Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-11


convention for the Fourteenth dis
trict held at the court house in this
city today, Messrs. Gest, Graves and
Ramsay, having received the republi-
can nominations.
The vote was strictly by counties,
not delegate getting away from the
control of his chairman. Rock Island
and Mercer counties were for Judge
Church throughout and Henry and
Whiteside counties were for Ramsay.
Rock Island had Al delegates; Henry
county, 81; Whiteside county, 2S. and
Mercer county II. Thus after the
preliminaries had been disposed of
and the method of procedure settled
the majority of llenry and Whiteside
counties carried all propositions.
Fight at Outset
The fight came on the organization
and was precipitated in the very be-
ginning. j. b. Oakleaf. of Moline. as
chairman of the judicial committee
for the district, called the meeting
to order at shortly after 1880, and
after the call had been read by Judge
I. II. Chesley, of Whiteside county,
secretary of the committee. he an
nounced that he would call Hon.
Isaac n. Bassett, of Aledo. to the |
chair as temporary presiding officer
if there were no objections. But
there were objections.
Frank Baker. of Kewanee. Henry |
county. proposed the name of Judge |
j. w. Ward, of Whiteside county, as
chairman and demanded a roll call |
upon the question NJ NJ. Sturgeon, |
of this city. States Attorney Graham, |
of AledO. and others spoke in favor |
of Mr.. Rassett, Mr.. Graham in partic-
ular declaring that he was the proper |
man for the place on account of the |
manner i'm which he had received GER
tain alleged propositions made to him
by delegates who were not mention |
ed. Mr.. Graham declared that Bas-
Sett had been offered the support of
certain delegates if he would consent
to calling the roll by counties alone
and not by Individual delegates. This. |
it was said, he declined TO do.
\ viva voce vote was taken ON The
matter of calling roll and failed to
carry. Then after an argument of
some length upon the right of the
chairman of the committee to APP
point the temporary chairman. the
motion of Baker was withdrawn and
Mr.. BaSSett took the chair. The
Henry and Whiteside county factions
having conceded this point moved
back to take Il stand upon calling the
roll by counties rather than by indi- |
viduals so that there might he no pos
siEility of a break of Il stray delegate
TO Judge Church, particularly from
Henry county, where some uneasiness
was felt. On this proposition the up
per end of the district was destined
to be successful.
Committees Named
Judge Chesley was retained as tenn
porary secretary and the roll of
counties was called for the naming
of the committees, resulting as fol- |
lows:
Credentials-Oscar Wood, White
side; Theodore Becker. Henry; w. j. |
Graham, Mercer; Martin Schoonma-
ker, Rock Island.
Besolutions-Harry V. Waite. White |
side; II. c. Moore, Henry; Alex. Me
Arthur, Mercer; j. NJ. Hutchinson,
Rock Island.
Permanent Organization-.I. f. Ut |
ley, Whiteside; Fred II. Hand, Henry; |
Henry Crosby. Mercer; i. ID. Swec |
ney. Rock Island.
After brief recess the committee |
on credentials reported and a motion
to accept the report without reading |
was passed, the object being to facil- |
itate business in order that the dele |
gates might get away on early trains!
The report of the committee on per-
manent organization was then called |
for and that body stated that it could |
not reach an agreement. Then the |
trouble broke out afresh.
J. B. OalkIeaf moved that the tenn
porary organiza ton be made perma-
nent. and Henry county instantly Of |
fered a substitute that Fl. c. Ward, |
of Whiteside county, be declared |
chairman. The question now turned |
as to how the vote should be taken,
and in a very short time the chair |
man found himself literally covered |
up with motions, amendments and |
together with opinions of |
delegates az to how the whole thing |
ought to be decided.
Chairs Decision Reversed.
A viva voce vote was taken on the |
question of calling the roll by indi-
viduals and declared carried \ de- |
mand was made from the Henry |
county section for a division and one |
being taken the decision of the chair |
was reversed. A roll call of counties. |
the chairman voting the entire dele
cations, was then taken on the sub
stitute question offering Mr.. Ward as
chairman, and carried by Henry and |
Whiteside counties voting for and |
Rock Island and Mercer counties |
against the count standing GO to SIS. |
William McManus, of Mercer coun-
ty, and Judge Chesley being proposed |
for permanent secretary, the latter |
L. f.,.r,,.. l,..l,r,