Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1878 — Meeting of the Illinois Central Committee. [ARTICLE]

Meeting of the Illinois Central Committee.

The Illinois State Central Committee of the National party recently held a meeting at the Tremont House, Chicago. There -were present Gen. Bates, candidate for State Treasurer; Dr. D. B. Sturgeon, of Toledo, Chairman of the National Committee; S. M. Slade, Elgin; Charles Boone, Jo Daviess county; S. M. Smith* Kewaunee; R. W. Nelson, Joliet; Thomas Wolfe, Paxton; H. H. Stevens, Macomb; Col. B. S. Heath, Pekin; Dr. W. L. Reed, Piatt county; J. W. Evarta, Centralia; Richard Springer, Plano; James Springer, Dayid Gill, A. W. Herr, J. H. Randall, Chicago. The meeting was organized with Jaipes

Springer in the chair, and Thomas Wolfe, Secretary. After the reading of the minutes of the Springfield meeting, Dr. D. B. Sturgeon, of Toledo, was called upon to inform the committee of the progress of the work of the National Committee. The gentleman said that he had no set speech to deliver, but he represented the party of the new departure, and could say that all was progressing favorably. Over 200 newspapers in the country had espoused their cause.* They expected, within the next two years to elect the Chief Magistrate of this country. He cited the Republican as an example of the growth of a party.' The men who founded it started upon the one idea of opposition to the extension of slavery. He went on to discuss organization. Cities must be organized by wards, the country by counties, and all amalgamated and working under the State organization. In each election precinct there was to be instituted a council, composed of not less than ten voters, who should elect four officers. In this way information was to be disseminated by means of documents. A charter was to be granted to each council. The engraving at the head of this document embodied among other things a greenback held down by the silver dollar. The doctor stated that 100 clubs had been organized under the present charter. Previous organizations numbered thousands. Tracts would cost less than a cent apiece. A song book had not been hit upon. It had been difficult to find anyone to furnish just such songs as they needed. Another thing: It had been determined to issue charters to minors’ clubs, who it was hoped would cast the telling votes in 1880 that would elect the National President. At the close of the oration the President stated that the reports from the Congressional districts were in order. The reports from nearly all the districts were highly encouraging.