The Rock Island Argus., 1884-08-20
NOT THIS TINE.
w. HI Gest Will Not Run For Congress
This Year---A Sorry Delegation.

There is a sorry crowd of republicans
in this neck of the woods today. W. II.
Gest, the pet of the party, and. the man
who was to lead the grand old party to
victory in the congressional race, has
been ruled off the track, as jockey would
say. He failed to get the nomination at
Bushnell yesterday, and today the hearts
of his friends are bathed in sorrow and
liquids. The republican congression>
al convention at Bushnell yesterday
witnessed a gathering of disorganized
factians. There were no less than five
candidates for the congressional nomna>
ton They were William H. Gest, of
Rock Island, Robert Moir, OF Henderson,
DR.. W. o. Blsisdell, of McDonough, A.
P. Petrie, of Mercer, and John NJ Turn
bull, of Warren.
A good deal of button holing was done
before the convention, the friends of Gest
doing their utmost IN his behalf. The
Rock Island delegation, after several
changes, was made up as follows NJ NJ.
sturgeon, chairman; T. H. Thomas. L.
F. Harson, Oliver Olsen, J. j. Reimers,
P. H. Vessel j. j. Parks, J. NJ Beardsley,
NJ Y. Cady, j. II. Porter, c. S. Els, E.
B. Atkinson, ]. W. Simonson, Howard
Wells, VIM. Drury, G. L. Eyster, E. D.
Sweeney, s H. Nelie and VIM Kerns
Kerns and Nelie raised kick" and re
fused to serve because Morris Rosenfield
held the proxy of Chas. H. Deere and
Henry A. Ainsw0rth was there as proxy
for Judge Gould The matter was finally
settled by the delegation throwing out
these proxies. This was done on the
claim that it was according to resolution
passed in the county convention which
gave the delegation the power TO fill all
vacancies and cast the full vote.
The convention was called to order in
the opera house by c. V. Chandler, of the
congressional committee Hon. j. W.
SimonsOn, OF Port Byron, was made tenn
porary chairman, and E. nj. Hale secre>
tary. Committees on credentials, perma-
nent organization and resolutions
were next appointed, after which
the convention adjourned to p.
m, when it was again called to order Dy
chairman Simonson. After music by a
local band the Rock Island glee club,
composed of j K. Cooke, L. E. Kuocke,
Alfred Corns, Will Don, VIM. A Collins
and s. j. Collins sang selection and
were encored twice.
The committees appointed made THEN
reports after which nominations for a
candidate for congress were in order
The five aspirants above named were
presented. Mr.. E. d. Sweeney, of this
city, presented the name of Mr.. Gest in a
speech of some length. The balloting
| then commenced The fight from the
start appeared to be between Gest, Turn.
bull and Blaisdell. Each county voted
| soidly for its candidate aud worked hard
to secure more votes for him. Fortynine
ballots were taken without result and
\ the convention adjourned till evening.
During the recess, the Rock Islanders
seaing there was no show for their candi.
date went to work for Petrie and on the
fiftieth ballot, the first one after supper,
Petrie was nominated by sixty votes to
thirty cast for Dr. W O. Blaisdel
Sherman Dray, of Schuyler county. was
nominated for member of the board OF
equalization.
And thus ended the great political farce
in the eleventh Illinois district in 1884
The Rock Island delegation returned to
the city this morning in demoralized
condition The members were uuconsol-
able and the disruption in the party prom.
ises to be as great this fall as it was two
years ago.