The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-05-12
The Repnblican Split IN Illinois.

The Republican Split IN Illinois.
The Chicago Inter Ocean, the principal
Grant organ of the state. says of the re-
cent convention which assembled in Chi
cago, but more particularly the Blaine
Washburne half of it. that never in the
civilized days of Chicago has there been
such al evidence Of the remaining barbar
ism of men as was manifest In the early
stages of the county Republican conven-
ton yesterday morning. The contest of
desperate men struggling against recog.
nized superiority of force always partakes
of the barbarous or rufhanly. At 10
O'Clock the various delegates to the con-
vention began assembling in Farwell Hall,
and the placid, equaJie temper seen IN
the smiling, easy faces scarcely gave sug-
gestion of the uproar of passionate discus
sion destined to arise sooD after. There
was the noisy hum of conversation. the
occasional laugh betokening the presence
of some hunorist. and the hustle to and
fro in the exchange of-opinions.
When this had gone on for reasonable
time, Mr., FL. nj. Singer, chairman Of the
Cook county central committee, stepped
forward and called the delegates to order.
This was the one bIissfui moment of the
forenoon Peace came out of the pleasant
noise and reigned undisturbed for fully
five minutes. After Mr.. Nash, the secre
tary, had read the call. Mr.. Singer lean
ed over his desk and remarked, Gentle
men, l understand the chairman of the
central committee is to nominate the chair.
man for"
The rest of the sentence was swallowed
up in a tumultous roar of mo, no, no,
prolonged until it waved truculent in its
mi ft1rr Of
instantly thrown to the dogs. The minori-
ty of anti Grant men--a minority ia their
two divisions-were determined that the
rule or ruin formula shouldbe put in force,
and they fed the evil belly of contentisn
With the husks Of discord. =
The Inter Ocean then gives a full
account of the disgracefnl scenes which
followed and the manner in which Mr..
Anthony, Blaine man, was forced on the
convention as chairman before the meet
ing had chance to vote aye or nay. The
scenes which were enacted are withou,
parallel in politics--nothing SO disgrace
full or rufhanly has ever occurred before in
Illinois. The Inter Ocean proceeding
gives an account of the efforts of theGrant
men to restore order and the attempts
made by Mr., Singer. chairman of the
county committee, in the interest of har-
mony. and the turbulent scenes which
followed. 1t is an unenviable record and
has engendered feeling which cannot be
healed very soon. At last Mr.. Singer,
realizing the utter uselessness of attempt
ing to enforce the regular order of bust
ness, left his desk and took bis seat, The
later Ocean says further that
Mr. Singer, shamed by the unprece
denied disgracefulness of the going on,
stepped back FROM the desk, declaring he
would no longer identify himself with such
prostitution of deceDcy. Then Anthony,
whose logged intrusion had much to do
with the shameful course of the delegates,
began exercising the functions of the of
fee without further pailey. But his mob
had not yet been reduced to the propriety
of reason, and refused even to obey him.
The better citizens sriedto get order. %
top of this there was a rush of delegates
to the stage, some shouting, you can't
bulldoze us" others crying, Give it to
'em, Pull him off, and other rensrks
of similarly quoting character. With
these men rushed forward a great. burly
brute. inhamed by beer and passion, his
red beard, red face, and gray coat max
ing him a conspicuous creature. He ell
bowed his way through the crowd, knock
ing men with his fists and urging his way
up to the speakers stand Before he
could get there few, terrified by his pro-
family and wild actions. grabbed him and
sluD2 him against the rear wall The
scenes that ensued beggared description.
Anthony trembled in every limb, and his
face lost its usual flush and became deathly
pale. He evidently feared that he might
be visited by some condign punishment at
the hands of those whom he had excited.
The scufie that began was participated in
By many. Commissioner Spofford was
conspicuous for his pugilistic capers. The
reporters who stood on tables looking down
upon the tumbling men anticipated some
thing more serious than blows, and their
hopes would doubtless have been fully
realized but for the timely arrival of
detachment of police. Officer Dollard,
who had been doing excellent work on the
platform, was reinforced by Lieutenant
Byrne ut the head of Eve or six men.
These sprane into the fighting mob. and
handled the degraded contestants in
very summary fashion. They altogether
too kindly RETAINED from the use of their
clubs, MS broken head or two would
have been the most saiutary antidote
to the inhamed passions of the wild men
they were handling. There never was
soclailstic row that was more disgraceful
OF 10 IRE shameful in all its bearings The