Rock Island Argus., 1900-03-28
HE IS AN APT PROTEGE.
Frank z. Robbins, the McCono-
chic sCandidate in the
Fifth Ward.
PREPARING FOB THE SUCCESSION

Il
utive's Desperate Search for His Man.
F. E. Robbins. the repu blican nom.
inee for alderman in the Fifth ward,
is the McConochie candidate for the
succession to the mayoralty. Realiz-
Ing that the present term must be his
last, the Rock Island executive has
been for some time casting about for
someone in the republican party upon
whom his mantle might be permitted
to fall, this to the end. that though out
of office, he might still retain his infiu-
ence and look after his fellows. For
time, the mayor thought he had such
man as he was looking for in Aid.
John D. Freed, of the Third ward.
Freed proved a willing enough crea
ture, and fell readily under the spell
of the McConochie hypnotic influence.
In fact, so complete became the may
oral control of the Third warder that
it has for some time been generally
conceded in discussing how the alder
men might line up, in speaking of
Freed to say, ''Oh, he will go with the
mayor, of course" or 1.-THE mayor
will take care of him, OF course" The
sympathetic feeling between the eXecu-
tive and the alderman has become so
far established that whenever the
mayor would yawn in the council
chamber, Mr.. Freed would proceed
orthwith to take a nap.
But willing and all as Freed has
been tc submit himself humbly and
unfailingly to the mayors bidding, it
has been suspected of late that the
willy executive was not altogether sat
isfied with his subject. 1t has been
said that while the mayor liked Freed
well enough and appreciated thor
oughly his devotion, the latter did not
suit him altogether. one particu-
lar reason being that he was not deep
enough. And yet there was no one
else in the council upon whom the
mayor felt he could rely implicitly.
the favor of the executive, but his
honor was suspicious. Concannon is
something of a fox himself, but he,
like Freed, was not quite heavy
enough. So the mayor began looking
about outside the council cham Der for
his man.
Mayor Desperate In His Search.
The announcement that ex-Ald.
Kennedy, of the Sixth ward, would
reenter politics with an aim to becom-
ing a candidate for the mayoralty
nomination should it be possible for
him to return to the council chambe
which, however, is not at all likely,
drove the mayor into a frenzy.
Long before his longtime rival was
sure of the nomination up in the
mayors own ward the latter had a
man picked down in the Fifth whom
he considered up to his ideal and upon
whom he has since expended all his
energies, first to have him nominated,
and now in his desperation to have
him elected. Indeed around the city
hall it is generally understood that
the mayor would be willing to have
the entire aldermanic ticket fail if he
could just pull Frank E. Robbins
through in the Fifth ward.
How the mayor discovered Robbins
has not been explained. but that he
has found man after his own heart
is not to be doubted. That there eX-
lists an inseparable and indisputable
bond of sympathy between the two,
that the likeness in disposition of one
unto the other is striking, one
familiar with both can not fail to
recognize, even to the point of
being amused at the coincidence of
their coming together. Robbins is
built on the McConochie plan through
and through. He has the same
methods of campaigning precisely.
He has the same bewitching confiden-
tial way of talking to those whose ia
vor he courts. He can put on a gen.
uine Sheldon edition expression of
and be diligently wink
ing the other eve all the time. Like
too, he is a man of un-
limited recources for making prom
ises. If any one with whom he is
talking asks political favor of him,
in the event of his election, it is
promised forthwith. These apply to
anv influence under his command
to reports coming from
the Fifth ward there have been so
many promises of positions as teach
ers and janitors in the public schools
made up there already by Robbins
that it will be necessary for the board
of education to erect several new
buildings to redeem the Robbins
pledges, while the municipal paw roll
will have to be extended considerable
to provide fer all the city jobs he has
promised.
Man of Many Promises.
But it is not only in the matter of
promiscuous promises that the Fifth
ward candidate resembles the present
mayor. He is equally as shrewd and
foxy and knows fully as many of the
tricks of politics. He declares him
self on any public project or matter
of policy according to the temper of
the man with whom he is talking,
and then as to his official conduct,
should it be so far contrary to the
very nature of things for him to be
leaves the fulillment to
the dictates of his guardian angel
and devoted sponsor. McConochie.
who stands good for him in all