Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-08

political methods under all circum-
stances. for good and sufficient rea-
sons. 1t has reached the determine
ton to renounce not only Looney as
a politician. but all who are bound by
or are subservient to his rule and
leadership. The Argus position in
this respect is based on the fact that
: his leadership, where il has been fair
ly tried, has proven both demoralizing
and detrimental, to party welfare and
the advancement of party interests
and the interests of its accredited
candidates Back of the fact that he
has precipitated discord within the
party. where he has had opportunity
to promote harmony. he has not prov
EN- a consistent democrat. In every in
stance where he has assumed to fig
ure prominently he has refused to di-
vorce himself for his party's good
from his personal spleen and hatred
of those whom he has failed to con-
troll. And in his use of the party to
punish those who have failed TO yield
to his dictates is found the greatest
objection. as far as The Argus is con-
cerned, TO permitting him to dominate
party affairs.
|
The Argus had opposed him for -
years. Such declaration on Mr.
Looney's part furnishes the best
proof of the imaginations that prompt
| his course toward those who will not
always agree with him. For the peri
cd of time that Mr. Looney mentions
he has had a personal grudge against
| prominent influences in the democrat
Il
tunity to exhibit his enmity in this
| respect. even to the extent of dis
graceful street assaults and personal
encounters. And while no one has
entered objection to Mr.. Looney's en-
pertaining his own feelings toward
other democrats, he has alienated dis
interested members of the party by
carrying his fight to those who have
declined TO be a party to his grudge
and to ally themselves against friends
and party leaders simply because
Looney had a spite against them.
The consequence has been that Mr..
LOOney has in turn sought to discredit
every one in the party who has not Civ
en- himself over entirely to the aid of
Looney in venting his personal spite.
The Argus admits that it has not talk
en- up Mr.. Looney's cudgel in this re-
spect. And, Notwithstanding that the |
error of his ways has been repeatedly |
pointed out to Mr.. Looney in |
this regard, he has been Civ
en- free rein in his eff |
forts TO mount to the place of party |
leadership, by whatever method the
party might countenance in attaining
that distinction. Further, he was given
fair trial at the helm before The Ar
gus in conformity with its duty to the !
party decided that it could no longer
countenance, so far as its influence
may go. his methods either in leader
ship or in attaining that leadership.
Mr.. LOOney's NItsstatement.
In contradiction of Mr.. Looney's |
statement, however, that The Argus |
has been opposed to him for the past |
u years. it need only be said that,
despite the fact in that period of time
he has boosted of his enmity to The
Argus because it would not repudiate
members of the party to whom he
bore personal malice. he was given ev-
cry consideration that fairness could |
demand when he came to the paper
two years ago with the announcement
of his candidacy for the legislature.
And that Mr.. Looney recognized The
Argus disposition toward him during
the entire campaign of 1902 was
shown by his frequent visits to The
Argus Office and his often made dec
laration that all he could ask and all
he did ask was the fair treatment
which he acknowledged he was re-
ceiving at the hands of this paper. Mr..
LoOney knows, too, that despite the
fact The Argus would not be party to
all his methods; that despite the fact
that The Argus felt that he had been
an Inconsistent democrat in his Oppo-
Sition to the viii of the majority of
the party in the campaign of 1896 and
of 1900. in which he had gone out and
fought the actions of conventions be-
fore which he had sought support as
4 candidate: despite all this. he could
not fail to realize that the policy of the
paper was to put no stone in the way
of his getting all the party was de-
sirous Of giving him. The outcome of
it all was that Mr.. Looney succeeded
in gaining at least a leadership in the
affairs Of the party county. legisla-4
tive ard congressional affairs. And
no sooner had he secured that advan-
tage than he undertook to use it
against all influences in the party
that he failed on any occasion to bring
into submission to his will He I'M
dertook. TO set up a political Dictator
ship, with the result that he provoked {
Il bitter strife within the dem
ocratic party. and alienated the de
in the adjoining counties of
Mercer and Henderson associated
with Rock Island county in the sena- :
torial district. The outcome was that {
Rock Island county eventually lost {
the minority member of the legisIa-
ture. while in the congressional dis
trict nomination went begging until