Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-03
YATES IS GAINING
Stands Fair Chance of Swingi, g
Rock Island County into
HIS Column.
LowDEN IS LOSING GROUND
S1me Costly Errors Made Past Few
Weeks-SituaTiOn
Sized.

| sentiment Is raplulN turning To-
wards Yates in Rock Island county.
If the disaffection from the Lowden
ranks continues at the rate it has
been going since the meeting of the
county committee last week at the
Harper house, Yates Will win in a
walk
| Until the present week it has almost
| been impossible to get a respectable
number of party men together to talk
for the denomination of the governor.
1t was necessary in order to get a
quorum to send on Jeems ,McGarvey
from Springfield and little Willie Ba-
lIer from Peoria.
But there was conference last ev-
ening at which the faces of many
prominent lights who have been on
the fence since the opening of the
campaign doomed up. There were no
ticed a few who had been pegged as
anti-Yates. 1t was the most cheering
push that the little governor has had
in many a day in these parts. There
were speeches and cheer was spread
an inch in thickness. All left with
smiles as wide as the battered end of
a pumpkin. Even Hugh Andrew Jack
son Mcdonald for the time lost that
worried look that has possessed him
since the county had been placed in
the doubtful column. 1t has been put
up to him and others holding the
plums here to land the county for
Yates, failing to do which they will
have their suspenders amputated, suf
fering the fate of a number of the re-
publican officeholders over the state
where the county conventions have
already been held.
Disastrous Move of Meese.
In Moline the early senatorial con-
vention trick that Billy Meese tried
to turn has proven most disastrous to
the Lowden cause. Moline had prac
tically been conceded by the Yates
forces to Lowden until Meese showed
his hand in an effort to cinch the nom
i1ation of his friend, Larry Magill. for
the legislature. This reused the MEM
bership of the Swedish Republican
club in Moline, whose plans to have
the candidates for governor at Il ban
quet Meese sought to defeat by fore
ing the calling of the county cOnven-
ton in advance of the date fixed for
the banquet. At its last meeting the
Swedish Republican club Endorsed
Reynolds Johnson, assistant in the of
flee of the county clerk, as Il candi-
date for the legislature, and he has
been pitted against Magill, who had
undisputed sway before the break
made by Meese's committee. 1t is now
claimed that the demand for an early
senatorial convention did not come
from Moline, but from Mercer coun-
ty through C. \. Samuelson, who felt
himself daily losing ground, and who
a few days ago withdrew from the
legislative race, the Lowden forces
having landed him.
The Yates campaign in the county
is in the hands of b. f. Knox. the
county chairman, Col. c. /. Walker,
c. J. Searle, H. a. j. Mcdonald, Doc
Taylor, c. f. Lynde, II. {. Willertun.
Jeems McGarvey, Billie Baker, Maj. C..
w. Halves, \. Z. Nelson, II. b. Hub.
bard and II. d. Blakemore, while for
Lowden there are Mayor William Nc
Conochie and his man Friday-Phil
Miller, Postmaster r. II. Thomas, B.
ID. Connolly, L. c. Banding, John p.
LOOney, City Chairman Johnny Rinck.
f. IL. Kelly, and others.
County Ticket Fight.
The fight on the county ticket is be-