Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-30
TO AID THE PARTY
Rock Island Democratic Club is
Formed at Meeting at Head
quarters Last Evening.
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
Representative Party Members Par
ticipate - Addresses Are
Made.


of democrats assembled from all over
| the city at democratic headquarters,
219 Eighteenth street, in response TO
the call of Chairman ]. w. Cavanaugh
of the city committee. The club. it is
proposed, shall not only take an active
part in the present campaign, but the
plan and hope OF the promoters is that
it may continue after the general cleo
ton. as an instrument for the advance
ment of the party's interests in Rock
Island in all political matters, local
and general.
The following officers were elected:
President. w. Cavanaugh.
Secretary-H. L. Wheelan
Treasurer. w. WEIGH.
Ward vice presidents-F. W. Bloch,
linger, Carl Naab, J. F. Grotegut, J.
p. Sexton, George p. Stauduhar
George Wright, Louis Funkenstein.
The president. secretary, treasurer
and any four of the vice presidents
were constituted as an executive COM
mittee, while the president, secretary
and chairman of the finance commit
tee were given authority to provide for
the furnishing and care of the rooms
The organization of a drill team was
entrusted to S. r. Davis. and com
mittee on auxiliary marching club was
appointed composed of Henry Kale
Charles Huthmaker. b. e. King. C. w
ClOudas, T. B. Reidy. Frank Meenan
and o. Peck.
The following were designated as
the club finance committee: E w
Hurst, Charles McHugh, Ben T. Gable
T. j. Mcdill, J. J. LaVelle. J. p. Come
gys, George Lamont. Carl Naab. Will
liam McEniry, NJ. NJ. Briggs. J. w
Welch, Louis Funkenstein. J. P. Sex
ton, Daniel Mckinney. Henry Lem
burg. Daniel Corken. V. Dauber, Gus.
tav Stengel, Paul Kersh, James
Price.
Addresses Made.
During the course of the evening
stirring addressed were made by ].
w. Cavanaugh and J. w. WEIGH. Both
were of spontaneous and informal
nature but they would have done cred
it to any political occasion. Mr.. Cava
naugh spoke at length of the reports
which he was occasionally hearing
and which he believed had their
origin in republican sources. that ne
party lines We're drawn in the present
campaign, that there was no battle
ground. and that there was so little
difference in the two national plat.
forms that it did not make much diff
ference which side won. People who
would give utterance TO such argu.
mcnts as these, said Mr.. Cavanaugh.
if they were not out and out republi
cans, were certainly not good demo
Gratis. In the first place the demo
cratic party was making the fight in
this campaign on an issue on which
the party had always been united
ana had always stood and on which
it occupied stronger ground today
than evcr-that of tariff reform.
whereas on this same most vital of all
questions. to all the people the repub.
GCan party was not united, and was
growing further apart every year To
the large percentage of the rank and
file of the republican organization
who needing the dying words of Pres
ident Mckinley and the fathers Of
what is known as the Iowa idea the
only answer that the dominating in
fiuenceS could make was stand pat
for the party's sake regardless of
right or principle. Mr.. Cavanaugh also
dwelt upon the imperialistic tendency
OF the republican party, as shown not
only in the attitude of his country to-
ward the Philippines, and the develop
ment Of a great standing army. but
in the rule OF absolutism that dOmi-
mated the national republican CONVEX
ton at Chicago. Here the one man
idea controlled entirely. President
Roosevelt not only dictated his own
nomination. but directed the wording
Of the platform and the selection Of
his running mate and the head of the
republican national committee. Mr..
Cavanaugh contrasted the control OF
republican party affairs with the ma
tional democratic convention at St
Louis, where free expression was de
MED 70 none. where every element Of
the party regardless of past differ
ences came together on common
ground. and where the majority. free
and untrammeled. was allowed TO pre-
vail. and out OF which proceedings
came a platform and u ticket which
every democrat worthy of the name
and regardless of his past convictions
OF preferences could Loyalty and en-
Enthusiastically support
Name n RaIIyinE Cry.
Mr.. WEIGH spoke of the broad and
comprehensive meaning of the word
democratic and how it should be used
as the rallying cry in the present cam
paign. Under the present national
platform and ticket all democrats
could again come together and work
shoulder to shoulder and hand 70 hand
as in the good old past for the party's
entire good and for interests common
10 us all.
The club at the conclusion of the
remarks adjourned TO next Tuesday
evening, when the committees are ex-
pected to report. and when il is ex.
pected the rooms will be in shane for