Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-12
NOW FOR THE FUN.
The Struggling Factions Of the
Republican Party.
A B1rrER WAR FOR A WEEK.

ADDk 0IK0l OA-AJ40AD oo0 DoC8GG0 001OHO
-Conbinstioas sad Combisasioss.
1t was first blood for the Ainsworth
contingent was yesterdays combined
caucus of republicans of the Tenth
congressional district and OF Rock
Island county In This district. The
Gest contingent. wore q wear
led, worried look at the con-
clusion of the events of the
day, as it was clearly apparent that
so far as Rock Island county
is concerned the Ainsworth crowd
had the best of it. Another thing
that made the Gestites tired was the
development of the hostility that is
felt to their candidate in other coun-
ties of the district-particula in
Knox. There. it seems, Gest is re-
garded as q political foe. They rec
ognize down in Knox that the only
opposition that came to the
time-honored custom of permitting
the sitting member in a reconstruct.
ed district to be retained was from
Gest's friends. and still fresher in
their memories is the unsightly spec
tacle of Gest coming out for the sue
cessiou before their dead congress
mans body had been delivered II
them for burial. Beyond this, too,
they feel that having been conceded
the right to name the congressman
in the new district, they should
be permitted to I'LL the place once
given them by the district, but
of which death robbed them.
Furthermore. they maintain that
Gest is alone responsible for the
rivalry that has sprung up be.
tween the north and south end OF
the district, and that had it not been
for his eagerness there would have
been no opposition manifested to
their providing for the vacancy that
misfortune created. In still another
sense they remember down in Knox
the opposition that Gest led to Judge
Smiths denomination for judge, and
that afterward, when the latter's res
iynation occurred, he was one of the
foremost in knocking out the Knox
county candidate. Thompson, for the
succession. Hence it is that while
Knox county is determined to make
fight for the nomination. that coun.
ty will not be apt to undertake t.
swallow the chilly-coated Gest pill
under any circumstances. no matter
who may be the political physician
who prescribes it, or the desperate
condition that may make it advisa.
BILE. So that while struggling fol
their rights, Knox county worthie.
will be likewise struggling with
equal positiveness against what they
believe to be wrong.
The Local Combinations.
Locally speaking. there have beer
combinations and combinations
There are wheels within wheels and
wheels within heads. There are
complications and conglomerstions
There is q mixture of unspeakablt
things as to make one dizzy to gaze
upon. The secret circle has gone
ahead with business, but has paid NJ
attention whatever to those who ar,
doing the main work for it. The Sc
cret circle feels that what it, will
the aid of the lone Waterman put
up is bound to go and that the re
publican mouthpiece is bound tt
support it. So with the audacity Z
the Gest-McConochie com binatiol
that seeks to nominate Gest now ant
then McConochie for mayor in thu
spring, and later to give willy Willie
from the Sixth still higher honors
should occasion make it possible. II
fact, everybody is promised anything
if they will put their shoulders t.
the wheel just this once. The secret
circle was in session nearly all night
and this morning Louis Eckhart wa
sent post haste into the country
while the regular daily personal ap
peal, give me q lift now or never,
was repeated from door to door.
Crawford, the subterfuge candi
date. was in town bright and early
working hand and glove with tn
Gestites. 1t is the Gest faction tina
is making the most show here, al
though there is pretty strong evi
dence that Ainsworth, as well a
Caldwell, are at work in the commu
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