Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-03

delegate convention with the other
democrats of any other county with
Whom we have been associated when
lever we could obtain assurances from
Them that our county would at any
thine obtain any recognition during the
life of the district After the refusal
lOf the then leaders of the Rock Island
democracy to make any terms what
ever with us, and after we had been
deliberately Inundated at the state
convention, and at the congressional
convention, and after the Looney ele-
lment had even attempted to deprive
Jus of proper representation upon the
senatorial committee, the senatorial
committeeman from Rock Island. Mer-
Ger and Henderson counties called the
mass convention at Aledo two years
Iago. The history of that convention
levery democrat in Rock Island county
is familiar with.
same Source of Trouble.
I'm the meantime internal strife had
developed to a great extent among the
democrats of Rock Island county,
growing out of the same unfortunate
control, determined fight being waged
to deprive LoOney of the control of the
party organization which he had Sc
cured Early last spring l was APP
lproached by a number of prominent
democrats of various sections of Rock
Island county, and other democrats of
Mercer county were approached by the
same men who discussed the matter
with me. and by other men who had
never talked with me about it, and was
ha Of
other mass convention in this sena-
torial district. The reason advanced
| by these Rock Island county democrats
why a mass convention should be held
was that the anti-LOOney organization
might not be successful in its fight to
Iregain control of the county committee
and of the various organizations of the
party in Rock Island county unless the
| Legislative fight was eliminated from
the various caucuses and from the
county convention in Rock Island
county.
Encouraged as to Mass Convention.
After having been thus importuned
by a number of the democrats of Rock
Island county, l paid a visit to the
cities of Rock Island and Moline and
democrats in what was known as the
Ianti-Looney faction as | could get an
interview with in one day and asked
each of them whether or not they
were going to make a fight to regain
control of these organizations, and
whether in their opinion if they did !
make such a fight they would be sue
cessful in regaining such control. |
saw perhaps 20 different men. Out of
this number but one man assured me
that this faction would be able TO re-
gain the lost control / was in Rock !
Island county on business the night of
the city convention held in the city of |
Rock Island last spring. The next |
morning l was invited to attend con-
ference of democrats. | didn't know !
the purpose of the conference. When |
those composing it were assembled |
there was about a dozen men there. |
All of them had been known to me to
be leading workers in the democratic |
party in this county. The matter of |
the result of the city convention was |
discussed and its bearing upon the |
result of the county convention. And |
it was the unanimous opinion of those |
present that unless the legislative |
fight were eliminated from Rock ISL |
and county. the anti-LOOney faction |
might not be able to regain control of
the democratic organizations in the |
county. Mr. Swisher, who was then |
chairman of the senatorial committee, |
was sent for, and he was asked on be- |
half of the Rock Island county demo |
Gratis who were present to at once con-
vene the committee and to endeavor
TO have the committee call a mass con- |
vention in Aledo.
This conference was held without
any solicitation upon my part or with |
out any knowledge on my part that it |
was TO be held. Mr.. Swisher convened |
the committee and a call for a mass |
convention resulted Until that time |
was given TO understand that a large
majority of the democrats in Rock |
Island county who had taken a prom |
incnt part in fighting Mr.. Looney de-
sired 10 have this action taken. and |
that their reasoning now appears to !
have been sound must appear from |
the fact that every delegate conven- !
ton in which Rock Island county took
part this year. excepting. of course. |
'AS S''a'N NOAi'tll'lO4A- A-tS lt'tAlAtu III
a contest which was fought out in the
courts
20 Desire to BE flair.
Mercer county has never at any
time. desired to rob Rock Island coun-
~ or Henderson county OF anything
that was their due. and should / be
elected TO this Office at this time.
think l can say for the whole of the
democracy of Mercer county that We
will have obtained all that we could
| reasonably expect during the first 10
years of the life of this district So
! far as we are concerned. Rock Island
county should have the representative
during such period as she is equitably
entitled 10 have it during the remand
| er of the life OF this district and 10