Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-13
JOB is A BOLD ONE
centering Control of County Re-
publican Committees in Cities
of Rock Island and Moline.
COZ NTRY DELEGATES REBEL
Slate Arranged by Combination Goes
Through Without a Hitch
Wild Scenes.

That was big pill the ring forced
down the throatS of tine country dele
cations at the republican county con
veution that nearly ended in a riot at
the court house Yesterday afternoon
when 4 resolution increasing the mem
bership of the county committee from
two to seven each for the cities of
Rock Island and Moline was adopted.
/ 1t means control Of the organization
by the combine that has for one Of its
/ chief lieutcnauts LoOney. 1t gives the
I two cities II members as against 16
in the country districts. Heretofore
the country had 10 against four in
the two cities. There would not have
/ been any great objection had there
! been AN increase If a couple of mem
/ beers in the cities. but when the change
/ which finally prevailed was proposed.
/ the country members were amazed at
! the audacity Of the combine that has
not been able 10 make good in its own
/ town.
They served notice that they did not
want a fight with their party. They
| had come 10 act in harmony in all
matters that tended for the advance
ment of the Interests Of their party.
| but they did not intend to go back
home To their people and report that
they had stood idly by while they
were practically thrown out Of the
county organization.
Wards DO Not Nominate
The resolution that precipitated the
storm was offered by II. NJ McCas-
llrin. of the Fourth ward delegation i'm
this city. and included the nominations
| for committeeman in Rock Island and
Moline. thus denying the right to the
several wards To do their own choOS-
| ing of committeeman. The chairman
Of one of the ward delegations i'll
/ Rock Island endeavOred in vain to gain
/ the attention # the chair to inquire
who had prepared the list. His dele
! CATION had not been asked for a com
mitteeman nomination.
! But ii was never intended that the
wards should have anything to say in
! the matter of the personnel of the
committee That was TO be deter
mined by the board of strategy. And
| ii was 50 done. The Moline committee
men were selected after q similar fash
| ion. All in both cities are men who
were prominent in the Lowden cause
in the recent fight over the governor
| ship i'm the county. The country dele
| cations. however. were permitted to
make their own selections Of com
mitteemcn.
Parliamentary Usages Ignored.
| All parliamentary uSageS were iE-
nored in putting through the program
/ of the ring. One delegate from the
country who almost lost his voice in
tryin" to draw recognition from the
| chair on a motion for adjournment
| after the convention had finished its
/ business wa seen to shake his fist
under the nose Of the presiding officer
and remind him that there would be
day of reckoning. y prominent delegate
from this city stood in the aisle not
more than ten feet from the chair
man and repeatedly offered motions
I for adjournment during the riotOuS
scenes. hoping to avoid the clash that
seemed imminent mt this juncture. but
! Kennedy had his orders. and simply
smiled and kept pounding with his
gavel. giving heed to no one except
those who were known to he with the
combination.
Scene wild One.
Ii was the widest scene that had
ever been witnessed in a local republi-
can convention. Invectiyes were hurled
back and forth. delegates stood in
their seats and threatened personal
violence to their neighbors. and there
were rushe~ from one side of the
house TO the other in an effort of
one angered man TO get into the wool
Of his antagonist That there was not
a riot was due entirely to the pres
ence Of Sheriff W &. Heider, who
found it necessary To roughly handle
Il few of the delegates before order
was restored.
The country delegations did not
wait TO hear the vote on the resolu-
ton leaving the room in disgust he
fore the business Of the convention
had been completed.
Sentiment Ia tn C"uutry.
1t was the bollest piece of work
ever carried through in Il republican
con, ention IN my - years in the coun-
! ty.~ said q delegate from the central
part of the county after the cCnyen-
ton. The country folks are not given
To fighting but when once we get
riled we have a habit IF sticking to-
| gether and getting our rights, even if
we have To wait few months TO do so.
We were treated shamefuIly. and we
viii be heard from later on