Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-10
Monday, November 10.
Democratic Reorganization in Rock
Island County Necessary.

IL the delnOcrdllC purity - iISPlISu
by the sincere earnestness that
should ever characterize it, in its
hopes for future success, it must
make a change in its general leader |
ship. 1t must delegate its control to
other hands than those now in
charge. y more forcible illustra-
ton of one man power, misplaced at
that, it would be difficult to present
than that afforded by the direction of
the democratic party's affairs in Rock
Island county during the recent cam
paign. And the experience as well as
the. consequences should serve as a
lesson to the party. 1t should be
needed as a recorded warning not on
" to avoid, but to determine to avoid
repetition of what has happened.
When John p. Looney aspired to
the democratic nomination for the
office of minority representative in
this district, he had, despite the fact
that there were those emphaticaliy
opposed to his ambition, the same OPP
portunity of success that was the
privilege of other democrats seeking
the nomination. Mr.. Looney was will
ing to go out and make a fight for
what he desired. He made hard,
open campaign, and as result was
entitled to what he could get out of
it. He failed in his chief aspiration,
but his show of strength, under the
circumstances, was sufficient to give
him prestige that w. II. Moore, the
Moline candidate for the legislative
Endorsement, recognized in advance of
the convention, and a combination
was entered into between the two.
This resulted in Mr.. Moore receiving
the Endorsement for representative
and Mr.. Looney in return the control
of party affairs, not only in so far as
it pertained to this county, but sena-
Realizing that Mr.. Looney had right
to make his showing as n party
leader and to have the enjoyment of
such rewards as he could win for his
efforts, The Argus took no issue with
him until after the democratic state
convention. There Mr.. Looney went
as the head of the Rock Island county
delegation In that connection his
political methods, to say nothing of
no party institution could fail to dis
approve of without neglect of party
duty. Without the slightest provo
cation and totally disregarding the
fairness that had been shown him by
every factor in the party in his own
county, Mr.. Looney deliberately in
vited disruption in the party at home
and in the Thirty-third senatorial dis
trict by aiming n blow at influences
that had stood in no way in the light
of his own political advancement.
The Argus had no hesitancy not only
in deprecating but condemning
such a policy as Mr.. Looney pursued
at Springfield as entirely unwarrant-
ed, and as opening the way to discord
in the ranks of the party that might
as readily have been avoided. Suisse
quent events, the natural consequence
of the hostility toward Mercer coun-
ty. have amply sustained the Argus
expressed view of the situation.
1t is not necessary to enter into
lengthy discussion of all that has de-
veloped to emphasize the penalty that
the democracy of Rock Island county
has paid for permitting itself to be
entrusted to the rule or ruin policy
of one man control.
The loss to the county democracy