Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-12

LOOKS LIKE A SPLIT.
The Trouble i'm the Tenth District Between
Rock Island and Knox

The Trouble In the Tenth District Between
Rock Island and Knox
The correspondent of the Chicago
Herald thus discloses the feeling as
it exists in Knox county over the
knocking out Of that county's caudi-
date for the judgship in the Tenth
district, which substantiates to the
letter the situation as portrayed in
THE ARGUS:
The republicans OF Knox county
are disappointed over the nomination
of Hiram ii. Bigelow As republican
candidate for judge in the Tenth ju-
dicial circuit, and there are fears
that grave complications may result.
For 80 years Knox county has had a
Judge, but the recent resignation of
Arthur A. Smith, of this city, left a
vacancy, and it was to fill this that
an election was called. The common
feeling here was that common cour-
tesy would dictate that Knox county
should have the judge. Within "a
| hours from the time Judge Smith an
nounced his resignation, Z. L. Will
liams and G. W. Thompson were out
as candidates for his place. Both
live here. The former is one of the
oldest and most infiueu ial mem bers
OF the bar; the latter is a young man,
who has been very successful in the
practice of law and stands high. In
the course of week air. Williams
withdrew and published a card to
this effect in one of the city papers.
| Rrf
prominent local politicians would not
have it that way, and by means of
an extensively circulated petition Sc
cured the conset of Mr.. Williams to
the use of his name. When the pri-
maries took place MIR. Thompson was
successful by large pluralities. The
county convention Endorsed him as
Knox county's candidate, and sent a
delegation to the circuit convention
at Monmouth solid for Thompson.
But in the fight at Monmouth. it
developed that other counties in this
circuit bad n score to settle with
Knox, and it was this score that de-
feated Thompson and would have de-
feated any other Knox county man.
Rock Island, Mercer and Henri made
com binatiou on the iudgeship and
nominated Bigeiow. This result APP
parently could have been reached any
time the three counties desired it,
although in reality Bigelow was not
nominated until the 295th ballot
The action seemed an enigma TO the
Knox men, because tor so years
Knox has voted TO keep Judge Pleas
ants, of Rock Island, on the bench
and expected equal favors in return.
But it came out that Rock Island
county felt that Knox wanted the
whole earth. Her delegates said
''knox has the congressman. T. S.
Post; the supreme Judge, A. NJ.
Craig; the state com nitteeman-at-
large, A. W. Berggren; she has had
the judgeship 80 wears. and now she
wants still more" They asserted
that at the last state convention the
Knox delegation, or the most inilu-
cntial part of it, promised that if
the congressional district convention
would nominal Gen Post, Knox
would want no more. an that these
politicians, after having promised
this. helped to beat Rock Island
county out of a state committeeman.
Therefore, Rock Island has knife
out for Knox county.
Permanent Coalition.
What scares the republican poll
ticians here is the fear that the coal
ition between Rock Island, Mercer
and Henry is permanent affair and
that these three counties at the Judi.
cial convention three wears from
now. having majority OF the dele
gates, will nominate ali three Judges
to suit themselves. 1t is also feared
that Rock Island has an eye on the
congressman and that next time
Gen. Post will have on his hands Q
fight of large proportions. Attorney
Walker, of Rock Island, is already
being named as an aspirant, and with
the three counties backing him he
would have fine start. A local pa.
per asserts that the real cause OF
Thompson's defeat is the bargain by
which certain Knox county politi
clans agree to give up everything to
keep Gen. Post in congress, and il
remarks that for so cheap a man he
costs dearly. AT any rate, from the
present prospects all will not be
so smooth sailing in the Tenth dis.
trict as in the past.