Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-20

me were the same in substance, except
that facts were established in the last. and
they were only surmises in the first. Al
it is. don't think am In the least sem
surable for my action. although am not
fully acquainted with newspaper tactics.
did not think / was showing the less,
breach of confidence in giving the figures
to the ARGUS, as went on my own re.
sponsibllity not on Danforth's sugges-
ton. and in his statement as to this. be
has misrepresented me-"
A MALICIOUS LIAR.
But for several issues back old Joe has
been misrepresenting the ARGUS and its
proprietor, thus sustaining his former
reputation of being malicious liar. and
his attack upon Mr.. Barge is therefore
not to be wondered at. The object OF
his splenetic criticisms of the ARGUS. are,
however, easily understood. He is jeal>
Gus of its success, and in his vain attemp,
to iniure its political standing with the
democratic party. he resorts to his we'll
known pusillanimous tactics.
The supposed defeat of Mr.. Hass. fol
mayor, by beggarly plurality of 90 at
the recent city election, furnished old Joe
pretended opportunity to charge the
ARGUS with treachery and party demon
alization. Several case are cited wherein
1t was charged the ARGUS failed to do it's
duty as a party organ. We will refer to
those only touching on the welfare of the
party. The Rock Islander says:
1t always. in half concealed way, Cd.
posed Mr.. Neece. 1t did what it could
to foster opposition to him in 1885, and
in 1883 the democrats Of this county per-
mitted it to secure a hostile delegation
and were led by the proprietor of the
ARGUS into the trap which defeated his
nomination. 1t is believed that all the
force voted for MIR. Gest, both in 1885
and in 1888.
In reply to the first charge of the
above, in as mild manner as possible, we
wish to denounce it as plain. unvarnished
lie. In 1886 the ARGUS urged Mr..
Neece's denomination and supported him
steadfastly throughout the campaign.
At that time Mr.. Hurst, of this city, was
candidate before the convention, and
the delegation from Rock Island county
was unit for him. Notwithstanding
this fact, the ARGUS refused to enco urage
his candidacy on the ground that Mr..
Niece had been twice elected in a repub-
lican district and the party was therefore
in duty bound to renominate him If be
desired the honor. But In 1888 it was
different. MIR. Niece had shown his in-
ability to carry the district over Mr. Gest
in 1886, and the opposition that had
sprung up in the different counties against
him, made his nomination very undesira-
BILE. The ARGUS favored the nomination
of MIR. Ben T. Gable, but that gentleman
refused to be candidate, so MIR. Pren>
tiss was chosen. We think there is no
truthful man in the district, including
Mr.. Niece himself, who would say that
he thinks that he (Neece) could have
been elected last year. As to how the
editor of the ARGUS votes. is nobody's
business but his own. In regard to the
ARGUS force. the members are al
lowed to exercise their right of suffrage
without atten pied dictatiou or influence
other than that exerted through the
columns of the paper.
While the editor of the ARGUS
doesn't consider it necessary to set
up any defense in regard to his
political integrity, he does object to have
imputation cast upon his course by such
a political harlot as the ostracised old
liar of the Rock Islander, who has no
principle nor honor, and is always ready
to sell his pretended influence to the
highest bidder. He has done more to
disorganize and demoralize the demo-
cratic party in Rock Island county than
any other one person. A few years ago
he welded some influence among the
laboring classes, but even they have re-
pudiated and cast him off His advocacy
of Prentiss' candidacy last fall was q
detriment to that gentleman instead of
an assistance. as the result showed