Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-18
Rock Island Democrats Put Their
Foot Down Hard in Opposi.
ton to His Leadership.
RESULTS OF WARD PRIMARIES
Self Constituted Dictator Wins In
First and Fifth, I'm Latter
Through Fraud.

called, repudiated by the party he had
sought to dominate, that man was
John T.. Looney yesterday.
While on the face of the returns,
giving Looney every possible advan-
tage that he may have through known
| followers betraying the party that
has allowed them to serve as dele
gates in good faith; conceding to him
what il is believed it will not be nee
essary to cOncede. the straight demo-
Gratis have 81 of the 9S delegates that
will sit in the city-township conven-
ton to be held tomorrow evening at
| Turner hall.
Looney was thoroughly beaten in
the Second, Third. Fourth. Sixth and
Seventh wards. In the First. where
his delegates received ma iority. the
| regular democrats were simply taken
| by storm and the ward oVerrun by
the same gang that was employed by
| LOOney in the republican caucuses in
this city and in Moline few days be
fore. 1t was the purpose, no doubt,
to sweep mp through the city with this
same band, but the Lnoney scouts in
the other wards found the situation
such that the advance was not made
beyond the First.
| Mr.. BIOchIInger Not to Run.
In that ward. however. the demo-
Gratis were so completely Disguised
they lost spirit, and the manly view
which they all share is voiced by Aid
Frank Blochlinger. who. despite he
was the choice of the regular. demo-
Gratis for denomination. declines TO be-
come the candidate of primary at
which such lawlessnesS dominates.
Mr.. Blochlinger handed The Argus the
following last night:
Rock Island, H., March II, 1901
Editor Argus: In view of the fact
that the First ward democratic eau
Gus was dominated by the Looney in
huences. and being in accord with the
anti-Looney movement in the party,
| decline TO accept a nomination for
alderman at the hands of a primary so
controlled. / am for straight politics,
and under such circumstances cannot
consistently adopt any other course.
Thanking my friends for their sup
port, | beg to remain.
| FRANK w. BLOCHLINGER."
Thus. through Looneyism. the dem
Ocrats have lost one of the best men
that ever served in the city council,
and who would undoubtedly have
been returned for two years more
could he consistently stand to make
the race. In the Third ward the Loon
ey followers discovered early the vot-
ing of republicans or other irregulars
would not be tolerated and accord
ingly abandoned any decision that
might have been arrived at to make a
fight there.
No TrIckery In Fourth.
In the Fourth, stalwart democrats
in large numbers, perfectly organic
ed. were on hand at the opening of
the polls and the judges were given TO
understand that fair play would be
insisted upon; that the respectable ell
ement of the party would have the
proper expression at all hazards, and
that the vote should not only be cast
by those entitled to vote, but be right
" counted. The LoOney crowd was
| thus cowed at the outset, and n MEM
Der of the police department who was
on hand. hurried to the Fifth to re-
port To Looney that it would be use
less to attempt any nonsense in the
| Fourth and no farce would be tOlera-
ted there.
In the Fifth ward the noble band
of democrats who had fought for the
partys interests for years made
gallant showing. but they were denied
an expression through Looney con-
troll of judges and ballot box. They
were refused representation in the
booth. concession the Fourth ward
democrats secured only after a vigor-
Gus protest and the election board
was not only absolutely in Looney's
Charge. but the box itself placed in
the hands of an affable, smOoth-fin-
gered gentleman whom no democrat
i'm the ward knows, and who gave his
name as Thomas O'Neill Jones and
his residence Seventeenth avenue and
Twentieth street. Two policemen
guarded the door to the voting place.
Ballots Are Switched.
As an evidence of the irregularity of
the proceedings in the Fifth. the tally
sheet and the number of ballots cast
do not correspond by 40 votes An
other proof of the fine work that was
done by the LoOneyites was shown in
the color of the tickets used. In or
der that they might follow with their
ewes the ballots from the time they
left their hands until cast the regular
democrats in some of the wards had
had their tickets printed in color
lother than white. Looney learned
this early in the day. and while max
ing bluff at protesting against the
color Of the ballots and keeping only
white tickets in the hands of his
workers al the polls. when the box
was opened il was found swamped
with Loouey ballots OF the same color
as those used 10y the anti-Looney
voters. showing that a deft feat of
llegerdemain had been performed be-
tween the time the ballots of the reg
ular democrats left their hands and
they reached the box presided over by