-organized minority may get and hold a representation in the council, which may be very powerful. VILLAGE GOVERNMENT. Village government is a simplified form of city government. The president of the village, elected every two years in the odd- numbered years,e.g., 1911 and 1913, corresponds to the mayor and has the same powers and duties. Six trustees elected from the village at large, three each year, correspond to the alder- men. A clerk who is secretary of the board of trustees and of the village is elected every two years in the even-numbered years, e.g., 1912 and 1914. The president and the trustees together may appoint a treasurer, one or more street commissioners, a village marshal, who has the duty of maintaining peace and enforcing village ordinances and is the head of any police force the village may have. Villages have no village courts, but each village and each city except Chicago may elect for a term of four years one police magistrate, who has the jur- isdiction of a justice of the peace in the city; and justices of the peace, provided for by county organization, have civil and criminal jurisdiction in villages and in all cities except Chicago. Since justices of the peace and police magistrates are constitutional officers, women may not vote for them. INCORPORATED TOWNS. Besides cities and villages, Illinois has some incorpo- rated towns, which are distinct and different from the town- ships of county organization, also often called towns. Be- fore the constitution of 1870 the Illinois legislature had power to grant special charters. Many of these incorpo- GOVERNMENT OF CITIES 51 rated towns are operating under these old charters, with governments very similar to village government. The town of Cicero, near Chicago, is a town of this type and was incorporated under special acts of 1867 and 1869. There was also formerly a provision by which the town- ships of township organization might vote at town meetings to incorporate and thereby become incorporated towns with similar powers and functions. The original town of Hyde Park, now a part of Chicago, was an incorporated town of this type. Later it organized as a village and still later was annexed to Chicago. There are probably still some towns of this type in the state. There are also towns of the town- ship organization, which were given special powers by spe- cial acts of the legislature before 1870, but the special pow- ers that they received have been held not enough to consti- tute the town an incorporated town. The town of Thornton, just south of Chicago in Cook County, is a town of this type. PARK DISTRICTS. The creation and organization of park districts mark one of the most recent and significant stages oi community de- velopment. The earlier governmental functions were mainly devoted to the maintenance of national integrity and the preservation of peace and order. The development of roads and other means of communication, the performance of common services, the provision of certain conveniences and the protection of health have gradually been taken on, and now in the activities of park districts there is recog- nized the place in the community life, of recreation and easy access to open spaces. The establishment and maintenance of parks may be undertaken by any of the governmental units described. There are national, state, city and village parks. For, ex- ample the Chicago Special Park Commission has been already described. Cities of not more than 15,000 were authorized by an act of 1899 to purchase property for park purposes, and cities of less than 50,000 were authorized in 52 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS 1907 to maintain parks and to levy a tax of not more than two mills on the dollar. In 1913, cities of less than 500,000 all cities other than Chicago were authorized to estab- lish municipal' coliseums for general education and recrea- tion purposes, and after a favorable vote on the part of the electors to levy a special tax for this purpose. If estab- lished, the coliseum is to be under the control of a board of three directors appointed by the mayor and council or mayor and commission, as the case may be. A town or township, too, no part of which is under any board of park commissioners may acquire and improve land for park purposes, but no bonds can be issued or taxes levied on this account until there has been an affirmative vote by the town at an election called in pursuance to a petition of at least fifty of the legal voters who voted at the last general election in the town before the petition, which is presented to the county judge. The park is con- trolled and managed by three park commissioners, who hold office, each for three years and one of whom is elected each year at the regular town election. The original com- missioners are appointed by the county judge, who can appoint no one unless a petition has been filed on his behalf signed by at least fifty of the voters of the town who voted at the last general election in the town. He determines which one of the three shall have the original three- year term, which one a term of two years, and which one a term of one year only. These commissioners must be appointed to select sites and estimate cost before any ques- tion of tax or bond issue can be submitted. The town of Calumet, which lies partly in Chicago, has organized a park district, called Ridge Park. This park is within the city limits. But not only may such functions be exercised by estab- lished governmental agencies. Special agencies have been created for this purpose. There are, for example, within Chicago ten park districts. Each one of these boards is a separate municipal corporation with taxing power, main- GOVERNMENT OF CITIES S3 taining a police force and passing ordinances and regula- tions for the use of its land and the property subject to its jurisdiction and the conduct of persons using that property. There should be first noticed the three great park com- missions. 1. The South Park Commission, whose jurisdiction covers most of the so-called South Side of Chicago. Estab- lished in 1869, it includes what were the towns of Lake, Hyde Park, and South Chicago. It is governed by a board of five commissioners appointed one each year for a term of five years by the judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County. It is required to report annually to the Board of Commissioners of Cook County. It has its separate police force, consisting in 1911 of 170 officers; and separate staff of officials including playground directors and assistants, and an independent taxing power. It maintains two great parks, Washington and Jackson; 22 small parks, in 11 of which there are "park houses" or neighborhood centers ; and 33 miles of boulevard. 2. The Lincoln Park District covers the large part of what is generally known as the North Side and coincides with the town of North Chicago and of Lake View. The commission here consists of seven members appointed by the governor and senate for terms of five years, and re- porting to the mayor of Chicago. This commission main- tains Lincoln Park, two small parks with park houses, and two playgrounds. 3. On the West Side, too, a commission of seven mem- bers appointed by the governor and senate for terms of seven years have jurisdiction over that part of the township of West Chicago which lies between the North Branch of the Chicago River on the north and the South Branch and the Illinois and Michigan Canal on the other. This com- mission has control of three large parks and ten small parks. In addition, the general enabling act of 1895 provided for the organization of park districts in counties under town- 54 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS ship organization of any territory not a part of any other park district. On petition of 100 legal voters, resident within a proposed park district, to the county judge, an election is required at which the question* of establishing a park district is to be decided, and five commissioners for terms of five years may be elected. Such a park district may lie in one or more townships but may include no land of any other park district. Among special park districts in Chicago (most of them under the act of 1895) are Ridge Avenue Park District, North Shore, Calumet, Fernwood, Irving Park, and Northwest. REFERENCES CITIES., VILLAGES, ETC. Kurd's Revised Statutes of Illinois (1911). Chap. 24, "Cities, Villages and Towns." 46, "Elections," particularly 1f 155 f f. 67, "'Houses of Correction." " 122, "Schools." Illinois Laws of 1913, p. 135 ff. (further provisions as to Cities, Villages and Towns). REFERENCES PARKS. Illinois Private Laws of 1867, Vol. II, p. 472, 479. Illinois Private Laws of 1869, V Kurd's Revised Statutes of Illino Illinois Laws of 1913, p. 443 ff. Illinois Private Laws of 1869, Vol. I, 342-379 incl. Kurd's Revised Statutes 'of Illinois (19H.Chap. 105, "Parks." r ~ -v * *;.' Oi CHAPTER V. COUNTY GOVERNMENT. The state is divided into counties. In each county there is a local government subordinate to the state government. These local governments are of three kinds: (1) Counties under township organization are subdivided into political townships, in each of which there is a set of township officials. The basis of the political township is the township of the federal survey a tract of land six miles square or containing thirty-six squares miles, which is often known as the con- gressional township. These counties are, in general, coun- ties settled by persons who came from New England, and the organization is similar to that in New England towns. (2) Counties not under township organization, in which there are no political townships, where the organization is similar to county organization in Virginia and Kentucky, of which the Illinois country was originally a part.* (3) Cook County, in which features similar to both the other systems are found. A description of those three forms will be given in order. COUNTIES UNDER TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION. Whether a county will adopt or retain the township form of organization may be decided by a vote of the inhabitants provided fifty or more legal voters sign a petition that such an election be held. In the government survey congressional townships were numbered by rows north of a base line from which the sur- vey was taken and by rows or "ranges" east and west from the nearest principal meridian. Since, however, political town- ships may be subdivided or consolidated, the political division may become very different from the geographical or congres- *See p.. 117. 55 56 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS sional division. In these counties, then, each township be- comes an election precinct of one or more districts, with its own officers .serving as election officials, the chief officer being the supervisor. The supervisors of the townships, acting together as a board, constitute the county board and have general control or supervision of county matters. These supervisors are elected by their respective towns for terms of one year. It is to be noticed that townships which lie wholly within the limits of a city of 50,000 or more inhabitants have no independent town government. Their duties and powers are transferred to the county board and the county officials. This board meets at least twice a year, on the second Tues- day in September for an annual meeting, at which a chair- man of the board is elected, and on the second Monday in June. The meeting must be open to the public. This board has charge of important county institutions, passes upon names of towns presented by the inhabitants of the towns, and may appropriate money for roads and bridges. Township Meetings, The Illinois town meeting is, like its New England prototype, a gathering of the voters of the town for open discussion of matters of common interest to them. It occurs annually at two o'clock in the afternoon of the first Tuesday in April, which is also the day of the election by ballot of the township officers. At that time, the town clerk calls together the voters into town meeting; they elect a moderator, who acts as president or presiding officer of the meeting. At the meeting, the electors consider the management of the corporate property and taxation for actions at law in which the town is interested. They may take measures to prevent the spread of weeds ; to secure the care of trees along the roads; to regulate fences within the town (except where such regulation would conflict with a statute) ; to regulate or prohibit the running-at-large of domestic animals ; to estab- COUNTY GOVERNMENT 57 lish a pound and to provide for the appointment of a pound- master, and to transact miscellaneous business. Special town meetings may be called by fifteen voters and two town officers; but the object of the meeting must be stated in the call. Township Officers. The business of the township is conducted by the township officers. They are elected by bal- lot from among the voters who have been resident in the town for one year. ( 1 ) The supervisor is the chief officer of the township ; he receives and pays out all money on township accounts, is ex-officio supervisor of the poor and member of the county board. He serves for one year, and makes an annual finan- cial report at town meeting. (2) An assistant supervisor is elected for a term of one year in towns that have at least 4,000 inhabitants and for every 2,500 inhabitants an additional assistant supervisor. His only duty is to be a member of the county board. (3) The toivn clerk is the secretary of the town, keeps its records, has custody of its papers, and annually notifies the county clerk of the amount required to be raised by taxa- tion by the township for town purposes. His term is two years and he is elected in the even-numbered years, e.g., April 7, 1914. (4) The assessor determines the value of property sub- ject to taxation in the town. His term is two years, and he is elected at the same time as the town clerk.* (5) The collector on warrant from the county clerk collects taxes due upon property in his township. His term also is two years, and his election occurs at the same time as the town clerks. (6) x The Town Board of Health. The supervisor, the assessor, and the town clerk 1 of each town constitute a board of health, which may appoint doctors as health officers, pro- *In counties of over 125,000 inhabitants, there is a board of asses- sors in charge of this work. But the township assessor is then appoint- ed deputy assessor for his township. 58 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS vide free vaccination, and require reports upon any danger- ously communicable disease. (7) Board of Highway Commissioners. This board consists of three members, one of whom is elected each year for a term of three years; the town clerk acts as clerk to the board, and the town supervisor is ex-officio'its treasurer. But by voting, any township may have one highway com- missioner with a three-year term instead of three commis- sioners. The board makes out a list of all able-bodied men between twenty-one and fifty years of age and a tax of from one to three dollars is assessed against each person on the list. This tax is payable to the treasurer of the highway commissioners. The commissioners also determine and notify the county clerk of any additional tax to be levied in their township for road and highway purposes. They may lay out, alter, widen or vacate highways, and erect road signs, and provide road watering facilities. They direct the expenditure of township road funds, but can award no con- tract for any amount larger than $200 without the consent of the county superintendent of highways. They are re- quired to keep down thistles and weeds on township roads and to destroy or cut out all those growing there, at least once a year. They have an annual meeting on the second Tuesday after the election, and the list for the poll tax is then made; a semi-annual meeting is required between the first Tuesday of August and of September, and the amount needed by additional tax levy is then decided. The poll tax may be abolished by a vote taken at the town election, if the petition and notice required by the statute has been made. The commissioners may issue bonds to raise money for road purposes, when the people vote for such a bond is- sue at a special election on the question. The commission- ers must make an annual financial report to the board of auditors. (8) The board of auditors, often called the town board, consists of the supervisor, the town clerk and the justices of the peace. COUNTY GOVERNMENT 59 The supervisor, the town clerk and the assessor receive $3.00 a day for attending town business outside the town- ship and $2.50 a day when attending to business in the town- ship. The town cierk in addition receives various set fees for various official acts. Women may vote for these elective town officers. COUNTIES NOT UNDER TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION. Counties not under township organization are governed by a board of county commissioners. This board consists of three commissioners, elected one each year at the November election from the county at large for a term of three years. The constitution and the statute prescribe for county com- missioner a residence of five years in the county just prior to the election. The board holds regular meetings on the third Monday in September, December, March and June and on the second Monday in July. At the December meet- ing, the members organize and select one of their members as chairman. This board has general charge of the affairs of the county; cares for county property ; supervises the administration of county institutions; may levy taxes; and may create a board of health. Each commissioner receives a salary fixed by statute, but the salaries of commissioners depend upon the population of the county. Counties not under township organization are divided into road districts, each one of which is as large as a con- gressional township. Each road district has the same high- way commissioners (or commissioner) with the same powers and functions for road construction, maintenance and repair as in townships in counties under township or- ganization. There is, of course, no town clerk, town super- visor, town election or board of auditors. But a district election is held annually on the first Tuesday in April, and every three years a district clerk is elected, who is ex-officio district treasurer. The annual financial report is filed in his office. 60 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS For purposes of voting, the county is divided into elec- tion precincts, or election, districts, which should contain as nearly as practicable 400 voters each. The judges and clerks of election are appointed and precincts are determined by the county board. COOK COUNTY. The county board of Cook County is officially known as the "Board of Commissioners of Cook County." It consists of ten members chosen from and by Chicago, and of five members chosen from and by the rest of Cook County out- side of Chicago. The Board of Commissioners of Cook County differs in several respects from the county board of other counties. The president, for example, is not elected by the commissioners from among their own number, but at the time of election, each voter must indicate separately which candidate he wishes to be president. The term of office of Cook County commissioners has been two years. An act of 1913 increases it to four years, beginning with the com- missioners elected in 1914.* The board meets regularly on the first Monday of Decem- ber, January, February, March, June and September. It has the power and duties of county boards in counties under township organization. The president may vote as a com- missioner or he may have a casting vote as president. He cannot vote in both capacities. He has veto power over any resolution appropriating money or involving the county's finances, 'but this veto can be overruled by a vote of four-fifths of the commissioners. Further, he appoints each year one member of the civil service commission, which consists of three members and conducts examinations for the selection of employees for such offices as are under the county civil ser- vice law. The territory of Cook County is organized on the town- ship scheme. Townships lying wholly within Chicago (or Recently a claim has been made that the office of commissioner of Cook County is different from that of county commissioner, and that one year's residence is therefore sufficient for eligibility. In the People vs. McCormick this point was settled in a decision reported December 17, 1913. COUNTY GOVERNMENT 61 any other city in the state of over 50,000 inhabitants) have, however, no independent township organization. The county treasurer is ex-officio supervisor; the county treasurer, ex- officio collector; the county clerk, e.v-offtcio town clerk and assessor, and there are no highway commissioners. All pow- ers that would regularly belong to the township government are given to the County Board. Towns outside of Chicago have the usual township organization and powers, but they have no assistant supervisors, and their supervisors are not members of the County Board. PROVISIONS APPLYING IN ALL COUNTIES. The county, whether with or without township organiza- tion, is the governmental unit to which is entrusted the care of the aged poor, the poor sick, and prisoners who are await- ing trial or who have been convicted of offenses less serious than felonies. It may, therefore, establish an almshouse, a county hospital, a tuberculosis sanitarium, a county jail and a workhouse. It must provide a courthouse with offices and supplies for a county and a circuit court as well as for county officers. The county must also protect the health, insure rea- sonably good roads, and enforce state laws for the preven- tion of cruelty to animals. The county board may therefore buy and sell real estate, make the contracts necessary to the performance of these duties, and levy taxes for county pur- poses. County Officers. Besides the county board and the town- ship officers, there are in all counties certain other very important officers. They are constitutional officers, and therefore women can not vote for them. (1) Justices of the peace and constables, who are elected on the first Tuesday in April every four years be- ginning 1897, e.g., April 1, 1913. Justices of the peace have jurisdiction throughout the county, but in general they cannot hear cases in which more than two hundred dollars is to be received. The constables are the officers who serve writs from justice of the peace courts. In counties under 62 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS township organization two justices and two constables are elected from each township ; they have certain township functions and are often classified as township officers. In counties not under township organization two justices and two constables are elected from each election precinct. An additional justice and an additional constable are elected in either case for every 1,000 inhabitants over 2,000. But no more than five justices and five constables may be elected from any town, except in towns which lie partly within Chicago. Such towns are allowed an additional constable for every 10,000 of their inhabitants over 10,000. In coun- ties under township organization the terms of justices and constables begin on the first Monday of May after election. In counties not under township organization, their term begins on the first Monday in December after election. Justices of the peace and constables receive their pay in fees. There are no justices of the peace in Chicago, and no Cook County justice of the peace or constable has civil jur- isdiction in Chicago. The following officers are also elected for a term of four years at the November election every four years beginning 1882, e.g., 1912 and 1916, the term beginning on the first Monday in December following the election : (2) The county judge, whose work will be described in connection with the courts of the state.* (3) The county clerk, who acts as clerk or secretary of the county board and keeps a record of orders on the county treasurer, and has the custody of the official seal and docu- ments, including bonds of justices of the peace and other officials. He is ex-ofhcio clerk of the county court, and has other duties imposed by statute, such as the issuing of mar- riage licenses and keeping a record of births, deaths and mar- riages. In Cook County he is ex-ofhcio comptroller. (4) The sheriff, who must keep the peace and has charge of the courthouse and jail. It is his duty to serve and execute warrants, summons and other writs. In coun- *See p. 88. COUNTY GOVERNMENT 63 ties not under township organization, he is ex-ofUcio coun- ty collector. (5) The county treasurer, who has charge of the coun- ty's money, and must keep public accounts, report to each meeting of the county board and have it examine his books at least twice each year. In Cook County and in other counties under township organization, he is ex-offrcio coun- ty collector. (6) The coroner, who investigates the causes of deaths, where any death appears to have been accidental or violent or caused by "undue means." (7) The clerk of the circuit court, whose work is de- scribed in connection with the state courts, but who in coun- ties having under 60,000 inhabitants is also recorder of deeds. Cook County has, in addition, a clerk of the superior court, a clerk of the criminal court. And all counties of over 70,000 inhabitants have also a judge and a clerk of the probate court. (8) The recorder of deeds, in counties having 60,000 or more inhabitants, who receives and records and make an exact copy of deeds and certain other documents filed for record. (9) The county superintendent of schools, whose election is separately provided for under the constitution and the school laws of the state, on the first Monday in November every four years from 1910 and whose term begins on the first Monday in December after his election. He has charge of the county schools and of school property, and is re- quired to report both to the state superintendent of public instruction and to the county board. (10) The county auditor, who passes on claims against the county and recommends what action shall be taken. He is not a constitutional officer. In counties of less than 75,000 inhabitants he is appointed by the county board. In counties of from 75,000 to 300,000 inhabitants he is elected every four years beginning 1904, e. g., 1912. 64 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS (11) The comity superintendent of highways, chosen by the state highway commission by competitive examination from five residents of the county whose names are recom- mended by the county board. The term of office is six years, and the salary, paid out of the county funds, is fixed by the county board. His duties are to prepare plans and specifications for all bridges to be built by the county, which can be adopted only after they have been approved by the state highway commission ; to superintend the con- struction and maintenance of any road built by the county or jointly by the county and any township or road district ; under the state highway commission to supervise the main- tenance and repair of all state roads in his county; at least once each year to visit and to inspect the highways and bridges in each town or district in his county, and to ad- vise with each one concerning the best methods of work and construction ; and to pass upon all contracts of over $200 to be let by any township or district highway commission- ers in the county. Salaries. For the purpose of grading the salaries or fees of county and township officers, counties are sometimes classified by population into three classes. The first class consists of those counties whose population in 1900 did not exceed 25,000; the second, of those counties whose popula- tion was between 25,000 and 100,000; the third, of those counties whose population was over 100,000. Cook County is the only one in the third class. This classification is significant only in the state's regulation of fees and salaries, and is entirely independent of the form of government. In general, in the more thickly populated counties, the work of the various officers is more difficult and more specialized than in the less thickly populated counties, the compensation is higher, and more fees and higher fees may be charged for services. ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW. In order that the government may have the income with which to carry on its functions, taxes are levied and col- COUNTY GOVERNMENT 65 lected. The amount of taxes that anyone must pay depends upon the value of his property. Estimating the value of the property in the community for this purpose is called "assess- ing" it. This work is done chiefly through the county or- ganization, and in order to determine what official performs this duty, the question must be asked : Are you in a county of 125,000 population or more? If the county has less than 125,000, is the county under township organization or not? In such counties of less than 125,000 and not under township or- ganization, the county treasurer is also the county assessor. In counties under township organization the towns elect as- sessors who estimate the value of the property in the differ- ent townships, and the county treasurer supervises the as- sessments. The amount of pay the county treasurer receives for performing these extra duties depends upon the popula- tion in the county. As the county treasurer is a constitutional office, women cannot vote for him, but they can vote for the township assessors where they exist. In counties of 125,000 a board of assessors is elected for this purpose. The board consists of five persons, not more than four of whom can be from the same city, elected at the November elections, two every six years from 1900, e.g., 1912 and 1918; two every six years from 1902, e.g., 1914 and 1920, and one every six years from 1898, e.g., 1916. The decision of the assessors is not final. In counties of 125,000 or more population the work of the board of assessors is subject to correction and review by a board of review, consisting of three members, elected for a term of three years. They assess property not assessed by the board of assessors, and hear complaints against the actions of the board of assessors. Women may vote for members of boards of review and of boards of assessors. In counties of less than 125,000 under township organi- zation, the county judge appoints two citizens, one from each of the dominant political parties, who act with the chairman of the board of supervisors as a board of review ; and in counties of less than 125,000, not under township 66 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS organization, the board of county commissioners perform these duties. SANITARY DISTRICTS. There are three main kinds of sanitary districts. The trustees of two of the kinds are elective, and women may vote for them. The Sanitary District of Chicago is one of the first kind, where trustees are elective. A district of this kind must lie entirely within one county and must itself contain at least two incorporated cities or villages where public health needs a common system of drainage. It is con- trolled by nine trustees, three of whom are elected by and from the district at the regular county election, e. g., No- vember, 1914, for a term of six years. The president of the board is one of the nine trustees. At the election every "six years, e.g., 1910 and 1916, each voter may vote for one of the candidates for trustee to be also president of the board, and the person who receives the highest number of such votes is president. These trustees may levy taxes and special assessments, buy or condemn land, and borrow money, and it is their duty to establish and maintain one or more drainage ditches to meet the needs of the district. They may construct and lease docks and sell their surplus electric and other power. The second type of sanitary district where the trustees are elective is composed of territory lying in two adjoining counties, and containing two or more incorporated cities, towns or villages needing drainage protection against over- flow. Each such district is controlled by a board of five trus- tees. The election takes place at the same time as the regular county election, that is, Tuesday after the first Mon- day in November. The first trustees serve for three years, and after that a new board is elected every four yours. The president is chosen by the trustees from their own number. These trustees have power to pass ordinances and to lay out and maintain drains or ditches and levees and embank- ments to protect against overflow ; and for that purpose to buy or condemn property, to levy taxes and special as- COUNTY GOVERNMENT 67 sessments, to borrow money, and to appoint a police force for the protection of their property, and to mak^e contracts for drainage ditches and other improvements. The third type of sanitary district,* the kind where trus- tees are not elective, consists of territory! lying all within one county and itself containing two or more incorporated cities, towns or villages, so situated that a common drainage and sewage system is advantageous to the public health of all, one at least having a system of water supply from Lake Michigan. Each such district is divided into five wards on the basis of population and is reapportioned or re-warded at least once each ten years by a board of commissioners consisting of the judge of the county court and two judges of the circuit court selected by him and residing within the district. The district is governed by a board of five trustees, appointed one from each ward, every fourth year from the organi- zation of the district. This appointment is made in the month of October by the commissioners above mentioned. These trustees must provide suitable disposal of sewage and may buy or condemn property, borrow money, levy taxes and special assessments, and make contracts for drainage. They may pass ordinances and exercise police power to protect their property. They may not allow sewage to be emptied into Lake Michigan. No sanitary district of any type can be organized except in accordance with a vote at an election where the question is submitted after the required petition has been filed and notice given. ILLINOIS SCHOOL SYSTEM. The school system of Illinois corresponds to some extent in its organization to the system of counties, but differs just enough to make it necessary to consider it separately. Some cities and incorporated villages have been given the power by special act of the legislature, a special city char- ter, to control their schools entirely. *This is a new type of district, first authorized by an act of 1911, which has so far been little used. 68 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS In Chicago, which operates under an act applying only to cities of over 100,000 inhabitants, school officers are not elected by the people. All public schools are under the control and management of a board of education of twenty- one members, appointed by the mayor with the consent of the council, for a term of three years, one-third of them each year. Only persons who have resided in the city for more than four years next before the appointment may be appointed. They select their president and their secretary from among their own members. In this board of education are combined the powers of both school trustees a"nd school directors elsewhere. They regulate the schools ; elect a superintendent of schools ; hire the teachers ; determine the course of study and choose the textbooks ; and are required to conduct examinations for teachers. Their acts with regard to the erection of school buildings, the purchase of land, the issuing of bonds, or the borrowing of money in any other way must be approved by the City Council, which also levies the local school tax. School funds are held by the city treasurer as a special fund for school purposes, subject to the order of the board of education, and are paid out only upon warrants counter- signed by the mayor and the city comptroller, or if there were no comptroller, by the city clerk. In Chicago, under the authority given by this law, the board of education has established vacation schools, a parental school for boys who are truant or incorrigible, and special schools for deaf, blind and crippled children. Those portions of the state to which no special act applies are governed by the general school law. The constitution creates the positions of state superintendent of public instruc- tion and of county superintendent of schools. On that ac- count women cannot vote for those officers, but women have been authorized since 1891 to vote for all other elective school officers. State Superintendent of Schools. The state superintend- ent of public instruction, who is at the head of this system. COUNTY GOVERNMENT 69 is elected by the whole state every four years, beginning 1910. He has an office at Springfield, and has legally a general supervision over all the schools of the state, including even the private institutions. He is also the legal adviser of public- school officers, and is required upon request of any school officer to give a written opinion upon any question aris- ing under the school law. He may conduct examinations for teachers and issue licenses to qualified candidates. He reports to the governor in November before each regular session of the General Assembly. County Superintendent of Schools. In each county there is a county superintendent of schools, elected every four years, beginning 1910, who conducts examinations" for teachers and issues county certificates to those who are found qualified. He may also revoke the license or certifi- cate of any person for improper conduct or any other just cause. He may remove any school director who willfully refuses to perform his duty. He is required to conduct teachers' institutes and to give instruction and advice to teachers ' and school officers, with regard to methods of teaching and courses of study. He should visit each pub- lic school in his county at least once a year. He is also required to examine into the finances of each school town- ship under him and to distribute and apportion among the schools the money given to his county from the state school fund. This fund is derived from donations to the state for school purposes or from a state tax levied each year for school purposes and not exceeding two mills in each dollar of valuation of property. School Township. The unit of school organization is the school township, which coincides with the congressional and geographical township and need not lie wholly in one county and may therefore be different from the political township. (However, any fractional township containing less than 200 persons under twenty-one years of age is allowed to consolidate with an adjoining school township.) In charge of each school township are three trustees, residents of the 70 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS township, at least twenty-one years of age, elected one each year for a term of three years. Where the boundaries of school town-ships coincide with those of political towns, the election occurs at the same time with that of town officers. In other school townships the election occurs on the second Saturday of April. School townships may be sub- divided into school districts, but it is possible for one school district to lie in two school townships. In a school district containing over 1,000 inhabitants and not more than 100,000, a board of education consisting of not more than fifteen mem- bers has control of the local schools. Members of the board of education serve for three years ; one-third of them to- gether with a president of the board are elected each year, on the third Saturday in April. Each other district is controlled by three school directors elected from the district on the third Saturday in April, one each year, each for a term of three years. The school directors in their districts, and the boards of education in theirs, employ and dismiss teachers, fix their salaries, determine the course of study, decide upon the textbooks to be used, and adopt necessary regulations for the management of their schools. They may suspend or expel pupils for misconduct, and are required to maintain at least one public school in the district for at least six months of the year. They control and supervise the school houses and grant special holidays and give permits for the temporary use of the school building when the schools are not in session. The trustees of the school township in their corporate name are the owners of all public-school property in it, and may sell or lease any land owned by them that is not used as a school. They may levy taxes for school pur- poses and may borrow by mortgaging the school property or by issuing bonds. The school districts were originally established by the trustees of the school township, and upon petition of a majority of the legal voters from the territory to be affected, they may change district boun- daries and consolidate or divide districts. COUNTY GOVERNMENT 71 In each school township there is also a township treas- urer who is ex-officio clerk of the board of trustees and who is chosen from the township by the board of trustees every two years, beginning 1910, within ten days after election of trustees. He is custodian of all township and district school funds, and is required to report semiannually to the trustees, annually to the county superintendent of schools and annually to the county clerk. Township High Schools. Township high schools may be established upon a majority vote in favor of the propo- sition, submitted after due petition and notice at the same time as the election of trustees. The high-school township will then be co-extensive, but separate from the common- school township, and is under the control and management of a high-school board of education of five members, elected regularly on the second Saturday of April, one or two of them each year and each serving a term of three years. Any school district having a population of 2,000 inhabitants or more may maintain a high school in the same way as a town- ship, and two or more townships may join in the support of one high school, and be formed into one high-school township. Where a city with 1,000 to 100,000 inhabitants lies within two or more townships, the township having the majority of the residents of the city, and the parts within the city of the other townships form together one high-school township. REFERENCES COUNTY. Constitution of Illinois (1870), Article X, "Counties." Kurd's Re-vised Statutes of Illinois (1911) Chap. 34, "Counties." 35, "County Clerks." 36, "County Treasurer." 51, "Coroners." 46, "Elections." 79, "Justices and Constables." 75, "Jails and Jailers." 139, "Township Organization." 53, "Fees and Salaries." 115, "Recorders." 125, "Sheriffs." 72 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS Illinois Laws of 1913 p. 202, "Counties." p. 521, "Roads and Bridges." Haines, Township Organisation. ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW. Kurd's Revised Statutes of Illinois (1911), Chap. 120 ("Revenue, particularly 11295 ff.). SANITARY DISTRICTS. Hurd's Revised Statutes of Illinois (1911), Chap. 122 ("Schools, particularly TI343 ff.). Ibid., Chap. 42 ("Drainage," particularly 11213' ff.). Illinois Laivs of 1913, P- 87 ; pp. 302-3. ILLINOIS SCHOOL SYSTEM. Constitution of Illinois (1870), Article VIII, "Education." Hurd's Revised Statutes of Illinois, Chap. 122, "Schools." Illinois Laws of 1913, p. 582 ff., "Schools." CHAPTER VI. STATE GOVERNMENT OF ILLINOIS The state is the unit of government. The federal gov- ernment is a union of states; counties are subdivisions of a state. The state constitution, which can be changed or amended only with very great difficulty, places many restraints and checks upon the action of the legislature. By the Constitution of the United States, the states turned over to the national government certain matters, chiefly those of general concern to all the states or involving the relations between the states, such as relations with foreign countries and the control of the postal service, and imposed certain limitations on the actions of all the states. No state can, for example, make war; enter into any treaty; coin money; emit bills of credit ; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts ; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of con- tracts, or grant any title of nobility. Nor can any state, without the consent of Congress, impose a tax on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws. Each state must give full recognition to the public acts, records and judicial pro- ceedings of each other state; and citizens of any state are entitled to all privileges and safeguards of citizens in the several states. Again, the first section of the Fourteenth Amendment reads : i All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States ; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The Constitution of the United States and the laws of the United States in accordance with it are supreme in mat- 73 74 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS ters they control. But in the matters not given to the national government the state government controls within its territory and exercises complete authority, restricted only by the limitations contained in its own constitution. Not all the self-imposed restrictions contained in the state constitution are expressed. Many of them are implied in the things that are expressed. A principle of government which applies to all the states and to the United States is that of separation of powers. That is, the government is divided into three distinct departments, which are meant to check one an- other. The legislative department makes the law. The executive department is responsible for seeing that the law is enforced. And the judicial department applies the law to particular cases and decides whether in making a law the legislature has acted in a way that is constitutional that is, whether the action it has taken or the law it has made is allowed by the constitution of the state and also of the United States. In Illinois the chief officers of all three departments are elected by the people. THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT The legislative department, called the General Assembly, is divided into two branches, or houses. The members of both houses are elected directly by the people. This election occurs on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in Novem- ber in the even-numbered years. Illinois is divided into fifty-one districts called senatorial districts,* which are re- districted by the General Assembly every ten years, after the taking of the federal census. The total number of peo- ple in the state is divided by fifty-one, and the result, or quotient, is called the ratio of representation. The popu- lation, however, of the senatorial districts is not exactly equal, because the lines of the districts are required to fol- low county lines except where one county contains one and three-fourths enough people for a district. Such a *For present senatorial districts, see p. 117. STATE GOVERNMENT 75 county may be divided. Cook County is such a county; it contains eighteen of the fifty-one senatorial districts. The last senatorial apportionment was made by the legislature in 1901, after the census of 1900. An apportionment based upon the census of 1910 has not yet been made. To be a member of either house of the General Assembly a person must be a citizen of the United States, must have been for five years a resident of Illinois, and for two years before his election must have been a resident of the district from which he is elected. Furthermore, each member of the lower house must be at least twenty-one years of age, and each member of the upper house must be at least twenty- five years of age. No member of the General Assembly may legally hold any office or paying position (except certain very minor ones) under either the state or the national government. The upper house of the General Assembly, called the Sen- ate, consists of one member from each senatorial district. Its members serve four years, and one-half the number is elected every two years. In the even-numbered districts the elections occur every four years, from 1872 e.g., in 1912 and 1916; in the odd-numbered districts at the intervening gen- eral election e.g., in 1910 and 1914. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant-governor, who can vote only when the members are equally divided on a question, i.e., when there is a tie vote. If the lieutenant- governor is called upon to assume the functions of governor or is for any reason unable to act, the Senate then chooses a president pro tempore. The lower house, called the House of Representatives, con- sists of 153 members, of whom three are elected from each senatorial district for a term of two years. There may, there- fore, be an entirely new membership at every regular session. In elections of members of the House of Representatives, a system of voting called minority representation, or cumu- lative voting, is employed. Under this system each voter has three votes, and he may vote for three men, give three 76 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS votes to one man, or distribute his votes or equal parts thereof among the candidates. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes are elected. The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, called the speaker, is elected by the house from among its members. The two houses of the General Assembly meet at the same time, on the Wednesday after the first Monday in January in the year after the election; that is, in the odd-numbered years. That is, at each regular session, or meeting, of the legislature, one-half of the senators and all the representatives have just been elected. Each member must take the fol- lowing oath of office at the beginning of his term : I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the constitu- tion of the United States and the constitution of the state of Illinois, and will faithfully discharge the duties of senator (or representative) according to the best of my ability; and that I have not, knowingly or intentionally, paid or contributed anything, or made any promise, in the nature of a bribe, to influence directly or indirectly any vote at the election at which I was chosen to fill the said office, and have not accepted, nor will I accept or receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing, from any corporation, company or per- son, for any vote or influence I may give or withhold on any bill, resolution or appropriation, or for any other official act. Special sessions of the legislature, or General Assembly, may be held at the call of the governor, to transact such business as the governor states in his call. In each house a majority is a quorum. Members of the General Assembly are exempt from arrest in all cases except treason, felony and breach of the peace, both during the session of the General Assembly and in going to and returning from a session. They may not be questioned anywhere else for any speech or debate made in either house. Their salary, which is fixed by statute under a provision of the constitution, is now $1,000 a year, payable $2,000 every two years. The legislature, under the restrictions imposed by the con- stitution, determines what the laws of the state shall be. There are, to be sure, parts .of the laws of Illinois that can not be found in any of the statutes. The reason for this is that STATE GOVERNMENT 77 Illinois adopted the law of England as it was in 1608, when the first settlers came to Virginia, of which the territory that is now Illinois was once a part. This law adopted from England is called the common law and is still in force except where it has been changed by the state consti- tution or by some statute. But because the General Assembly may change the common law or add to it by statute, the legis- lature is responsible for all the law, except what is in the constitution, which contains much substantive law, and lays down restrictions under which the legislature is bound to act. These restrictions are found particularly in the bill of rights found in Article II of the state constitution, which guarantees to the people such rights as religious freedom, free speech and jury trial, and in sections 22 and 23 of Article III, which forbid special legislation in a long list of cases. A proposed law which the legislature is considering, but has not yet adopted, is called a bill. A bill may be introduced in either house. And it is called a senate bill if it is first introduced in the Senate and a house bill if it is first introduced in the House of Representatives. After it is introduced, it is commonly referred to a committee. The fate of many bills is determined by the selection of the committee to which they are referred, and many bills "die in committee," i. e.. are never acted upon by the house in which they have been introduced. To become a law a bill must, of course, be passed by both houses. Then it is sent to the governor, and, if he approves it, he signs it. If the governor disap- proves, he vetoes it by sending it back with his objec- tions, but it may become a law in spite of his veto if it is passed again in each house by a vote of two-thirds of all the members of that house. If the governor keeps a bill for ten days (not counting Sundays) and does not send it back to the legislature if it is still in session, or to the sec- retary of the state if the legislature has adjourned, it there- by becomes a law without his having signed it. A bill that has passed and become a law is called a statute. The money of the state can be spent only in accordance 78 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS with a statute called an appropriation bill, and in Article IV, sections 18 to 20 of the state constitution, there are a number of special provisions about appropriation bills, e.g., no other subject can be contained in the same bill. The General Assembly can impeach or remove from office for misconduct in office, the governor and all the civil officers of the state, including the judges. Only the House of Representatives can bring an impeachment and a majority of the representatives elected must vote for the impeachment. Only the senate can try an impeachment, and in order to con- vict, two-thirds of the senators elected must agree that the officer is guilty. When the governor of the state is impeached, the chief justice of the state supreme court presides at the trial. The effect of a conviction in an impeachment trial is to remove the officer from office. Whether or not he is con- victed on the impeachment trial, he may still be tried and pun- ished as a private citizen for the crime for which he was impeached. Although the General Assembly has this power to remove officials and although it may often provide for the selection of officers and determine whether they shall be elected or appointed by other officers, it cannot itself elect or appoint any officer of the state. Until May 30, 1913, it did, of course, elect the members of the United States Senate from Illinois. THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT The chief officers of the executive department are the governor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, auditor of public accounts, treasurer, superintendent of public instruc- tion, and attorney-general. The term of office of the treas- urer is two years, and that of each of the others is four years ; and all except the lieutenant-governor, who is a kind of vice-governor, are required to reside at the state capital city. The governor, the lieutenant-governor, the secretary of state, and the auditor of public accounts are all elected at the same time as the senators from the even- numbered senatorial districts, e. g., 1912 and 1916. The STATE GOVERNMENT 79 superintendent of public instruction is elected every four years in the alternate elections, that is, at the same time as the senators from the odd-numbered districts, e. g., 1910 and 1914. People vote directly for these officers, and the returns, or report of the count, are sent sealed to the office of the secre- tary of state, directed to the speaker of the House of Rep- resentatives, who after the house is organized opens them and announces the result before a joint meeting of both houses of the General Assembly. Governor. To be governor or lieutenant-governor, a person must be at least thirty years of age, and must have been for five years next preceding his election a citizen both of the United States and of the state of Illinois. The governor must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." He is commander-in-chief of the naval and mili- tary forces of the state except when they are in the service of the United States and he may call out these forces to execute the lav/, put down insurrection, and repel invasion. At the opening of each session of the legislature, and at the close of his term of office, he is required to send a message to the General Assembly, informing them of the condition of the state and making recommendations of such measures as he thinks wise. He must give an account of all money re- ceived and paid out by him from state funds that are subject to his control. At the beginning of each regular session of the legislature he must present estimates of the amount of money to 'be raised by taxation for all purposes. On extraordinary occasions, the governor may call a spe- cial session of the legislature by a proclamation stating the business to be transacted. The governor can appoint all offi- cers named in the constitution whose election or appointment is not otherwise provided for, but the approval of a majority of all the senators elected is required to confirm any such appointment. The governor also has the power to pardon convicted of- fenders, to grant them reprieve, and to commute their sentence. 80 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS i.e., substitute a slighter for a more severe penalty. The legislature lays down certain regulations as to the method of applying for a pardon, a reprieve, or a commutation of sentence. The governor also exercises a considerable influence over legislation, as a party leader and because before any bill be- comes a law it must be presented to him, and if he objects to it, he may veto it and return it to the legislature with his objections, and then it cannot become a law without the vote in each house of two-thirds of all the members elected. He is supposed to keep informed as to the conduct of the state departments and the management of state insti- tutions. He may, therefore, at any time require from all officers or managers of executive departments or state in- stitutions written information under oath on any subject relating to the performance of their duties. Such officers are, of course, required to keep account of all money re- ceived and expended by them, and whether the governor call for it or not, they are under a duty to make a semi- annual financial report to the governor, besides making a general report at least ten days before the legislature con- venes. Judges of the Supreme Court also send a report to the governor, who forwards all this material to the leg- islature. Further, the governor may require the state treasurer to give additional security for the keeping of the state's moneys, and, if the treasurer does not comply, the governor may declare the treasurer's office vacant. In case of vacancy in the office of auditor of public ac- counts, treasurer, secretary of state, attorney-general or superintendent of public instruction, the governor may ap- point someone to fill the vacancy until the end of the term. For misconduct in office the governor and all the civil officers of the state may be impeached and removed from office by the General Assembly.* See p. 78. STATE GOVERNMENT 81 Lieutenant-Governor. The lieutenant-governor is the presiding officer in the state Senate, and is called president of the Senate. He can vote only when the Senate is equally divided. If the governor dies or resigns or becomes dis- qualified to act, the lieutenant-governor becomes governor. In case of his death or disqualification, the duties fall upon the president of the Senate and, in case of his death or dis- qualification upon the speaker of the House of Representa- tives. Treasurer. The term of office of the state treasurer is two years. He is elected at the time of the election of members of the legislature. The same individual cannot be elected for two successive terms. As he has charge of all the state money, he must give bond, which the governor may at any time require to be increased. Auditor of Public Accounts. The auditor of public ac- counts keeps the state's accounts and audits the accounts of all officers and persons who receive money from the state treasury and has general supervision over state banks. The auditor, the governor, and the treasurer together deter- mine the rate of taxation necessary to raise the amount of tax required by the General Assembly. Secretary of State. The. secretary of state keeps the original copy of all acts of the General Assembly, and all books and documents deposited with him by either house. He keeps a record of the official acts of the governor and is the keeper of the state's great seal. He issues charters for the organization of cities and villages and corporations and manv kinds of state license, e. g., automobiles, patent medicine peddlers, corporations, and so forth. Attorney-General. The attorney-general is the legal ad- viser of the governor and the representative of the state in legal controversies. Salaries. The salaries of governor and other state offi- cers are fixed by statute, but may not be changed during the term of office of any officer. No officer may receive any extra or additional compensation for his services beyond 82 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS that fixed by statute. Such fees as are charged for the par- ticular services of any such officer, must be paid to the state treasury. In the executive department are also a number of offices and boards created by the legislature, usually for the pur- pose of enforcing some particular law. Some of them are elected and some are appointive. The legislature, which created them, can abolish them at any time. Head Statutory Appointive Officers. Among these are : The insurance superintendent, whose duty is to enforce the laws regulating the insurance business. The state fire marshal. The state architect. The state entomologist. The state food commissioner, whose duty is to enforce the laws concerning the preparation, handling and sale of food and foodstuffs. The state game commissioner, whose duty is to enforce the laws regulating hunting. The chief factory inspector, whose duty is to enforce the laws regulating the condition of factories and their ma- chinery, and the laws regulating the employment of women and children. The chief inspector of employment agencies, whose duty is to enforce the law regulating private employment agencies. Further, the governor may make a temporary appoint- ment to any vacancy occurring in any non-elective con- stitutional office, during a recess of the senate. In case an officer appointed by the governor proves incompetent, neg- lects his duty or abuses his power, the governor may re- move him and thus create a vacancy in the office. A Public Utilities Commission was created by the 1913 ses- sion of the legislature, to be organized in January, 1914. It is to consist of five members, all appointed by the governor with the consent of the state Senate. No more than three of the five members may be of the same political party. The STATE GOVERNMENT 83 regular term of office is to be six years, beginning in March, and one or two members are to be appointed each year. This commission is to take the place of the Railroad and Ware- house Commission. It will, however, have more extensive powers and is to do the important work of general supervision over railroads, electric light, gas, telegraph and telephone, street car and other public utilities. It is given power to examine into the charges, accounts and capitalization of any public utility business and to determine whether the rate charged is a reasonable one. It may require regular reports from all public utilities business and is to recommend legis- lation that seems needful. Upon request of the legisla- ture or even of any standing committee of either house it will be required to take testimony concerning any pending legisla- tion affecting a business subject to its jurisdiction. Each commissioner is required to give all his time to the com- mission and is forbidden to be an owner of any stock or bond of any corporation subject to the commission. The State Highway Department, consisting of the State Highway Commission, a chief state highway engineer, and an assistant state highway engineer, all appointed by the governor, was created by an act of the 1913 legislature. The State Highway Commission consists of three members, no more than two of whom may be of the same political party, appointed one every two years for a term of six years (but of the three first appointed one will have a term of two years only, and one a term of four years only). The duty of the commission is to supervise and to regulate all state highways, and highways and bridges wholly or partly built or maintained with state money; to aid and to advise with county highway superintendents with regard to establishing of grades and systems of drainages, and the work of road and highway construction and maintenance ; at the request of any superintendent or of town or district highway commissioner, to have plans and specifications made concerning the repair or improvement of highways or the construction or repair of bridges ; and to prescribe a 84 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS system of auditing and accounting for all road and highway and bridge moneys, to be as nearly uniform as practicable. The chief state highway engineer and the assistant highway engineer are the administrative and technical agents for the State Highway Commission. The act creating this department makes provision for the construction of roads to be known as state aid roads, paid for jointly by state and county funds. The county may make the original selection of roads, but its selection is subject to approval by the state commission. These roads are intended to connect the chief cities or trading points in the state. Elective Officers. Among those elected are : The State Board of Equalisation, which consists of the auditor of public accounts, who serves ex-offtcio, and of one member elected from each congressional district on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every four years from 1872, e. g., 1912 and 1916. This board meets at the state capital each year on the second Tuesday in August and reviews and equalizes the assessments of the taxable property listed from each county. It also assesses corporation capital stock and certain kinds of railroad and telegraph company stock. Women may vote for members of this board. The Trustees of the University of Illinois. The governor, the president of the State Board of Agriculture, and the superintendent of public instruction are members ex-ofUcio. Nine other members, who serve each a term of six years, are elected from the state at large on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in the even-numbered years, three at each election. Members of the State Board of Equalization and trustees of the University of Illinois are the only state officers for whom women may vote under the present statute. All civil officers except members of the General Assem- bly and some inferior officers exempted by law are required STATE GOVERNMENT 85 before entering into the work of their office to take the fol- lowing oath : I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of according to the best of my ability. And no other oath, declaration, or test can be required as a qualification. THE JUDICIAL, DEPARTMENT. The task of interpreting the law and of deciding how it applies to particular cases is alloted to a system of courts that derive their authority either from the state constitu- tion or from the statute. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. It is only in cases involving some na- tional question under the national Constitution that an ap- peal can be taken from any decision of the State Supreme Court ; and although a few cases of public importance may be begun in the Supreme Court, its chief work is reviewing or reconsidering the decisions of the lower courts. The Supreme Court is composed of seven judges, elected di- rectly by the people for a term of nine years, one from each of seven judicial districts, which are supposed to be as nearly equal in population as is practicable. The boun- daries of a district may be changed by the legislature at the session next before the election of a judge from that district and at no other time. Each judge must be at least thirty years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the district* from which he is elected and he must have been a resident of the state for at least five years next before his election. The salary of the judges of the Supreme Court, which is fixed by an act of the legisla- ture and cannot be changed during the term for which the judges have been elected, is $10,000. The election of judges of the Supreme Court occurs on the first Monday in June, in different years in the different *For present judicial districts, see p. 117. 86 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS districts. In the first, second, third, sixth and seventh (in- cluding Cook County) districts, the election occurs every nine years begining 1879, e.g., in 1915; in the fourth district every nine years beginning 1873, e.g., in 1909 and 1918. It is arranged in this way so that the judges of the Supreme Court may not all be new at any one time. The judges them- selves select the chief justice from among their own num- ber. If a vacancy in the Supreme Court occurs within a year of the expiration of the term, the governor may fill the vacancy by appointment. Otherwise an election must be held in the district. The Supreme Court meets at Springfield, five times a year beginning on the first Tuesday of October, December, February, April and June. The presence of four judges is necessary for a quorum and at least four judges must agree upon a decision. There is an official reporter, appointed by the court, and its decisions are published after the close of each term of court. The judges of lower courts are required every year before June first, to report in writing to the Supreme Court, on "such omissions and defects in the laws as their experience may suggest," and in turn the judges of the Supreme Court are required once a year by January first, to make a written report to the governor, stating "such defects and omissions in the constitution and laws as they may find to exist, together with appropriate forms of bills to cure such defects and omissions in the laws." Appellate Courts. Next below the Supreme Court of Illinois are the appellate courts, one in each of the four districts into which the state is divided for this purpose. No cases are begun in any appellate court, but these courts act as courts of review to save the Supreme Court work. They are provided for in Article VI, Section II, of the state constitution, which requires that in all criminal cases, cases involving interpretation of a statute and in other cases listed there, an appeal from the decision of the appellate court must be allowed. In other matters the statute deter- STATE GOVERNMENT 87 mines whether the decision of the appellate court is to be final or whether there is an appeal to the Supreme Court. Each appellate court consists of three judges assigned to that court by the judges of the Supreme Court from among the judges elected to the judges of the circuit court, but no judge can act in the appellate court upon a case that he had decided in the circuit court. When the business of any one appellate court becomes too great for it to handle, branch appellate courts may be established in that district and three judges are assigned in the same way to each such branch court. Cook County, which constitutes the first district, has four appellate branch courts to assist the main appellate court. Below the Supreme Court and the appellate courts are a number of courts in which suits may be begun. Because Cook County has a population proportionally much larger than that of any other county it has a separate system of courts, which will be described later. Circuit Courts. The most important of these lower courts are the circuit courts, in which may be begun almost any kind of law suit between individuals, and many pro- ceedings for public benefit, including criminal prosecutions (which in Cook County are handled in a separate court called the criminal court.) The state outside of Cook County is divided into judicial circuits of which there are at present seventeen.* The boundaries of the circuit are county lines and are fixed by the legislature, but can be changed only at the session of the General Assembly next before the election of circuit court judges. In each circuit there is a circuit court that may not have more than four judges. At present each of these circuit courts has three judges. The court meets, or holds its terms, at least twice each year ; at present three or four times, at the county seat of each of the counties in the circuit. A judge of the circuit court must be at least twenty- five years of age, a citizen of the United States, a resident tSee p. 117. 88 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS of the state for the five years next before his election anc a resident of the circuit in which he is elected. The elec- tion of circuit judges are held on the first Monday in Jum every six years beginning 1873, e.g., 1909 and 1915, anc they enter upon their duties as soon after election as the) can qualify by securing the commission from the governoi and taking an oath of office. Probate Court. In counties having a population ovei 50,000 the constitution allows the establishment of a separ- ate probate court. But the legislature has provided for pro- bate courts only in counties having a population of 70,OOC or more and there are now probate courts in the counties of Kane, LaSalle, Madison, Peoria, Rock Island, Sang- amon, St. Clair, Vermilion, and Will besides Cook County The probate court has charge and control of the manage- ment of the estates or property of deceased and of insam persons, and of minors. Each probate court has one judge, elected by the people of the county on the Tuesday aftei the first Monday in November every four years beginning 1882, e.g., 1910 and 1914. The term of office begins on the first Monday in December next after election. County Courts. In each county there is also a county court held at the county seat, in which cases for the collection of taxes are brought, which, in counties without probate courts, does the probate work, and which has a number of other special functions given by statutes, such as passing upon questions of alleged insanity. The judge of the county court has also important duties in connection with the election machinery, particularly in counties in which a city has adopted the city election law.* Each county court has one judge elected from the county on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years beginning 1882, e.g., 1910 and 1914. The term begins on the first Monday in December after the election. Judges of county and probate courts are elected at the same time as the county clerk and members of the Gen- *See p. 46. STATE GOVERNMENT 89 eral Assembly in the elections between the elections of governor. Because of the time of the election, the choice of the probate judge and of the county judge and of the county clerk is apt to be unduly influenced by considera- tions of party politics. Courts of Cook County. Cook County has a probate court and a county court, which correspond exactly to pro- bate courts and county courts respectively in other coun- ties. Corresponding to the circuit courts of other coun- ties, Cook County has three courts, called the Circuit Court of Cook County, the Superior Court of Cook County and the Criminal Court of Cook County. The name of the Criminal Court of Cook County explains the work of that court. The court is held by judges assigned from the cir- cuit and the superior courts by the judges of those courts respectively. The Circuit and the Superior Courts of Cook County have concurrent jurisdiction; that means, that almost any case which can be brought in one, can be brought as well in the other. Each has the same work as a circuit court in another county, minus the criminal work. And their judges must have the same qualifications as circuit judges in other counties. There are now fourteen judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County, elected at the same time as other judges and for the same term, and eighteen judges of the Superior Court, who serve for a term of six years each, but are elected in different years. An act of the General Assembly passed in 1911 governs future elections of judges of the Superior Court. There will be one judge elected on the first Mon- day in June every six years, beginning 1915; six on the first Monday in June every six years, beginning 1916; four on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every six years, beginning 1911; one on the first Tuesday in April every six years beginning 1913. Each of these twelve judges takes office on the first Monday in the December after his election. The other six judges are elected on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every six 90 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS years beginning 1911 and take office as soon after election as they can qualify. Juvenile Court. In counties having over 500,000 popu- lation the judges of the circuit court are allowed to assign one or more of their number to hear only cases arising under the law concerning offenses by minors. The judges so assigned sit in separate rooms or building from the rest of the court and keep a separate record. This special branch of the circuit court is called the "juvenile court"; and in each county where there is a juvenile court, cases against delinquent children under a certain age may be brought from any other place where they may be begun and handled immediately by the juvenile court. Officers, called probation officers, are employed by the county to investigate the conditions surrounding any child to be brought before the court and to advise concerning the treatment of the child. All the judges of the courts so far described are con- stitutional officers. Therefore the legislature cannot au- thorize women to vote in their election. Their salaries are fixed by statute; most of them receive $10,000 a year. Justices of the Peace, Police Magistrates, City Courts. In addition to these judges there are certain other judicial officers holding courts which are limited to lesser cases and to cases that may be brought in the circuit court and involve only small amounts or lesser offenses. Justices of the peace and police magistrates each holding court, with- out a clerk in his private office, exist in most parts of the state, even in the cites.* In Chicago there are no justices of the peace or police magistrates. There is instead a special system of courts called the Municipal Court of Chi- cago. And in every city containing as many as 3,000 popula- tion there may be established a city court in addition to the police magistrates and justices of the peace. The jurisdic- tion of each city court and of the Municipal Court of Chi- cago is limited to the geographical limits of the city in *See p. 61. STATE GOVERNMENT 91 which it is situated. The attorney-general has held that the judges of the city courts do not hold a constitutional office and are city officers within the terms of the woman's suffrage act, and that women may vote at the election of judges of the city courts. Within the limits of its city each city court has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court in both civil and criminal cases, but the term of judges is four years only. Municipal Court of Chicago. The Municipal Court of Chicago was established in 1906 with twenty-eight judges, one of whom was chief justice. There are now thirty-one. The largest number that can be provided is thirty-six. To be a judge of the Municipal Court a person must be at least thirty years old, a citizen of the United States and for the five years preceding the election he must have been both a resident of Cook County and either a lawyer or engaged in the duties of some judicial office. The term of each officer is six years, and begins on the first Monday of December following his election. The election occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The chief justice and eleven of the associate justices are elected every six years from 1912; nine associate justices are elected every six years beginning 1908; and ten associate justices every six years from 1910. It is similar to other city courts, but its jurisdiction is confined to cases enumer- ated in the special act. Salaries. Outside of Cook County, judges of the cir- cuit court and the judges of the Supreme Court receive their salary from the state treasury. Judges of the cir- cuit and superior courts of Cook County receive from the state treasury each the same salary as a judge of a circuit court outside of Cook County, but the constitution pro- vides that as to them an additional compensation may be allowed by law to be paid from the treasury of Cook Coun- ty. Judges of the probate court receive a salary fixed by statute and payable out of the county treasury. Judges of .the county courts receive from the county a salary fixed 92 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS by the county board. Judges of city courts and of the Municipal Court of Chicago receive salaries fixed by stat- ute and payable out of the city treasury. Justices of the peace and constables receive no salary, but gain compen- sation through the fees that are assessed in their individual courts. Courts of Record. All the .courts described, except those of justices and of police magistrates, are called courts of record. That is to say, each document or paper filed in each such court is both recorded and preserved, and orders and judgments are carefully written up. Each court of record has a clerk to preserve the files, to write and to pre- serve the records of the courts, and to have the custody and use of the seal. The county clerk is ex-officio clerk of the county court. Each other clerk of court is elected from the territorial subdivision that his court serves. While the office of clerk of court is not apparently in itself of great importance, it is probably worth noting that many men who have been active in partisan, or party politics have held these positions. Women may vote for clerks of the appellate courts, and for clerks of city courts and for clerk of the Municipal Court of Chicago.* REFERENCES. Constitution of Illinois (1870), particularly Articles III, IV, V and VI. Kurd's Revised Statutes of Illinois (1911) Chap. 23, "Charities" (Juvenile Court, 11169 ff.). " 25, "Clerks of Court." 37, "Courts." 46. "Elections." 53, "Fees and Salaries." " 63, "General Assembly." " 124, "Secretary of State." " 130, "State Treasurer." Laws of Illinois (1913) p. 203, "Public Utilities Commission." p. 521, "Roads and Bridges Highway Commission." *For the purposes of this discussion it has been assumed that the holding of the attorney-general as to the right of women to vote for judges and clerks of city courts applies also to the Municipal Court of Chicago. CHAPTER VII. THE NATIONAL, OR FEDERAL, GOVERNMENT The United States is a union of the separate states. The government of the United States, a government of delegated or limited powers, created by the Constitution of the United States, is supreme over the state governments, in those matters entrusted to it. These are, of course, matters of interest common to the states, such as foreign affairs, and matters involving the relations between the states, such as interstate commerce or a disagreement be- tween states e.g., the disagreement between Illinois and Missouri concerning the Illinois Drainage Canal. The Constitution and the laws that Congress passes and the foreign treaties made under it are then the supreme law of the land.* The national government is organized on the same plan as the state governments. There are three departments the, legislative, the executive, and the judicial. THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT. Congress, which is the legislative department of the national government, is regulated by the provisions found in Article I of the Constitution of the United States. Congress consists of two branches, or houses ; the upper, called the Senate, composed of two members from each state, called senators. These members, or senators, have until 1913 been elected by the state legislatures,! but here- after in accordance with the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution, which was proclaimed in effect on May 30, 1913, they will be elected directly by the people of the See Art. I. 10. See Art. IV and the statement concerning state government, p. 73. tin some states, state constitutional provisions or a statute bound the legislature to follow in its election the choice of the people, who voted themselves upon the senatorial candidates. In this way a kind of popular election of senators had been secured before the amend- ment to the federal constitution. 93 94 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS state they represent. The term of office is six years ; and one-third of the total number of senators is elected every two years, so that at no time is the Senate composed en- tirely of new members. In Illinois the next regular elec- tions of senators will be of one senator on November 2, 1915, and of one senator on November 4, 1919. A senator must be thirty years of age ; he must have been a citizen of the United States nine years ; and he must be, at the time of his election, a resident of the state from which he is elected. The lower house of Congress, called the House of Representatives, consists of members elected by the people of the states, for a term of two years, and the total num- ber of representatives is elected every two years. The election in Illinois is on the Tuesday after the first Mon- day in November at the same time as the election of the members of the state General Assembly. There are at the present time 433 members of the national House of Repre- sentatives. They are "apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed."* In order to determine the number of people in each state, a census is taken every ten years. After each census a new apportionment of representatives is made. The last census was taken in 1910. It showed a popula- tion of 5,638,591 for Illinois. The act of Congress making the apportionment in accordance with this census gives twenty-seven representatives to the state of Illinois. Illi- nois now has twenty-five congressional districts, which was its apportionment under the census of 1900 ;f one representative is chosen from each district and two are elected from the state as a whole. It is now the duty of the Illinois General Assembly to redivide the state into twenty-seven congressional districts, containing as nearly as possible an equal number of inhabitants. The reap- *Constitti.tion V. 8. Amendment XIV, Sec. 2. tSeo p. 117. NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 95 portionment has not been made yet. When it is, one repre- sentative will be elected from each district. A member of the national House of Representatives must be twenty- five years of age; he must have been a citizen of the United States seven years ; and he must be, at the time of his elec- tion, an inhabitant of the state from which he is- chosen. One who votes for members of either house of Con- gress must be qualified by the laws of his own state to vote for members of its house of representatives.* A vacancy in either house of Congress is filled by an election called for that purpose in the district or in the state in which the vacancy occurs. But the legislatures may pass laws authorizing the governor to make tem- porary appointments to vacancies in the Senate. The vice-president is ex-ofhcio, the presiding officer of the Senate and is called the president of the Senate. He cannot vote in the Senate unless it is equally divided. When the vice-president is absent or is acting as president, the Senate choses a president pro tempore from among its own members. The presiding officer of the House of Repre- sentatives is called the speaker; he is chosen by the house from among its members. Congress meets regularly once each year in the national capital at Washington, D. C., beginning the first Monday in December. A majority is a quorum to do business in each house. But when the electoral votes fail to elect a president or a vice-president, two-thirds of the total num- ber of senators is required as a quorum for the Senate to vote for vice-president, and a quorum in the House of Representatives to vote for president consists of at least one member from each of two-thirds of the states. Neither house can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other, nor adjourn to any place than the one where they both meet. Each house is judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members. 96 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS may punish a member for disorderly conduct, and by a two-thirds vote may expel a member. The salary of members of Congress is fixed by act of Congress and paid from the Treasury of the United States. It is now $7,500 per year in each house. In all cases, except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, members of Congress are privileged from arrest dur- ing their attendance at the session of their respective houses, and in going to, and returning from, the same; and they may not be questioned in any other place for any speech or debate in either house. No senator or representative may have any other office under the United States. The Constitution says Congress shall have power : 1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defence and general welfare, of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United States: 2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States: 3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes: 4. To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uni- form laws on the subject of bankruptcies, throughout the United States: 5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures: 6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securi- ties and current coin of the United States: 7. To establish post-offices and post-roads: 8. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries: 9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court: 10. To define and punish piracies and felonies, committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations: 11. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water: 12. To raise and support armies; but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years: 13. To provide and maintain a navy: NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 97 14. To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces: 15. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions: 16. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states re- spectively the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia, according to the discipline prescribed by Congress: 17. To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, be- come the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places, purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other need- ful buildings: And 18. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other pow- ers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof. The House of Representatives has sole power to im- peach an officer of the United States ; the Senate has sole power to try an impeachment. When the president of the United States is tried, the chief justice of the United States presides. Acts of Congress are subject to veto by the president; that is, before any one of them becomes effective it must either be signed and approved by the president, or passed over his veto by a two-thirds vote of the members of each house of Congress. But if the president fails either to ap- prove or to object to a law for a certain length of time, it is understood that he has approved it. The Senate acts also as a check to the president, who cannot make treaties or appoint ambassadors and certain other public officials with- out its approval. There are several acts that Congress is expressly for- bidden to perform. Congress cannot, for example, enact laws that take away the right of habeas corpus (except in 98 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS case of rebellion or invasion or when public safety re- quires), or any bill of attainder, or any ex post facto laws, or any law that places a tax or duty on exports from any state or gives preference to the ports of one state over another or grants a title of nobility. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. -The president of the United States is the chief executive. The president and the vice-president have the same quali- fications and term of office and are elected at the same time and in the same way. No person can be president or vice- president unless he is a natural-born citizen, thirty-five years of age and a resident within the United States four- teen years. The term of office is four years. People do not vote directly for president or vice-president but for "elec- tors," as prescribed in the Constitution, viz. : Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole num- ber of senators and representatives, to which the state may be entitled in the Congress;-but no senator or representative, or per- son holding an office of trust or profit, under the United States, shall be appointed an elector. Illinois has twenty-nine electors, who are chosen by gen- eral ticket at an election held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. This election is called the presidential election, and the next one will be on November 7, 1916. Women may vote for presidential electors. The group of electors in each state is called the electoral college of that state. Each electoral college meets in its own state on the second Wednesday in January. This day is fixed by an act of Congress and is the same for all the states. The electors then vote by ballot for president and vice-president, who must be from different states. They name in their ballots the person voted for as president, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as vice-president; make distinct lists of all persons voted for as president, and of all persons voted for as vice-president, and of the NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 99 number of votes for each. These lists they sign and certi-fy, and send sealed, to the capital of the United States, di- rected to the president of the Senate. On the second Wed- nesday in February the Senate and the House of Repre- sentatives meet together, and the president of the Senate opens all the certificates, and the votes are then counted; the person having the greatest number of votes for presi- dent is the president, if such number is a majority of the whole number of electors selected ; and if no person has such a majority, then the House of Representatives elects the president, voting by states by ballot upon not more than the three persons having the highest number of electoral votes for president. The person having the great- est number of votes as vice-president is the vice-presi- dent, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors selected ; and if no person has a majority, then, the Senate 1 elects the vice-president from the two persons having the highest number of electoral votes for vice- president. Before a presidential election each political party in the country holds a convention and nominates its candidates for president and vice-president, and the persons whose names appear on the ballot as candidates to be presidential electors pledge themselves to vote for the candidates who have been nominated by their own political party. There- fore, as soon as it can be known what persons have been chosen electors, it can usually be told who will be presi- dent and who vice-president. The president and the vice-president are inaugurated and take office on the fourth day of March in the year after the election. At the inauguration ceremony on that day the president takes the following oath of office : I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. The president is responsible for the faithful execution 100 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS of the laws. He is commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when they are called into the actual service of the United States. He commissions all . the officers of the United States. He appoints and can remove the heads of the executive departments, charged with the execution of federal laws. He may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices. He makes treaties which the Senate must approve by a two-thirds vote; he nominates and appoints ambas- sadors, other public ministers, and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States whose appointments are not otherwise provided in the Constitution ; but the Senate must consent to any nomi- nation and appointment before it becomes effective. Con- gress may, however, by law give the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper," to the president alone, to the courts of law, or to the heads of the depart- ments. And the president has power to fill all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate, by grant- ing commissions which shall expire at the end of the next session. He is required from time to time to give to Congress information as to the condition of the country and to recommend such measures as he thinks wise ; he may, on extraordinary occasions, call a meeting of both houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such times as he shall think proper; he receives ambassadors and other public ministers ; and he has power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. The salary of the president is now $75,000, and he can- not receive any other pay from the United States or from any state. The salary of the vice-president is $12,000. NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 101 These salaries are fixed by statute and cannot be changed during a term of office. The executive work is divided into ten departments. The head of each one is appointed by the president and can be removed by him. The titles of these heads are sec- retary of state (who under the Senate has charge of foreign affairs), secretary of treasury, secretary of war, attorney- general (who is the government's lawyer and the legal ad- viser to the president), postmaster-general, secretary of navy, secretary of interior, secretary of agriculture, secre- tary of commerce, and secretary of labor. These heads of department meet with the president and are called his cabinet. He may require reports in regard to the work of particular departments and is entitled to their advice. No one of them is a member of Congress or can vote in Con- gress. The vice-president is e.v-offtcio president of the Senate, but he can vote only when the house is equally divided. In case the president is removed from office, or dies, or is unable to serve, the vice-president becomes president. He then ceases to act as president of the Senate. In case there is neither president nor vice-president, the succession passes to the secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, the secretary of war, the attorney-general, the postmaster-gen- eral, secretary of the navy, secretary of the interior; but no one can serve as president unless he has the qualifica- tions prescribed for president, and unless his appointment to office has been made with the advice and consent of the Senate. The president, the vice-president, and all civil officers of the United States, may be removed from office by im- peachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Impeachments are brought by the House of Representatives and must be tried by the Senate. Judgment in cases of impeachment extends only to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and to enjoy any office under the United States; but the 102 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN- VOTERS party convicted is, nevertheless, liable and subject to a sep- arate indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment, accord- ing to law for the crime he has committed and on account of which he has been impeached. THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. The judicial power of the United States is vested in a Supreme Court, created by the Constitution, and in the lower courts, created by Congress. The judges of both the Supreme and the inferior courts hold their offices during good behavior, that is, almost always for life. The judicial power extends to all cases arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States, and un- der treaties ; to all cases affecting ambassadors, other pub- lic ministers, and consuls ; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction ; to controversies between two or more states, between a state and citizens of another state (but this does not give citizens of one state authority to sue an- other state, or citizens of a foreign state authority to sue any state) ; to controversies between citizens of different states, between citizens of the same state, claiming lands under grants of different states, and between a state or its citizens and foreign states, citizens, or subjects ; cases arising under the laws of the United States, such as crimes against federal laws, e. g., the postal laws ; cases under the patent or copyright laws and bankruptcy matters. All cases affect- ing ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and those in which a state shall be a party, may be begun in the Supreme Court. But in most cases, the Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction only. The Supreme Court is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Any six constitute a quorum for a session of the court, which meets at Washington, D. C. If the office of the chief justice is vacant or he is unable to act, the associate justice of longest tenure acts as chief NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 103 justice until the vacancy is filled or the chief justice is able to act. Below the Supreme Court is the Circuit Court of Ap- peals, established in 1891, in nine circuits. No suits can be begun in this court, which merely passes upon and reviews the work of the district courts and is meant to relieve the Supreme Court of all except the most important cases. On each circuit there are three judges, from the Supreme Court or from the district courts, usually from the district courts. Illinois is in the seventh judicial circuit, which includes In- diana, Illinois and Wisconsin. This court meets at Chicago at three different times during the year. The lowest federal courts are called United States dis- trict courts. The territory of the United States is divided into seventy-nine districts, and sometimes these judicial districts are divided into divisions. In each district there is one court, but in some districts there are two judges. Chicago and all of Cook County are in the eastern division of the northern district of Illinois. In this division the court meets at Chicago. In each district there is one dis- trict attorney, who is lawyer for the government and the local representative of the attorney-general. In addition to the courts already described, there are some other federal courts which have to do only with spe- cial matters or the enforcement of particular laws. Among them are the United States Court of Claims, which con- siders such claims against the government as can be pre- sented, and the Court of Customs Appeals. The United States Commerce Court, recently abolished by Congress, was such a special court, considering only cases which arose under the Interstate Commerce Law. REFERENCES. Constitution of the United States and its 17 amendments. Federal Statutes Annotated, and the supplements thereto (par- ticularly the titles, "Congress," "Judiciary," "President"). Kurd's Revised Statutes of Illinois (1911), Chap. 46, "Elections." Illinois Laws of 1913, p. 307 ff., "Elections." CHAPTER VIII. REVENUE The cost of government is very great. There . are the salaries of public officials, the erection and the maintenance of buildings, the constant extension of public improvements. Independently of the support of the army and navy, of the maintenance of their equipment, and the conduct of the training-schools at West Point and Annapolis, and of the pen- sions, which amount now to over $152,000,000, it is necessary to raise annually sufficient revenue to defray the expenses of the various jurisdictions to which attention has been called. This is done in several ways : 1. By levying general taxes. 2. By levying special assessments. 3. By collecting fees for special services. 4. By borrowing, through the issue of bonds. 5. By appropriating the income from public utilities. 6. By appropriating the income from public property. It has been pointed out that several different governments may exist in the same territory. Each of these may have the power to obtain revenue from various sources. The proceed- ing then becomes very complicated and difficult. For example, Professor Charles E. Merriam pointed out in a report made to the City Club of Chicago that in 1906 there were eight separate authorities lying wholly within the limits of Chi- cago, each of which might have the power to levy more than one kind of tax. For instance, the city itself might levy a tax for its own corporate purposes proper and for use of the Board of Education and for use of the Public Library Board. In addition to these there are five towns and several park districts lying wholly or partly, and the Sanitary District REVENUE 105 largely, within its limits. Obviously, then, no complete de- scription of so complicated a process as the assessment or valuation of taxable property, and the levying, rating, dis- tributing and extending of the different taxes thereon and the collection of revenues therefrom in Illinois can be under- taken here. An effort will be made only to point out the differences between the various methods to which reference has been made. 1. GENERAL, TAXES. (a) The Federal Government. Taxes to support the federal government are imposed by Congress under the au- thority conferred by the federal Constitution and subject (excepting only the income tax of the Sixteenth Amend- ment) to the restrictions, among others, that the taxes must be uniform and such as will not discriminate between states. (1) Tariff Duties. One of the chief sources of income for the federal government has been in the past the duties paid upon certain imported articles. The person importing duitable articles adds to the price of the article as nearly as possible the amount of the tax; so that the consumers of dutiable articles are the ones from whom this revenue is ulti- mately largely obtained. Tariff duties have been imposed in the past not only to obtain revenue, but to protect certain American industries against the competition of foreign-made goods. Whether they should be imposed for protective as well as for revenue purposes has been one of the points on which the great national parties have differed and has there- for been one of the chief issues in the presidential campaigns. In 1912, the amount of revenue collected in this way amounted to $311,321,672. (2) Excise Duties. Another source of income resorted to by Congress is the taxation of certain articles manufactured in the United States. These taxes are known as "internal revenue taxes, or excise duties," and are laid generally upon the manufacture and sale of articles classed as luxuries rather than necessaries. Alcoholic and malt liquors and tobacco 106 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS products are the most conspicuous articles in this list. Oleo- margarine and renovated butter are also thus taxed to regu- late the industry and to guard against impositions. In 1912, the income obtained from excise duties was $321,615,894.69. (3) Stamp Duties. In times of war and of other na- tional emergency other articles are added to the list of taxed articles, and certain transactions are likewise taxed by requir- ing a stamp to be placed on the document -by which the trans- action is accomplished. For example, during the Spanish- American War, contracts, receipts, checks, notes, bonds, deeds and similar instruments were taxed, and a revenue stamp had to be placed on each document. (4) Income Tax. A source of income which has be- come constitutionally available only since the adoption of the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution is now provided by a section of the new tariff law, which provides for the taxation of incomes. Under this law, which was approved by President Wilson only on October 3, 1913, but referred back to March 1, 1913, a percentage tax is levied on annual net incomes ex- ceeding $3,000 in the case of an unmarried person and of $4,000 for each family in the case of married persons. (b) State Taxation. The sources from which a state obtains its revenues are, of course, quite different. No state can charge import or export duties. Its, chief taxes are those levied on real and personal property, and it places license fees upon a number of articles and occupations. The state constitution imposes certain restrictions under which the legislature levies taxes for state purposes and authorizes the counties, cities, sanitary districts, municipalities, school districts and other subordinate jurisdictions to levy taxes for their respective purposes. The constitutional limita- tions that should be noted are that (1) taxes must be uniform with respect to persons and property within the jurisdiction; (2) county authorities shall not levy any taxes in an aggregate over seventy-five cents on each one hundred dollars of the valuation of its taxable property; and (3) the total bonded debt (with certain specified exceptions) of any county, city, REVENUE 107 township, school district or other municipal corporation is limited to 5 per cent of the value of its taxable property as fixed by the last equalized assessment for state and county purposes. The legislature, too, in authorizing different tax levies makes similar limitations in different percentages to the amount that may be assessed. For example, a statute, which in 1909 allowed the boards of park commissioners to assess an annual park tax, limited that tax to \ l / 2 mills on each dollar of taxable property in the park district. Limitations of this kind may apply to a particular taxing authority or to a particular kind of tax. Under a statute, enacted in 1898 with later important amendments, known as the Juul law, however, the aggregate of all taxes extended and collected (except special assessments and some other par- ticular taxes) in any given locality is limited to 5 per cent of the assessed value of the taxable property, which is one-third of the supposed actual value of the property. The way in which this works is as follows : Each taxing authority makes a certain tax levy against the real and personal property in its jurisdiction. When the sum of these separate levies makes an aggregate amount above the 5 per cent limit set by the Juul law, all are scaled down to that limit and then proportion- ately distributed between and extended against the taxable properties. The actual extending of the scaled tax levies are consolidated in the hands of the county clerk. The collector of each taxing body then proceeds to collect its tax as ex- tended, but seldom collects much. The bulk of each tax is returned as delinquent to the county collector, who proceeds to collect for all the different taxing bodies and to force the payment of the taxes by getting an order of the county court to sell the different taxable properties of taxpayers for any of the unpaid taxes, and to make such sales annually. Within the limits of Chicago, for example, all general taxes, whether payable for state, county, school, city, township, sanitary dis- trict or park purposes, are extended through the county clerk and collected through the county collector, who pays over to 108 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS the various taxing authorities their respective taxes so col- lected. 2. SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS. Special assessments and special taxes are not used to pro- vide revenue for general purposes, but are assessed to pay for particular improvements, such as sewers, sidewalks, and street paving, and are charged against such real estate in the neighborhood of the improvement as is found to be especially benefited thereby, each piece in proportion to its benefits. They are used by the so-called local authorities, as the city, village or park district, but may be turned over to the county collector for collection along with the general taxes. Fees assume two forms. The first is that of payment for special services, as the recording of a deed, entering of a record, furnishing of a copy, etc. There are a number of so- called "fee" offices connected with the administration of jus- tice and the execution of court orders. The second is that of license fees, which are sometimes resorted to as a police measure, that is, a means of defraying the cost of regulating the licensed trades or occupations, and sometimes chiefly to obtain revenue, e. g., saloon-keepers and peddlers. Auc- tioneers, brokers, peddlers, hawkers, merchants, commis- sion merchants, showmen, jugglers, innkeepers, grocery keepers, liquor dealers, toll bridges, telegraph and express businesses, vendors of patents, persons and corporations using franchises or privileges are among the objects and occupa- tions named in the constitution as subject to taxation irre- spective of value. Cities and villages usually have extensive licensing authority, and in 1911, Chicago received from this source a gross amount of $8,201,520.17. , 4. BORROWING POWER. The borrowing power is exercised from time to time by each taxing authority in order to obtain a sum necessary for some large public improvement or expense, such as a park or REVENUE 109 extension of the roads. Bonds are then issued. The interest on the bonds is paid, and a fund for the repayment is also obtained from, taxes spread annually over a number of years. The state constitution sets limits upon the amount of in- debtedness that a municipal corporation may incur; and this is, of course, a limitation on the issuing of bonds. Generally bonds may not be issued without submitting the question of their issue to a vote of the people. 5. INCOME FROM PUBLIC UTILITIES. Income from public utilities are sources of revenue that are again too complicated and difficult to be described here. Reference may be made to the income from the water rate (in 1911, $5,993,771.32), which goes towards the maintenance of the water-supply system that Chicago owns and conducts, and to the receipts from the street railway companies to which the city has granted street franchises, subject to the condition that a certain proportion of the net profits be paid the city. 6. INCOME FROM PUBLIC PROPERTY. The federal government was once the owner of vast pub- lic domain, and gave by the so-called Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the sixteenth section, i.e., a square mile, in each town- ship for the school authorities to aid in the establishment and maintenance of the public-school system. The Enabling Act of 1818, by which Illinois became a state, gave 5 per cent of the net proceeds from the sale of public lands lying in the state for the same purpose. Much of this land in Illinois was wastefully and unintelligent!}' disposed of, but much has been sold and the proceeds set apart as an interest-bearing fund for school purposes, while other portions of the land are still owned by school authorities and so managed as to add largely to the school resources. For example, the rentals of the school land in Chicago amounted in 1913 to $616,455.42. The income on this fund is distributed annually to the various pub- lic school authorities in the state in proportion to the educa- 110 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS tional work of each, which is measured on the basis of the number of pupils attending per half-day per year. In this connection, however, it should be noted that almost always the annual school tax is the largest tax levied and collected. REFERENCES. Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 8. Constitution of Illinois (1870), Article IX, "Revenue." Kurd's "Revised Statutes of Illinois (1911), Chap. 120, "Revenue." Illinois Laws of 1913, p. 509 ff., "Revenue." See also in Hurd's "Re-vised Statutes of Illinois and in Illinois Laws of 1913 the particular acts creating or regulating or controlling the particular taxing bodies:. Charles E. Merriam, Report on the Municipal Revenues of Chicago. City Club of Chicago, Publication No. 2. APPENDIX I. THREE ILLINOIS STATUTES AFFECTING WOMEN I. The Act which admitted women to occupations and professions. AN ACT to secure to all persons freedom in the selection of an occupation, profession, or employment. Approved March 22, 1872. In force July 1, 1872. 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, rep- resented in the General Assembly: That no person shall be pre- cluded or debarred from any occupation, profession or employment (except military) on account of sex : Provided, that this act shall not be construed to affect eligibility of any person to an elective office. 2. Nothing in this act shall be construed as requiring any female to work on streets or roads, or serve on juries. 3. All laws inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed. II. The Act which granted school suffrage to women. Sections 269 and 270 of an act called "AN ACT to establish and maintain a system of free schools," approved and in force June 12, 1909. By implication it repeals and takes the place of the act of 1891 by which Illinois women first acquired school franchise. 269. Any woman who has attained the age of twenty-one years, and who possesses the qualifications prescribed, shall be eligible to any office under the general or special school laws of this State. 270. Any woman who is a citizen and has attained to the age of 21 years, who shall have resided in the State one year, in the county ninety days, and in the election district thirty days preceding any election held for the purpose of choosing any school officer under the general or special school laws of this State, shall be entitled to vote at such election, when registered in the manner provided by law. If the election of school officers shall occur at the time other public officers are elected, the ballot offered by any woman shall contain only the names of candidates for school officers. Such ballots shall be de- posited in a separate ballot box, but canvassed with other ballots cast for school officers at such election. III. The Act which extended the suffrage. AN ACT granting women the right to vote for presidential elect- ors and certain other officers, and to participate and vote in certain 111 112 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS matters and elections. Senate Bill No. 63. Approved June 26, 1913, and in force July 1, 1913. Section 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That all women, citizens of the United States, above the age of 21 years, having resided in the State one year, in the county ninety days, and in the election district thirty days next preceding any election therein, shall be allowed to vote at such election for presidential electors, member of the State Board of Equalization, clerk of the appellate court, county collector,* county surveyor, members of board of assessors, members of board of review, sanitary district trustees, and for all officers of cities, villages and towns (except police magistrates), and upon all questions or proposi- tions submitted to a vote of the electors of such municipalities or other political divisions of this State. 2. All such women may also vote for the following township officers : supervisors, town clerk, assessor, collector and highway commissioner, and may also participate and vote in all annual and special town meetings in the township in which such election district shall be. 3. Separate ballot boxes and ballots shall be provided for women which ballots shall contain the names of the candidates for such offices which are to be voted for and the special questions sub- mitted as aforesaid, and the ballots cast by women shall be canvassed with the other ballots cast for such officers and on such questions. At any such election where registration is required, women shall register in the same manner as male voters. *In some counties the sheriff is eoc-offlco county collector. In the others the county treasurer is ex-offlcio county collector. Both sheriff and county treasurer are constitutional officers. So women cannot vote on who shall be county collector. APPENDIX II CALENDAR OF ELECTIONS* FIRST TUESDAY IN APRIL. For one judge of Superior Court of Cook County, every six years counting 1913, e.g., April 1, 1913. For justices of the peace and constable in counties under township organization, every four years counting 1913, e.g., April 1, 1913. For MAYOR and COMMISSIONERS in cities organized under the commission plan, which include a whole town or townships, every four years counting 1911, e.g., April 6, 1915. For all TOWNSHIP OFFICERS and CITY OFFICERS in cities containing one or more towns, and VILLAGE OFFICERS in villages whose boundaries coincide with the boundaries of a town, annually (outside Chicago). For police magistrates in such cities and villages, every four years. (Women may NOT vote for justice of the peace or police magistrate.) For school trustees in each school township, the boundaries of which concide with those of a political town, one trus- tee, each year for a term of three years, e.g., April 7, 1914. For MAYOR OF CHICAGO, every four years counting 1911, e.g., April 6, 1915. For CITY CLERK and CITY TREASURER IN CHI- CAGO, every two years, e.g., April 6, 1915. For one ALDERMAN from each ward in CHICAGO, each year, e.g., April 7, 1914. and April 6, 1915. t For one member of board of highway commissioners, in each road district, in counties not under township organiza- tion, annually. "The offices for which women can vote are indicated by capital letters. The Board of Election Commissioners of Chicago, and election officials In some other places issue ench year a calendar for that year, with full Information concerning elections, primaries, registration times, primary and nominating petitions for the current year. This can be secured by application to them. tSee p. 38. 113 114 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS' SECOND SATURDAY IN APRIL. For SCHOOL TRUSTEES in each school township whose boundaries do not coincide with those of a political town, one trustee, each year, for term of three years, e.g., April 11, 1914. THIRD TUESDAY IN APRIL. For OFFICERS OF CITIES, except those which wholly include one or more townships, annually. For OFFICERS OF VILLAGES, except those where the territorial limits coincide with the limits of a township, annually. For MAYOR and COMMISSIONERS of cities under commission form of government, except those wholly in- cluding one or more townships. For police magistrates in such cities and villages, every four years. THIRD SATURDAY IN APRIL. For SCHOOL DIRECTORS in districts having less than 1,000 population, annually, e.g., April 18,, 1914. For MEMBERS OF BOARD OF EDUCATION in dis- tricts having between 1,000 and 100,000 population, an- nually, e.g., April 18, 1914. FIRST MONDAY IN JUNE. For judges of the Circuit Court, every six years counting 1909, e.g., June 7, 1915. For judges of Supreme Court every ninth year; in fifth dis- trict counting 1909, e.g., June 3, 1918; in fourth district counting 1912, e.g., June 3, 1912; in first, second, third, sixth and seventh districts, i.e., Cook County, counting 1915, e.g., June 7, 1915. For judges of the Superior Court of Cook County every six years; for one judge in years counting 1915, e.g., June 7, 1915; for six judges in years counting 1916, e.g., June 5, 1916. APPENDICES 115 TUESDAY AFTER THE FIRST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER. For PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS, governor, lieutenant- governor, secretary of state, au'ditor of public accounts, attorney-general, state senators in even-numbered dis- tricts, MEMBERS OF STATE BOARD OF EQUALI- ZATION, clerk of Superior Court of Cook County, clerks of the circuit courts, recorders, state's attorneys, COUNTY SURVEYOR, county auditors and coroners, every fourth year counting 1912, e.g., November 7, 1916. For state treasurer, representatives in Congress, representa- tives in the General Assembly and THREE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, THREE TRUSTEES OF SANITARY DISTRICT OF CHI- CAGO and of other sanitary districts of the same type, every two years counting 1914, e.g., November 3, 1914. For clerk of the Supreme Court and CLERKS OF THE APPELLATE COURTS, every six years counting 1914, e.g., November 3, 1914. For superintendent of public instruction, state senators in odd-numbered districts, clerk of the Criminal Court of Cook County, county and probate clerks, county and pro- bate judges, county treasurers, county superintendents of schools, and sheriffs, every four years counting 1914, e.g., November 3, 1914. For ten judges of the Superior Court of Cook County, every six years counting year 1911, e.g., November 6, 1917. For CHIEF JUSTICE, CLERK and BAILIFF OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT OF CHICAGO, every six years counting 1912, e.g., November 5, 1918.* For ASSOCIATE JUSTICES OF THE MUNICIPAL COURT OF CHICAGO, for term of six years, nine elected every two years counting 1914, e.g., November 3, 1914.* For county commissioners in counties not under township or- ganization, one each year for term of three years, e.g., November 3, 1914. See footnote p. 92. 116 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS For commissioners of Cook County, every four years, e.g., November 3,, 1914. PRIMARY ELECTIONS* Last Tuesday in February, each year, e.g., February 24, 1914 : To nominate candidates for city offices and other candi- dates to be voted for at the election on the first Tues- day in April. Second Tuesday in March, each year, e.g., March 10, 1914: To nominate candidates to be voted for at the election on the third Tuesday in April. Second Tuesday in April, every presidential year, e.g., April 12, 1916: To elect delegates to national nominating convention and for preferential vote on presidential candidates. First Wednesday after the second Tuesday in September : To nominate candidates for members of General Assem- bly, every two years, e.g., September 16, 1914. To nominate candidates for the November election. Other primary elections occur three weeks before the general election for which they are held. REGISTRATION IN CHICAGO AND OTHER CITIES HAVING ELECTION COMMISSIONERS. General registration, biennially, in the years of Congressional elections, on the Saturday before the Tuesday four weeks before the November election and again on the Tuesday three weeks before the November election, e.g., October 5 and 15, 1912. Intermediate registration, Tuesday three weeks before the election. OUTSIDE ELECTION CO'MMISSIONERS' JURISDICTION. On Tuesday of the week before each electioni, where registra- tion is required. *See p. 31. Women may vote at primary elections for the nomination of such officers as they may vote for at the regrular elections. TABLE OF COUNTIES SHOWING ELECTORAL DISTRICTS The 17 counties marked are not under township organization; the other 85 have adopted township organization. COUNTY. COUNTY SEAT. Date of Original Or- ganization. 1 3 3 GO C I PopulatioD According to 1910 Census. Senatorial District. Congressional District. Judicial Circuit. Judicial Districts Appellate. | Adams JQuincy 1825 830 64,588 36 15 8 3 4 Alexander iCairo 1819 220 22,741 50 25 1 4 1 Bond 'Greenville . . . . 1817 380 17,075 47 22 3 4 2 Boone BplvidfirA ... 1837 288 15,481 8 12 17 2 6 Brown Al> Sterlinsr 1839 306 10,397 30 20 3 9 4 Bureau ! Princeton 1837 846 43,975 37 16 13 2 5 *Calhoun Hardin 1825 254 8,610 36 20 8 3 2 Carroll Mt. Carroll 1839 450 18,035 12 13 15 2 6 -Cass Virginia 1837 460 17,372 30 20 8 3 4 Champaign . . Urbana 1833 1,008 51,829 24 19 6 3 3 Christian Taylorville 1839 702 34,594 40 21 4 3 2 Clark Marshall 1819 513 23,517 34 18 5 3 2 Clay Louisville 1824 466 18,661 42 24 4 4 2 Clinton Carlyle 1824 487 22,832 42 23 4 4 1 Coles Cook Charleston .... 1830 1831 520 890 34,517 2,405,233 34 19 5 3 3 Crawford .... Robinson 1816 470 26,281 48 23 2 4 2 Cumberland Toledo 1843 350 14,281 40 18 5 3 2 DeKalb Sycamore 1837 650 33,457 35 : 12 16 2 6 DeWitt Clinton 1839 440 18,906 28 19 6 3 3 Douglas Tuscola 1859 410 19,591 34 19 6 3 3 DuPage Wheaton 1839 340 33,432 41 11 16 2 7 Edgar Paris 1823 640 27,336 22 18 5 3 3 * Ed wards Albion 1814 220 10,049 48 24 2 4 1 Effingham .... Effingham 1831 486 20,055 42 23 4 4 2 Fayette Vandalia 1821 720 28,075 40 23 4 4 2 Ford Paxton 1859 580 17,096 26 17 11 3 3 Franklin Benton 1818 430 25,943 50 25 2 4 j 1 Fulton Lewiston 1823 846 49,549 43 15 9 3 4 Gallatin ..... Shawneetown .. 1812 340 14,628 48 24 2 4 1 Greene Carrollton 1821 540 22,363 38 20 7 3 2 Grundy Morris 1S41 440 24,162 20 12 13 2 5 Hamilton .... McLeansboro . . 1821 440 18,227 51 24 2 4 1 Hancock Carthage 1825 780 30,638 32 14 9 3 4 Hardin Elizabethtown . 1839 180 7,015 48 24 2 4 i 1 Henderson .... Oquawka 1841 380 9,724 33 14 9 2 ! 4 Henry Cambridge .... 1825 825 41,736 37 15 14 2 | 5 Iroquois Watseka 1833 1,100 35,543 20 18 12 2 3 Jackson Vlurphysboro . . 1816 580 35,143 44 25 1 4 1 Jasper N"ewton 1831 484 18,157 46 23 ^ 4i o Jefferson Mt. Vernon 1R19 466 29,111 46 23 2 : i 2 4 1 Jersey Jerseyville .... 18S3 360 13,954 38 20 7 3 2 Jo Daviess . . . Galena 1827 650 22,657 12 13 15 2 ! 6 'Johnson Vienna 1812 340 14,331 51 24 1 4 1 Kane Geneva 1836 540 91,862 14 11 16 2 i 6 Kankakee .... Kankakee 1853 680 40,752 20 18 12 2 i 7 Kendall Yorkville 1841 321 10,777 14 12 16 2 i 6 Knox jGalesburg 1825 720 46,159 43 15 9 2 5 See p. 128. 2 See p. 128. Cook County is itself a separate circuit. 117 COUNTY. COUNTY SEAT. Date of Original Or- ganization. I 3 a 3 M 3| n E Senatorial District. Congressional District. _ Judicial Circuit. Judicial Districts Appellate. s 00 Lake Waukegan .... Ottawa Lawrenceville . Dixon 1839 1831 1821 1839 1837 1839 1829 1829 1812 1823 1839 1841 1843 1826 1836 1830 1839 1825 1816 1821 1823 1843 1836 1825 1827 1841 1821 1816 1843 1825 1795 1841 1831 1847 1821 1825 1839 1827 1839 1790 1837 1827 1818 1826 1824 1825 1818 1819 1815 1836 1836 1839 1836 1841 394 1,152 362 728 1,026 620 580 864 740 576 350 518 240 576 612 1,061 311 550 380 740 563 340 733 630 432 440 756 360 190 170 560 380 420 396 875 414 252 760 290 680 573 650 400 882 220 540 557 720 500 676 850 440 540 556 55,058 90,132 22,661 27,750 40,465 30,216 54486 50,685 89,847 35,094 15,679 17,377 14,200 26,887 32,509 68,008 12,796 19,723 13,508 35,311 34,420 14,630 27,864 100,255 22,088 16,376 28,622 11,215 15,650 7,561 29,120 15,970 70,404 30,204 91,024 14,852 10,067 31,693 10,098 119,870 36,821 34,027 21,856 77,996 14,913 23,313 18,759 25,697 23,052 34,507 83,371 45,098 63,153 20,506 8 39 48 35 16 28 28 38 47 42 16 30 51 32 8 26 30 33 44 38 45 24 10 18 44 24 36 51 50 16 44 46 33 51 45 30 36 40 37 49 12 30 50 22 48 32 44 46 48 35 41 50 10 16 10 12 23 13 17 17 19 21 22 23 16 20 24 14 11 17 20 14 22 21 20 19 13 16 25 19 20 24 25 16 25' 23 14 24 21 15 20 19 10 22 13 16 25 IS 23 14 22 24 24 13 11 25 12 17 17 13 2 15 11 11 6 7 3 4 10 8 1 9 17 11 8 14 3 4 7 6 15 10 3 6 8 1 1 10 3 2 14 1 7 8 7 4 16 3 15 10 1 5 2 9 3 2 2 14 12 1 17 11 2 2 4 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 2 3 4 3 2 3 3 2 4 3 3 3 2 2 4 3 3 4 4 2 4 4 2 4 3 3 3 3 2 4 2 3 4 3 4 2 4 4 4 2 2 4 2 2 5 2 6 3 3 3 2 2 2 5 1 2 4 3 6 5 1 3 2 1 1 5 1 2 4 1 2 4 2 2 E ] G 3 1 3 1 4 1 1 1 6 7 1 6 5 LaSalle .... Lawrence Lee Livingston . . . Logan Macon Macoupin Lincoln Decatur Carlinville Edwardsville . . Salem Lacon Havana Marion Marshall Massac McDonough . . McHenry McLean *Menard Mercer *Monroe Montgomery. . Metropolis .... Macomb ........ Woodstock .... Bloomington . . Petersburg .... Aledo Waterloo Hillsboro Jacksonville . .. Sullivan Moultrie Ogle Peoria *Perry Piatt Peoria Pinckneyville .. Monticello .... Pittsfield *Pope Pulaski Golconda Mound City . . . Hennepin Chester Olney Rock Island ... Harrisburg Springfield .... Rushville Winchester . . . Shelby ville Toulon Putnam 'Randolph .... Richland Rock Island . . Saline Sangamon . . . Schuyler .... *Scott Shelby Stark SLClair Stephenson . . . Tazewell *Ifnion Vermilion . . . Belleville Freeport Pekin Jonesboro Danville Mt. Carmel Monmouth .... Nashville Fairfleld Warren Washington . . White Whiteside ... Will Williamson . . Winnebago . . . Woodford Morrison Joliet Marion Rockf ord Eureka 118 INDEX 119 INDEX (Wherever a reference runs over more than one page, the first page only indicated.) Acts, woman's suffrage, text of Ill African citizens 14 Aldermen ., 39 Appellate courts, state . 86 Appointive officers, city 40 federal '. 100 state 82 village 50 Apportionment < for representation 75, 94 Arrest, exemption of voter from 21 Assessments, for general taxation 64 - special ". . . : 104, 108 Assessors 57, 65 Attorney-general 81 Auditor, county 63 state 81 Auditors, township board of 58 Australian Ballot Act 25, 32, 35 Australian ballots, form of 27 Ballot 25 at primary elections 31, 34 marking of 24, 26 sample and official 24. 25, 26, 27 Ballot boxes , 24 separate for women Ill, 112 Bill boards 42 Board of Aldermen 39 of Assessors (County) 65 of Auditors (Town) 58 of Civil Service Commissioners (City) 44 of Commissioners of Cook County 60 of County Commissioners 59 of Education 42. 68, 70 of Election Commissioners 46 of Equalization (State) 84 - of Examiners of Engineers 41 of Health (Town) 57 of Highway Commissioners (Town) 58 of Lincoln Park Commissioners 45, 53 of Local Improvements 44 of Public Library 42 of Review (County) 65 of School Directors 70 of South Park Commissioners 45, 53 of Special Park Commissioners 45 of Supervisors 56 of Trustees of Sanitary District 66 120 INDEX 121 Bonds 35. 58, 104, 108 Borrowing 35, 58, 104, 108 Bridges and Roads. See Highways. Buildings Department (Chicago) 42 Calendar of Elections 113 Caucus nominations 32 Central committees of parties 33 Challengers 23 Charities, public 43', 44, 61 Charters of cities 37 Chicago city government 37 Children, dependent and delinquent 41 of citizens 13-20 Chinese 14 Circuit Court of Appeals (U. S.) 103 'Circuit courts 87 Cities, government of 37 Citizen, must be, to vote in Illinois Ill, 112 privileges of 35 Citizenship 13 by birth 13 by naturalization 14 lost 20 of family 13-20 ' City charters 37 City council 38, 39, 48 City courts 46, 90 Civil Service Commissioners 44, 60 Claims, U. S. Court of 103 Clerk of circuit court 63 Clerks of election 22, 35, 36, 47 Collecting of general taxes 107 Collector, city 40 county 57, 63, 107, 112 Commerce Court (U. S.) 103 Commission form of city government 47 Committees, central partisan 33 of city council 39 Common law 77 Comptroller of Chicago 40 Congress 93 Constables 61 Constitutional officers 11, 50 Constitutional provisions 73', 77 Conventions and nominations 32, 33 Cook County 55, 60 Coroner 63 Correction, House of (Chicago) 43 Council, City 38, 39, 48 Counting the votes 23 County Commissioners 59, 60 County convention 33 County government 55 122 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS County j udge 62 County officers 61 County superintendent of schools 63, 69 County treasurer 63 Courts Illinois Appellate 86 Circuit 87 City 46, 90 County 62, 88 Criminal 87, 89 Juvenile 42, 90 Municipal, of Chicago 46, 91 of Cook County 89 of Record 92 Superior Court of Cook County 89 Supreme 85 U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals 103 District 103 Claims 103 Commerce 103 Customs 103 Supreme 102 Cross ( X ) , how used in voting 26 Dates. See Calendar of Elections. Declaration of intention to become citizen IS Directors, school 70 District Courts, U. S 103 District election, i.e., territory for one polling-place 21, 22, 30, 60 Domestic Relations Court (Municipal Court) 46 Duties, tariffs, excises, stamps 105 Education. See also Schools 67, 109 Board of 42, 68, 70 Election, Commissioners, Board of 46 (general) statutes enumerated 25 officials, judges, clerks, etc 22, 35, 47 precincts and districts 21, 22, 30, 60 supplies and paraphernalia 24 Electrician, city, Chicago 41 Elevators 42 Eligibility for naturalization 13 of voters 21 of women to office and positions Ill Enactment of statutes, method of 77 Equalization, State Board of 84 Eskimos 14 Excise duties 105 Expatriation : 20 Extension of taxes 107 Federal Government 93 Fees 64, 81, 82, 91, 96, 104, 109 INDEX 123 First papers (naturalization) 14 Forms 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 26, 27 Garbage 37 General Assembly 74 Governor 78 lieutenant 81 Head of family 19, 47 Health Department, Chicago 41, 43 town board of 57 High school of township 71 Highway commissioners, board of 58 Highways, county superintendent of 64 State Department of 83, 84 Impeachment 78, 101 Improvements, local 37, 44, 107, 108 Income tax 105, 106 Incorporated towns 50 Independent petition for nomination 34, 35 Independent voters disqualified at primary 34 Instruction cards, voting methods 22 Internal revenue 105 Interstate matters 73, 93, 102 Jails 43, 61 Japanese 14 Judges of election 22, 35, 47 Judges. See Courts. Jury service Ill Justices of the peace 50, 61; 90 Juul Law 107 Juvenile Court 42, 90 Law, common 77 Law Department, Chicago 42 Legislature, state 74 Levy, state, of taxes 107 Library, Public, of Chicago 42 Licenses 37, 38, 108 Limitations on taxes 106, 107 Lincoln Park Commissioners 45, 53 Little ballot 26 Local improvements 37, 44, 107, 108 Machines for voting 28 Marking the ballot 24, 26 Mayor 40, 48 Meeting, town ;.. -. 56, 112 Minority representative in city councils 49 Mongolians 14 Morals Court (Municipal Court) 46 Municipal Court of Chicago 46, 91 Municipal government, commission form of 47 124 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS Municipal political parties .34 Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium 43 Municipalities 37-54 National government 93 Naturalization 14 Nominations and primary elections 31 by caucus : 32 by convention 32 by primary 32 by petition (independent) 34 Oath of state officers 85 of state senator or representative 76 president 99 Officers constitutional " 11, 50 county 61 executive, of Chicago 40 for whom women vote 11, 38, 111, 113 See also Cities, State, County, etc. Park districts 51 Parks 35. 45, 46, 51 Parties, political. Sec Nominations. Petition for naturalization 17 for independent nomination 34 of candidate at primary election 33 Police Department, Chicago 42 Police magistrates 50, 90 Political parties. See Nominations. municipal 34 Polling-places 22, 23, 24 Poor houses 61 Posters. See Instruction cards. Precincts (election) for each polling-place 21, 22, 30, 36 President and his election, method 98 Primary act, woman's amendment to 34 Primary elections '. 31-36, 48, 116 Prisons .- 43, 61 Probate courts 88 Propositions forms of, on ballot 26 local 35 on which women vote Ill petitions to submit 35 Public Library, Chicago 42 Public utilities 37, 82. 104, 109 Public Utilities Commission 82 Public Works, Dept. of, Chicago 40 Qualifications of voters 21 Qualified legal voters as petitioners 35 INDEX 125 Questions forms of, on ballots 26 on which women vote Ill petitions to submit 35 Rating taxes 107 Recall, i.e., removal from office 46, 78, 82, 101 Record, courts of 92 Recorder 63 Referendum petitions 35 Registration 23, 29, 116 women and men alike 112 Removals from office 46, 78, 82, 101 Rentals, school property 109 Representation, basis of apportionment (state) 75 Representatives, House of State 75, 76 National. Sec Congress. Residence of soldiers and sailors 21 of voters 21 Revenues 104 Road districts 59 Road labor by women not required Ill Roads and bridges. See Highways. Sailors' residence 21 Salaries 64, 81, 91, 96, 100, 104, 108 See also divers officers. Sample ballots 24, 26, 27 Sanitarium, Tuberculosis 43, 61 Sanitary Districts 66 School directors 70 fund origin 109 suffrage 11 system 67 taxes and rentals 109 township 69 trustees 69, 70 Schools Chicago Board of Education 42 County Superintendent of 63, 69 State Superintendent of 68 Township 69 Second papers (Naturalization) 16 Secrecy of ballot 24, 25, 28, 29 Secretary of State 81 Section Sixteen, school property 109 Senate and Senators - state 75 U. S. See Congress. Senatorial Districts 74, 75 126 HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN VOTERS Sheriff 62 Sidewalk injuries and city physician 42 Soldiers' residence 21 South Park Commissioners 53 Special Assessments 104, 108 Special Park Commission 45 Specimen ballots 24, 25, 26, 27 Speeders' Court (Municipal Court) 46 Split tickets 27, 28 Stamp duties 106 State convention 33 State government 73 State officers, appointive 82 State officers, elective 80, 81, 84, 85 State taxation 106 States where full equal suffrage exists . . 11 Stationary and supplies at polls 24 Statute enactment of, method 77 (women's occupations) text Ill (women's school suffrage) text Ill (women's 1913 suffrage) text Ill (women's primary amendment) 34 Statutes, general, for elections enumerated 25 Straight tickets 27 Streets. See Highways. Suffrage equal 11 limited 11 school 11, 111 woman's 11, 111 Superior Court, Cook County 89 Supervisors, board of, of counties 56 Supervisors of towns 57 Supreme Court. State 85, 86 U. S 102 Tariff 105 Taxes 104 collection of 107 extension of 107 federal 105 general 104 income 105, 106 levy of 107 limitations on 106, 107 school 109 state, etc 106 Tickets on voting machines 29 straight and split 27, 28 Time allowed voter to vote 21, 24, 29 INDEX 127 Town in Chicago and large cities merged 56, 60, 61 incorporated SO meetings 56, 112 officers 57, 112 Township elections 56 Township organization of Counties 55 Township High Schools 71 Township, congressional 55 school 69 Treasurer City 39, 40 County 63 State 81 Trustees of Schools 69, 70 Tuberculosis Sanitarium 43, 61 United States government 93 University of Illinois, trustees of 84 Utilities, public 37, 82, 104, 109 Valuations for taxation 64, 65, 84 Vice-President 101 Village form of government 50 Voters, qualified legal, as petitioners 35 Voting 21 cumulative 50 instruction cards posted 22 machines 28 methods 24 opportunity of, secured to voter 21 secrecy in 24, 25, 28, 29 Wards of Chicago (See also map) 38, 39 of Sanitary districts 67 Watchers, election 23 Water supply rates 109 West Chicago Park Commissioners 53 Wife of citizen, status 13-20 Woman's Occupations Act Ill Woman's Suffrage Acts 11, 111 primary act amendment 34 Women as "qualified" voters 35 X, how used as voting mark 26 MAP OF CHICAGO SENATORIAL DISTRICTS (IN RED) MAP OF CHICAGO CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS (IN RED) MAP OF ILLINOIS COUNTIES AND COUNTY SEATS HECKMAN BINDERY INC. JUN95