Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-02-22
.SEARLE MOLINE COUP
How the Rock Island Congress.
sional Aspirant Landed
Allen.
COMBINE WITH COUNTY CHAIRMAN

which Explains the Chilly Prince Re-
cePtion and Promises Reeves the
County-PecuIIar State of Affairs De-
veloP - Hanecy Expected by Every
Train-Carter Due Tomorrow.
Had Congressman Prince reached
Moline a few days before he did he
would not have experienced the frost
bite that the papers there describe
Up to short time since Prince hau
decidedly the inside track among Mo-
line repu blicans. for no less an author
ity than F. G. Allen said so. Allen
was. until day or so ago, for Prince.
And as Allen goes so Moline. And in
Moline they support Allen in the the
DRY that with the repu blican party,
this year at least, as goes Moline so
goes Rock Island county. For is not
Allen the head and front of the county
mittee?
But as to the circumstances out of
which has grown the change of faith
that is within Allen, from Prince to
Searle. The Rock Island states at
tOrney being astute enough to realize
that as Allen goes, will go Moline.
and feeling that perhaps there is
more truth than reason in the theory
that has been adopted in Moline, that
as goes Moline in the affairs of the re-
publican party so goes Rock Island
county, Mr.. Searle was also cogniZant
of the fact that Mr.. Allen. who holds
in his hands so much of destiny, was
a strong Reeves man. So Mr.. Searle
went to Allen and planned a coup.
He made a proposition to him that if
he would change about and head a Mo-
line delegation to the county conven-
ton for him, he would see that in re-
turn he (Allen) headed delegation to
the state delegation for Reeves. Allen
is a strong admirer of Prince, but he
loves Reeves more. He has known
the congressman who aspires to the
gubernatorial chair personally for
many years, and is very fond of him.
So it was not surprising that Allen
should yield. And this is the story
of how Prince lost Moline. Allen
comes 60 Rock Island as the head of
a delegation for Searle, and goes to
Peoria heading a delegation for his
old friend Reeves. This is the way it
i TO be If things are not upset.
A PredIcament In Rock Island.
But in Rock Island the situation
involves more of a predicament. 1t
has already been related that Billy
Baker and Jim McGarvey are here
from Springfield, working to deliver
over the city and as much of the
county as they can lay hands on, to
John Riddled Tanner. 1t has been
stated that one of these representa-
tives from the state capital had pref
erence for Searle for personal reasons
and the other by reason of the in
fluence that got him his berth at
Springfield was for Prince. 1t now
develops that there is an error in this
to the extent that both are Searle
men. And herein reposes the pre-
dicament, for both have made the
statement that they have got it from
John Riley's imperial lips that they
must make a showing in Rock Island
county, not only for the Tanner in
teSests as against Cullom, but that
they must do all that they can for
Searle into the bargain, and, failing in
either undertaking their jobs are to
be the forfeit. And so while Searle
com bines with Reeves interests in
Moline against the Tanner machine,
the machine representatives in Rock
Island are working for the combina-
ton that includes Searle.