Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-05-27
The Reputation of Loo
neyism in County
Democracy
AS SHOWN YESTERDAY
The Convention Leaves
Nothing to be Done
on Subject.

In the roundup of yesterdays dem
ocratic county convention, which so
effectuaIly wiped out Looney as an ell
ement OF any kind on the democratic
| side of Rock Island county politics,
little was left to be done The party,
through repudiating all in committee
action and otherwise that savored of
! Looneyism, made clear its purpose.
| If there were some slips that might
have been avoided. that fact came
from the freedom from anything like
a combine in the control of the con-
| YentiOn, and there was moth
ing that occurred that can afford
Looney or Looneyism opportunity to
misinterpret the conventions main de-
termination. Those of Looney's for
| mer associates, politically, who were
in the proceedings were not only will
| ing but anxious to show that they de-
sired no longer to be classed as in
| sympathy with him or his destructive
political practices. In Rock Island the
desertion of Looney by his former
supporters has been going on since be-
fore the city township convention, and
| more recently some of the more prom
inent of those upon whom he has re-
lied in both Rock Island and Moline
have come out openly and declared
| their intention to be known hereafter
as enrolled in the ranks of decent
democracy, and in the finals of yester-
lday were conspicuous among those
working for the absolute downfall of
! Looneyism. If the true democracy in
its enthusiasm over the return of any
| factor participating in the control of
the convention recognized III a greater
degree than others may have thought
! shoUld have been Gcne. any one CT
! those who have traded or trained with
! Looney heretofore, the best excuse
| that can be made is that il was due
! to enthusiasm over the return Of the
| lost sheep more than to a disposition
to neglect proper attention tC the
faithful of long standing. In the
| common desire to make the clean up
Of Looneyism absolute. and to leave
no fragment TO which he could attach
himself. democrats. as was said before
the convention. were willing TO subor-
dinate all other desires so far as
uld honorabiy be done. They
were willing to make such reasonable
Sacrifices. as might be possible with
out compromise-and many did-fOr
the attainment of the one end so es-
sential for party preservation in Rock
| island.
All One Way All Day.
| From the time that Locrey made
his final stand before the county com
mittec in the morning. where his
brace caucuses in Rock Island with all
that grew cut of them were repudiat-
| ed, and the primaries called at the in
stance of representative democrats in
Rock Island recognized as proper. I'M
til the last of his lieuteuants. Pat Null
ane, Of Moline. was thrown out of the
| county convention, the rout of Loon
eyism was thorough and complete. IN
not one of the things that Looney had
| it in his heart to accomplish did he
succeed. The men high in the stand
ing of the party in Rock Island. who
took prominent part in the fight against
MIN. and about whom some of his most
conspicuous followers. lad been talk
ING the Icudcst. received the highes 1
IF the conventions honors.
The resolutions adopted by The con-
vention are particularly significant Of
the extent of Looney's influence IN
Rock Island county today. Notwitf-
standing that he has been posing as
the manager of the Hearst campaign
III Rock Island county" the resolution
of Endorsement OF Hearst was sent to
Chairman Sexton, of the democratic
county committee. by NJ. L Dunlap
manager of the Illinois Hearst inter
ests. indicating the clearness of the
understanding that NJ. Dunlap had Of
the situation in Rock Island. The res
buttons bearing upon the local affairs
OF the party IN the county. both as TO
the esteem Of distinguished demo
crat On one hand and in condemnation
of odious practices on the other hand,
went through with Unanimity OF eX-
preston that showed contempt for
what Looney might desire TO the con-
trary One complimented the high
mindedness in politics that he hates.
| the other in a word ccmplimented the
the democrats of Rock Island city in
reading Looney out Of the democratic
party.
Control of the Committee.
TIE action of the convention in
manning new county committeeman
and in resembling the cali for a late
county convention TO nominate county
officers bore further evidence CT the
grasp Of the convention Of the real
condition of affairs III Rock Island
county, and suffice is it 40 say the rout
1 of the would-be leader Of Rock Island
city and county democracy was so
complete that he did not have even a