Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-13
RUN BY TIE RING.
The Thomas Faction Organizes
the City Delegation.
FRUITLEss EFFORT TO STEM TIDE.


Gest Goes Down Kicking to the Last-Foss
Tells What Would Have Happened nad
some Things Been Known-rhe Test of
strength-saturday Nights Caucus.
The Thomas ring completed its
victory in Rock Island Saturday
night by organizing the republican
city delegation to tomorrows county
convention to suit itself. There was
a protest against the action, but it
was unavailing. Ex-ConSressmau
W. II. Gest, who hates the drug store
any thing. kicked with all the energy
and vehemence he possesses against
the inevitable. Aid. Foss told what
would have happened had it been
known few days before what was
going on. There were cries of
'treachery," "snap politics." ETC.,
but the crowd merely grinned aud
went on with the slaughter. 1t was
Thomas time to win, and as big
Bill" Edwards said. as he stood up
and rolled his eyes and looked wise.
..every man has his time; now, YOU
who do not believe this keep still.
and we'll show you a trick or two"
The caucus was held in the super
visors' room at the court house, and
there were no absentees among the
delegates who had the credentials of
admittance to the significant assem-
blage.
Beginuin. of the Fun.
When the several delegations got
seated in the little room. Chairman
Z. a. Donaldson mounted the ros-
trum and told them to be easy.
Someone proposed Henry Carse for
chairman and he was unanimously
elected. So was &. +. Lynde for sec
rotary. Then the chairman an
nounced that the first business the
meeting would have to transact was
to select a delegate at large.
William Edwards proposed the
name of DR.. G. Bernhard, and T. c.
Hemenway. j. l.. Haas. 1t was sug-
gested by Hon. w. II. Gest that in
order to expedite matters the ballot
idea be dispensed with and the vote
be taken by roll call, the delegates
being expected to vote for none other
than those placed id nomination.
That was a pretty good scheme and
the meeting agreed to giveit trial.
The ballot was formal one and
elected DR.. Bernhard by a vote of 81
to IL for Haas.
During the voting c. W. Foss was
caught in one OF his wholesale steer
ing acts, very much to the gratifica-
ton OF the Thomas faction, which by
this time had shown that the other
side was very much in the minority.
The Fifth and Sixth wards voted
solid for Bernhardi. When it came
to the Seventh Foss, the self-asserted
head and front of the delegation, an
nounced that it would cast dozen
!. votes straight for Haas. j. X. Scott.
who was a member OF the delegation,
protested against one man casting
the entire vote without first ascer-
tanning whether all of the delegates
were agreeable. So the chairman
was asked to call each name separ-
ately. The consequence was that
Mr.. Scott and four others supported
DR.. Bernhard. That he should fail
so early in the game angered Foss
very much. He was noticeably coz
fused. But he didn't let up.
| Battle for Committeeman.
Then came the battle for township
committeeman. William Edwards
nominated T. H. Thomas and Viii.
liam Baker and w. II. Gest named S.
j. Collins and C. W. Foss.
| The roll call scheme was again
followed in voting and the form II
ballot resulted in the election of the
Thomas candidates by this vote:
Thomae, As; Baker, 81; Foss, IS;
Collins, Is.
The Collins faction had become
pretty warm under the collar by this
time and when the nomination Of
delegates to serve on the various
committees in the county convention
came. the boiling sentiment which
had been smothered about as long as
possible in the bosoms OF the Collins
faction leaders burst forth and there
was wrangle which only had an
equal in some of the caucus meetings
which the republicans have been
holding Of late. Aid. Fred Gall
moved that the delegates be named
by the chairman. w. H. GeN was
opposed to this. He was interrupted
during his talk by other delegates
with ideas Of their own. The ex-con-
gresham was about ready to explode
anyhow, and so he started:
II shall so long as live insist on
the rights of the minority. We have
a right to express our views here and
] demand that we be heard. Iun-
derstand there is an agreement
among the men on the other side to
vote down everything we propose.
l know that to be fact. ! have
been long enough in politics to I'M
derstand these little games. But
gentlemen, it is not fair; it is not
republication"
MIR. Gest's amendment to Mr..
Calls motion that the convention
delegates be chosen by roll call was
then voted down. Then Maj j. NJ
Beardsley begged leave to be heard,
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