Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-26
IT WAKES WARM.
Political Pot at Boiling Point at
CaIva.
GEST PRESEHTED BY ]. L. Haas

GEST PRESENTED BY ]. 1. HAAS.
Every County Has . Candidate Except
Henry, Who Bestovs Her Fsvors Tn
parti.lly-Over Two Hundred Fraitiees
Ballots.
GALvA, Feb. Set is not likely
that in the history of any of the
counties now comprising the Tenth
congressional district, either indi-
vidually or collectively, that there
has been so much interest conferred
about a political convention as that
which attaches to the republican
congressional convention assembled
here today. The preliminaries have
been watched with no less concern
of q general public nature than the
main event set for today. In Rock
Island county the struggle between
rival factions is known. The tri-
umph of the Gest element in caucus
and in county convention it was
thought by the adherents of the Oft
time aspiraut was sufficient to insure
his nomination at the hands of the
congressional convention. As the
time wore on for this accounting, the
friends of the Rock Island statesman
became suspicious that they had
miscalculated. When they went to
Cambridge yesterday and found no
encouragement from the brethren Of
the faith in Henry county. they were
convinced that they had misjudged.
When they arrived here today they
knew it. All they had was a fight
ing chance. but with zeal born Of .
purpose absolutely desperate they
set to work to do or die. The result
we shall know later.
Fsvorites From Other Counties.
All the other counties had pro-
nounced favorites. Knox had its
Prince, Whiteside its Ramsay. Mer-
Ger its Mckinney, and even little Mol
lie Stark. modest but very much in
earnest. its Hammond. Henry was
supposed to be neutral. With
this array, with this aspect. with
. huge task before them. the re-
publicans of the Tenth district met
this morning at the opera house
to pick out q candidate to succeed
one whose nomination at Rock Island
last summer had come spontaneously
and with practical unanimity. Gen.
Posts successor was not to trod the
rosy path to high recognition in the
councils of his party that did the
eminent and lamentable citizen of
Knox upon whom was conferred with
out dissent these we'll deserved
honors.
Judge G.. L. Waite. OF Geneseo, is
talked of as a remote possibility in
case the convention gets into dead
lock.
Called to Order.
Long before the convention was
called to order the opera house was
filled. Thomas Movers, of Henry
county, was elected temporary chair.
man, and G. +. Gazetteer, of Rock
Island, secretary. There were nc
contests. and after the committee on
credentials had made its report the
temporary officers were declared the
permanent officers of the convention.
Nominations we're then ordered,
and all counties, excepting Henry,
| pTeSeuCcu IaVOTltc SOD. Edcn DO ID
was launched with a flow of elo-
quence that would seem sufficient to
float each particular candidate to the
coveted goal by an irresistible cur
rent, but the informal ballot showed
that work instead of words would
eventually decide the contest.
| The Nomination..
George w. Prince, Of Knox, was
the first placed in nomination, F. A.
Freer making the nominating speech
James Mckinney, Of Mercer. by Capt.
A. p. Petrie. was next. Then Gest,
Of Rock Island. by J. L. Haas. who
said he was the unanimous choice OF
the people of Rock Island county,
and had been Endorsed by the party
without a dissenting voice. Ham
mond. of Stark. was presented by b.
F. Thompson, and F. ID. Ramsey, OF
Whiteside. by C. L. Sheldon.
Upon the informal ballot each
county voted for its own candidate.
Henry giving s for Gest, and 4 each
for the other candidates. A formal
ballot was taken, with the same re-
suit. when an adjournment was
taken until 1:3O o'clock.
The two ballots taken before the