Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-01
is A BAD PLIGHT
That of the Miller Mouthpiece
in Fourth Ward
Politics.
RELATIVE MERIT OF NOMINEES
PreVaricating About One in Interest
of Another il Had Already
Repudiated.

When a newspaper attacks candi-
date for Office. especially if it deIber-
ately preyaricates about him in the
hope of working him injury, it should
be in a position To offer 10 those whom
it seeks to prejudice man more en-
titled TO their support, or at least
their respect. The Union is now devOt-
ing itself to Measurements concerning
John Il. Sexton, the democratic can
didate for alderman in the Fourth
ward. Apart from the fact that the
Sexton is in some way representing
LoOney in the present campaign-a
fact that has been absolutely dis
proven to the satisfaction of the
strictly anti-Looney democrats not
only in the Fourth ward, but all over
the city. who certainly are as much
interested in the matter as the Union
is - what mas the morning paper to
offer in the way of n candidate to
those whom it would unjustly preiu
dice. The cndeavors of the Union
might come with some prospect of
commanding respect or consideration,
if it had taken to the woods on the
Fourth ward a!Jermanic question. But
instead it is seeking by its misrep-
resentation of Mr.. Sexton to win votes
for the candidate on the republican
ticket, whose nomination is due en-
. 1
For this statement of the case we have
the Union itself, as well as the author
ity of vast number of the respect
able republicans of the ward. y
week ago in an extended and al
together fair editorial discussion of
the part Looney had been playing in
the affairs of both parties in the city,
and in speaking more particularly of
the manner in which through the fail
IRE of the better element of the party
in the Fourth ward to attend the eau
Gus, Looney had carried the day for
the police candidate for alderman,
the Union said: 'AlI the factions
could have united on the candidacy of
Mr.. Pardon for alderman. But the av-
.erage good citizen was conspicuous
mainly by his absence. We have been
reliably informed that not more than
Is or 20 voters from the second pre-
cinct of the ward participated in the
election. In consequence he was bca-
ten by the fioaters of the first pre-
cinct. and man was placed in nomi-
nation whose best friends cannot say
that there is anything in his PERSONAL
ity or record to commend him to the
consideration of the property holders
OF the ward
jenkins without Communication.
The man of whom the Union spoke
at the time referred to in the question
as one whose best friends cannot
say that there is anything in his per-
Sonality or record To commend him to
the consideration of the property hold
ers of the ward" i the same Tom
Jenkins. in whose behalf it is now
seeking to misrcpresent the true at
titulc OF Mir. Sexton in the present
campaign.
The embarrassing prcdicamcnt in
which the morning paper thus finds
itself. is due to the fact that at the
time the editorial was written de-
nouucing jenkins and the means en-
ira'NNt ~ A@o'lAN y ~ aNN'iAAi - A''-'
nomination il was expected that his
Withdrawal from the ticket would he
forced by the respectable republicans
of the ward, and a man in better
standing in the party and with the
people generally. would be substitute
ed. This was the plan that it was eN-
lpected would Ice carried out until the
last moment almost within the law
when changes could be made in the
nomination papers. But the republi-
cans who sought thus To place on the
ticket a candidate with something lin
his personality or record to commend
him to the consideration Of the pro-
perty holders of the ward did not
reckon with the man whom the Union
had said did not 50 much commend
himself. but who was nevertheless On
the republican ticket by the grace of
John l.. Locncy To stay. jenkins was
for a time obdurate i'm the face of
every effort To get him off, and finally
when the pressure became so strong
from the, republicans Of the ward that
jenkins seemed about to yield, does
the Union know who il was that step
ped i'm and made the stand that set
tied it that jenkins should not he
Withdrawn? Does not the Union know
that the individual who put the last
quietus on the move To get Jenkins
out of the way 10 the end that re-
publican more representative of the
party and property holders in the
ward. might be selected. was none
other than Phil Miller. chief of police
and Looney's closest ally in all things
political in Rock Island? If there i any
doubt in the Unions mind as To this, i
might make inquiry IF certain mem
bers of the republican city central
committee.
which L. the More Worthy:
In the Iirhf of these factS. and they