Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-06
Veal OF Democracy In County IN
Hands OF Republican
Tribunal.
CONTEST HEARD SATURDAY
Issue is Whether a Party Has the
Power TO Run its Own
affairs.

| card and States Attorney Weld. will
be heard the contest. on the strength
of which John Looney is seeking 10
prevent the Rock Island county dem
Ccratlc ticket going on the official bal
! lot at the forthcoming election. and
| instead having his own name substi-
tuted for that of the democratic nOmi.
ee for states attorney. w. c. Allen.
thus making a farce of the election
so far as the democratic party is con-
cerned. and insuring to a certainty the
election of Looney's friend. j. X. Scott
! to the office of states attorney.
One of two things will happen as
the result of the proceedings, either
the democratic party in Rock Island
county Will be finally relieved of the
milestone that has been about its neck
| Tor two years. or it will be wrecked
| for many years to come II is for a
| tribunal composed entirely of repub.
| licans to pass upon the issue For its
| own part The Argus has absolute faith
in righteous outcome of the proceed
| lEgs. There can be no doubt as to
| how much is at stake for the democ.
| racy OF Rock Island county. neither
| can there be any question in the mind
| Of any one at all familiar with the
| trend of local political events within
the ranks of the democratic party in
! the county during the past two years.
of the purpose and determination of
| the rank and file of the democratic
! party to free itself from Looney dom
! iration. Through caucus and conven-
ton. through riot and through the
| courts the democrats of the city and
| township OF Rock Island last spring
fought their way TO victory in the in
| terests of clean politics. They beat
the limited LOoney following at the
| primary. and then when the minority
! crowd backed by the police and other
adjuncts of the republican city admin
| istratiOn drove them from their CON
| VentiOn hall by means of rOwdyism
the regular democrats secured first
through hearing in the legally consti-
tuted board and then in the courts. th..
place on the ticket that Looney at
tempted. then as he is doing now, TO
prevent, in the interests of the repub-
lican combine of which he is a part
And the democrats went before the
lpeOple with the ticket Looney had IN
| Il,
and won victory at the polls. Thus
was democracy vindicated before the
people in its struggle against condem-
nable practices in the manipulation of
lrarty machinery.
County Fight Next.
Then came the county fight. Con
hdent from their triumph in the city.
that they could be likewise successful
IN county affairs if given proper safe
guards in the conduct of the caucus or
urinary. the democrats We're ready to
enter the county campaign with en-
thusiasm when. emanating from a
Injecting of the county committee held
at the Rock Island house May -, came
calls for county conventions and
caUcuseS. the nature of which indi-
Gated that there was no intention of
fairness on the part of the au-
lthors of the calls That the calls
We're inspired by LoOney was self evil
dent, and there was probably none
more amazed than were many of the
committeeman themselves. when they
realized what it was contemplated to
accomplish. Many of the committee
men, in fact expressed a desire to have
the action rescinded. Both Chairman
Sexton and Secretary Stauduhar
the latter of whom up to that time
had been one of LOoney's main
supports. hesitated TO give their sane
ton TO the calls. and finally declined to
do 50 altogether. The calls in the first
place provided for two county conven-
tons. the first to select state dele
/ ha
county nominees being set ahead to
the month of August. clearly in the
interest of the republican county tick
ct. An objection quite as pronounced
IS the one against The delayed nomi-
mating convention. came when the
LoOney following proceeded To take
advantage of the provision for primal
les in the city of Rock Island. eau
ICUses were called through the columns
of the Union for the primaries 10 be
held on various nights with judges il;
lcharge controlled by LOOney, the pur-
pose being so apparent 70 deny the
masses of the party either representa-
ton or voice that protests poured il.
TO the chairman and secretary of the
county committee from all over the
city. The feeling thus aroused eventual
lily eliminated in q meeting Of demo
Gratis at the Harper house. at which
representative party members Of lon-
standing spoke. and finally petition
were authorized TO be circulated
cmong democrats asking the chairman.
and secretary of the county commit
tee. to issue call for primaries IL
The city of Rock Island. These petit
tons We're out but a couple of days.
but in that time received the sigma
lures Of over 500 representative dem
rcrats in the city of Rock Island Re
| 7ponding 10 the sentiments of tle par
| - thus expressed. and after counsel
with members Of the county commit
tee, many Of whom had voted for the