Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-14


facts be brought forth in the fullest
extent. In ridiculous contrast was the
evidence adduced by Looney and his
alleged faction. There was absolutely
nothing that was entitled to serious
consideration. 1t was easy to make
claims, but to prove them up by rec
lords and the testimony of competent
witnesses was another story. Looney
had failed utterly at every point in
the proceedings before the court to
Establish wherein he was entitled to
be recognized as the democratic party
lof Rock Island county.
Fight of Good Citizenship.
Mr.. SeaTle in his address said he
felt deeper interest in the
contest than one who had been re-
Itained as an attorney to appear for one
iof the contending sides. He was more
deeply concerned as a citizen. 1t was
lquestion the import of which the court
should not lose sight of. Not alone
the welfare and future of the democ-
tracy, of the county, but of the republi-
can party as well, was at stake. When
a county is confronted with the remark
able phenomena. as Rock Island had
been during the past few months. of one
man seeking the control of both pOliti-
cal parties, it was high time that the
good citizenship of the county assert
Itself The lack of a primary election
law was at the bottom of all the trou-
bic politically into which both parties
in Rock Island county had been plung-
ed of late. 1t would be we'll for the
court. IN it's deliberation on a verdict, to
take cogniZance of public sentiment in
the community during the past year
with reference to political history.
Right never failed to triumph. A man
or men who were right did not have
to exert physical force to gain a hear
ing before d political convention, yet
the city had been presented the spec
tacle of desperate band forcing
delegates representing the seven wards
of Rock Island who had assembled
lpeaceably in a hall to carry out the
wishes of their party to withdraw that
they might transact their business I'M
disturbed. =: a
| Would Have Had Hearing.
| Mr.. Searle said that if there were
Looney delegates appointed to a demo
cratic convention. as it was claimed
there had been, they should have pre-
sented their credentials at Turner hall
on the afternoon of May &c. True. it
was necessary to have a ticket of ad-
mission until the delegations had been
seated. This plan had been adopted
| to prevent the crOwding by spectators
of the seats assigned for the delegates.
This was no unusual proceeding. Other
conventions had done it. Other parties
had done it. The place for LOoney to
have brought his contest, if he had one.
was before the credentials committee.
That was what this committee was
appointed for He pointed to the &C
| tons of the state and national COM
mittees of both political parties in the
settlement of contests by the pTepaTa-
ton of temporary roll calls. bringing
the case down to where it applied to
the Rock Island county convention.
Looney could have had a hearing. but
he knew he had been fairly defeated.
He had lost in the committee meeting
of the morning of the day of the CON
vention. He was able 10 muster only
Is out of a total of 40 votes in the com
mittee meeting. The democracy of the
county had made the discovery that
his methods were not such as would
be beneficial to the party welfare.
! LOoney dared not come before the
convention in n test of strength for
the reason that he Fnew that he was
overwhelmingly Cutnumbered. Review
ling briefly the evidence that had been
submitted by both sides. Mr.. Searle
failed To see where Looney had a leg
to stand upon.
! Once More the story of His Life.
! The last argument was by Looney
himself. With slight variations, it was
the story of his life that he has deliver
ed no less than a half dozen times in
the past year. He had been pursued
and villified, but never had a chance
TO tell his story. 1t was a long one,
extending over a period of II years
! of his residence in Rock Island. He
would like TO tell it to the court.
but it would occupy too much time. He
had been honest and never had know
inGly wronged a person in his life. He
had been making an honorable fight
against a deep-laid conspiracy of GER
tain persons to maintain the control
OF the affairs of the democratic party
in Rock Island county.
4 Contrast in Argument.
| The attack made by LOoney's cOun-
sci. Adair Peasants. on the represen-
tative body of democrats in the city
and county of Rock Island was a sub
ject of comment in the court room dur
ing the course of the arguments, for
it proved a source of surprise to those
who know Mr.. Peasants. that even
under the stress and strain of strenu-
Gus conditions and circumstances sur
rounding him, he should have been
guilty of such language. None should
be so narrow as to harbor i'll toward
an attorney for the part he plays in a
suit or proceeding in behalf of his
client, and while the earnestneSs and
sincerity of the attorneys for repre-
sentative democracy - and beyond
that. clean politics was in nota-