Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-04
DOESN'T SET WE'LL.
IN which His Postmasters Con
urolied the Republican Convention

ltO test ana 10 the VI anncr
IN which His Postmasters Con
urolied the Republican Convention.
All Is not serene in the republican
congressional camp by any means. and
the rumblings of discomfort emanating
from his own party are sufficient to dis
turb the equaniminity of Mr.. Gest to say
nothing about the determined efforts the
democrats propose to make to retire him
to private life. Heretofore signs of re-
volt have been confined principally TO
private individuals. some of whom, how
ever, have considerable lung power. and
their kicks have been quite audible. But
now the republican press in certain quar-
tiers, have raised remonstrance agains,
the manner in which Gests federal ap
pointees manipulated the. late republican
convention. Here are couple of Illus
trations of. the manner in which Gest's
nomination was received:
The republican congressional conven-
ton was held at Bushnell on Tuesday af-
ternoon. At this meeting Mr.. w. II.
Gest, of Rock Island, was selected as the
republican candidate tor congress over
Capt. J. NJ. TurRbull, of this city. This
result is not due so much that the senti
ment of the delegates present was 10
favor of Mr.. Gest, as to the "bossism
which was displayed by the present nom
inee. A large number of the delegates
are under obligations to Mr.. Gest for
favors shown them by him while in cons
gress, and that gentleman used
these favors as whips to bring
them into line, and to COM
pei them to give him their support.
1t is safe to say that good majority of
the delegates present at the convention
were at heart in favor of the nomination
of Captain Turnbull, although obviously.
and for obvious reasons, they cast their
votes for his opponent. Mr.. Gest is &
good man, of course. or the party would
not have thought of nominating bin. bat
he has his faults, faults from which Cap
tain Turnbull is free. He has more ene>
mics throughout the district than the
genial captain. and not nearly so many
sincere friends. And for this fact his
election will be more difficult to bring
about than would that of his less success
full opponent Monmouth atlas.
Bossism prevailed in the convention
at Bushnell Tuesday to an extent which
will not be tolerated hereafter. To at
tempt TO force a nomination just at noon
when it was already assured was unwise
To confine all favoTs in temporary and
permanent organization to one side was
unjust. To have ten delegates unable to
act without the psternal instructions of a
probate judge and postmaster is evil
dence that the voice of the people was
not Obeyed in tn the selection of those
delegates.
Another matter not to be ignored is the
fact that the republican party is pledged
to civil service reform. A half dozen
pOstmasters from the several counties as
delegates and the fact that two of the
principal manipulstors from two counties
were recent sppointees of one of the cam
didates. (GesD is violation of the civil
service law, in spirit if not in letter.
Postmasters should stay at home and at
tend to their business. They are sup
posed to have done enough before their
appointment to deserve it, without having
to resort to manipulating canvasses after
ward. These things may do for demo-
cratic convention. but they will not be
tolerated in a republican. The voters of
the party are far too intelligent to be
blindlY led. 1t may be taken for it what
is worth, but bosses TO the contrary not
withstsnding this is the last convention
in the Eleventh congressional district
that is to.be manipulated by them.
The Monmouth Democrat says the
above is from leading republican paper
of Warren county. 1t no doubt reflects
the sentiment of the republicans generally
down that way.