The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-10-21
Strange Runaway in Second
Avenue and Everybody
in Danger.
Church and Other Interest
ing Sunday News.
DRIVEN TO THE WALL,

DRIVEN TO THE WALL,
| Step by step the ARGUS has forced vii
liam G. Morris to retreat from his hiding
place of subterfuge and rank equivocation
and to-day the keystone is fitted to the arch
this mans insane decisions, the chief OF
which is that of thinking he is running foi
the shrievalty of Rock Island county.
Last Tuesday the ARGUS stated in terms
which would admit of no contradiction
or of no doubtful Interpretation, that Cap
tain, with a big CO. William G. Morris
had been, and even then was engaged in
that contemplate form of canvassing
which would rob the poor man OF the
necessary sustenance for himself and family
as the price of daring to oppose this Mo
line dfengruntz at the polls next
November. In the Union of the
next morning appeared spiteful
card, the only merit OF which was ex
t.eme brevity, stating that ''the person
who furnished the infol nation and the
scoundrel who wrote it are both con-
temptible liars" Now this is a pretty
bold accusation, even from such naval
hero as Captain Morris, and for few
hours some Of his friends may have been
carried away with the idea that the ARGUS,
in it's anxiety to defeat this Munchausen
for sheriff, had actually resorted to lying in
order to bolster up its argument as to his
general unf1tness for the responsible posi-
- On,
Thursday, however, these gentlemen were
completely undeceived, as in its issue of
that day the ARGUS insisted that its charges
of Tuesday were literally and absolutely
correct, giving the name of its informant
Then there was running to and fro in
the Morris camp and the Moline cores
pondent of the Union ventured
to squeal out ''who. is James. B.
Coon" intimating very strongly that
no such person existed save in the i'm
agination of the editor of the ARGUS That
the curiosity of Boss Morris and his few
jntimates has been fully satisfied, the fol
lowing from this mornings Union will
fully attest:
To the Editors of the Union:
MOLINE, Oct. 2O.-To-day VIM. G.
Morris and certain friend started out to
find the Mr.. Coon who was according to
the Rock Island ARGUs) going to drive
the republican candidate for the shrievalty
entirely out of the field by demonstrating
beyond reasonable doubt that Mr.. Nor
ris was guilty of intimidating laboring men
by threatening to have them discharged
unless they voted for him in the coming
election. Mr.. Jas. B. Coon was found
running drill in the canal near Mud
Island. No affidavits were shaken in the
''brassy face" of Mr.. Morris, but on
the contrary he and myself found
very gentlemanly young man who said that
he heard certain "other' persons say that
Mr.. Morris was bulldozing in the manner
mentioned by certain ''osher" persons. The
names of the men making these statements
he did not know, nor did he claim that
such thing had ever happened; and he
denied that it had been told by him to any
member of the ARGUS. He said that one
of the reporters of that sheet had happened
to be present, and knowing Mr.. Coon used
his name without authority. It is clearly
a case of Il said that he said that she said,
that we said that they said,' on which
basis the ARGUS has seen fit to build a stu
pendous monument of campaign mendacity.
A MORRIS VOTER.
The foregoing letter is given precisely as
it appeared in the Union, without the
change of letter or syllable, as the ARGUS
proposes, once for all, to dispose
of the claims of this champion bulldozer
of poor men. 1t is apparent that "a Nor
ris voter" (who is none other than Boss
Morris himself, )has learned that at least one
of the Contemplate liars" referred to in
his first letter is "a very gentlemanly young
man" bat what becomes of the other
"contemptible liar" the ARGUS editorf
The fact is that Mr.. Coon, who certainly
is gentleman, in appearance at least,
called at the ARGUS Office last Monday
evening and finding the proprietor and
city editor in conversation in the counting
room asked if he could have private con-
versation with "a reporter of the ARGUS"
He was told that he could and the two re-
tired to the press room where MIR Coon
told all, land more that has been printed,