Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-03-12
the hand of unjust political oppres.



Fred X. Bastian is entitled to the
vote of every true democrat in the
congressional district at the April
election. He is in every VIZ y worthy
of support. Democrat.
Fred K. Bastian, who was unani-
mously chosen as the democratic
candidate for congressman, is the
able and popular editor of the Fulton
Journal and pronounced tariff re-
former. He is an eloquent speaker
and q man of brains. If elected, he
would undoubtedly represent the
district in a signal manner and make
his mark in congress. The Republic
can-Journal congratulates Brother
Bastian on his nomination. and hopes
that he may poll a large vote.-Mo-
line Republican.
The democrats of this district are
fortunate in their candidate for con-
Fulton Journal. Mr.. Bastian comes
from the extreme northern part of
our new district, and for that reason
is not yet personally known to many
of our people. but among those who
know him well he is considered q
progressive, able, clean man. He is
a young man; up with the times and
thoroughly competent to carry the
standard of his party. He is entitled
to every democratic vote in the dis
trict, and our only regret is that his
chances for success are not far bet
ter.-Galesburg Spectator.
Fred Bastian, who was nominated
for congress in the democratic con-
ventiOn at Galva, was a farm hand
in a neighborhood in southeastern
Whiteside county, where he lived
and labored for several years. and so
we happen to know something about
his pluck aud enterprise. His very
brilliant career began about this
way, as we call it now: He, with a
party of friends. went toWalnut. Bu
reau county, several years ago to at
tend Fourth of July celebration.
Tie citizens of Walnut did not treat
Fred and his crowd with quite the
respect and dignity they thought de-
serving, and so Fred proceeded to
write them up in local paper next
week. The editor of the Walnut pa
per replied, and Fred pitched into
him in such way as to attract
the attention of the editor of one of
the prominent Sterling papers, who
came down to Tampico looking for
the scribe who was laying out that
Walnut fellow so completely, and
he found him husking in a
neighboring corn field and took
him to Sterling and made him local
correspondent of his paper. Well.
Fred soon had a chance to show his
fighting capacity again. He took it
upon himself to champion the cause
of womanhood and had occasion to
..roast" a certain brawny blacksmith
for wife-beating. Fred was a small
man and one day the blacksmith
called and asked for the man who
had exposed him in the paper. Fred
was pointed out to him, and then
everyb body fled from the printing
office and called the police to come
in and gather up the scraps of Fred
and prepare them for burial. But
when the police got there a genuine
surprise was prepared for them. The
big fellow had grabbed Fred in his
arms and tried to bite him, but Fred
wriggled out of his grasp and struck
him q blow that laid him on the floor,
and when the police arrived Fred was
pounding him for all he was worth.
Fred stayed with the Sterling paper
for some time and finally took half
interest with his brother in the Full
class congressman if pluck and per-
severance count for anything
Viola Enterprise.