Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-01
Result of the Republican Pre-
liminary Skirmish.
CARsE CLAIMS THE VICTORY,
Knox Seems to Have Been
Defeated at Any Rate.
But There Are Talks of Com
bine-For Aldermen.

The primary election conducted
by the republican party in Rock ISL
and Saturday was attended by one
Of the most bitter skirmishes that
has ever been known in the history
Of either party in the city. The
fight for supremacy was much more
earnest and desperate on the part of
the party within whose limits it was
raging than would have been .
struggle against q political foe. The
result of the caucuses. conducted as
they were. afforded q test of the
merits of the primary election. and
its application proved such . farce
that it was difficult to determine
which Of the warning factions WAS the
moro pronounced againstit Saturday
night. While it was abused in some
wards by the restrictions imposed
by autocratic judges, who carried
their Inquiries to the extent,
it was declared, of impotence,
in others the laxity observed
was amusing. The same ele-
ment in many instances who were
protesting against non-republicans
voting were rushing men in of con-
trary political convictions by
the Wholesale in their own be-
half. There were any num-
Der of eo-called converts admitted to
the ballot box by the very ones who
were denouncing the other fellows
for doing the same thing. and the
general consequence was q denunci-
alton. by all elements, Of the law. 1t
was regarded as not only an exDen-
sive but an unnecessary and ineff sct-
ual luxury.
On the face of the returns Carse
claims the victory. The Knox-Haas
combination, which it has been
sought to conceal, and the existence
of which had been openly denied.
was fully demonstrated during the
day and was proven beyond question
in the evening, when the men who
had supported Haas we're all shown
to be for Knox. The city attorney
had simply permitted his name to be
used, and then had thrown his whole
influence into the fight in behalf OF
the mayor, and the result was that
he came out at the little end of the
horn. As for Kennedy and Nelson,
each of the aspiring aldermen sim.
ply carried his own ward, whereas
the former. through his ticket in the
Fifth ward. very plainly saved the
mayor the chagrin Of reputation in
his own bailiwick. The battle
ground was in the Fourth and Fifth
wards. and in both Of them the hard.
est fighting was done. The Knox.
Haas combination carried both and
that was all. The three lower
were decidedly for Carse, wa-d:
although stiff lights had been put ~
in each. especially in the Third.
where at one time during the day
Deputy Sheriff Ransom, finding
things going against him, cleared
the room of the Carse element, claim.
ing that the time had arrived for the
exercise Of his duties as q peace off
Ger. The incident served to inten
sify the feeling that prevailed. ant
the representatives there of the Cars
influence redoubled their efforts
From that instant it was az much O
a fight against the sheriff's ofiic,
Third ward ring as for Carse, an,
which ring in the end was effectu
ally put to rout. Kennedy. as said
held his own ward, the Sixth, an,
Nelson was able to keep tho Seventh
Intact for himself.
The General Result.
The general result of the day
fight was that Carse carried the Firs
BY ia to 80 for Knox-Haas. the Sec
ond by 242 to 100 for Kuox.Hsas. tn,
Third by 100 to l26 for Knox Haas
In the Fourth the kuox-Haas ticke
won over the Csrse crowd by 1876 t
1926, and in the Fifth BY 13l to 124
while Kennedy polled % votes. Il
the Sixth the Kennedy ticket bes
the Knox-Haas ticket by 224 to 9s
and in the Seventh Nelson won on
over the same combination By 264 Il
Sc. The various delegations contest
ing in the different wards were q
follows:
First Ward.
Caree-Fred ]. Hodges, Williar
wilkins, E. Osterm ann, Vic Viz
cent. Thomas Fuller. Magnus Piel
son, John Alderman. Herman Apple
Iquist, Fred Ostermanp, F. Carlson
Fred Bladel. John Zimmerman,
Won Postel.
Knox-Haas-A. Taber. n. G. Ostel
man. J. Liggett. Anton Jensen, Pt
ter Peterson, A. Teufel. Ed Stuar,
A. Claypool, John Kolloff. Angus
Engel, John Schroeder, George Ellir
wood, Charles Erickson.
Soooaa ward.
Carse-W. T. Sugden, q. N. Ne
son. C. F. Lynde, A. G. johnson.
L. Eyster. Sam Meanor, Louis Eel
hart, Jr. w. J. Pratt, Alfred Sper
Ger. John Runge. n. Rosenfeld
Harry Sage. F. W. Bergsten. L.
Remley. A. Devoe, Jr., Juliu
Dhooge.
Knox-Haas-James T. Francis. "