Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-11
LOONEY HAS ADEFI.
C. J. SearIe Declares He Will Not
Stand for His Leadership in
Republican Party.
SENSATION AT YATES MEETING
Governor Defends Administration
Against Attacks OF Chicago
Newspapers.

Charles J. Searle, in his introduction
of Gov. Yates at the Illinois theatre
last evening, reminded his audience
that there would not be any three
round bouts to enliven the proceed
ings, but before he concluded his re-
marks he had scored knockout, at
least in the minds of the element of
his party who are supporting the gov
ernor, over Looneyism. In explaining
that there would be no pugilis-
tic features Mr.. Searle remarked that
it remained for other candidates to
provide that character of entertain
ment.
There is one republican who will
not stand for the leadership or the
tactics of John p. Looney," continued
the speaker. He has corrupted and
disrupted the democracy of this city
and county, making it ridiculous be-
fore the whole state, and now he at
tempts to assume leadership in our
party. 1 most emphatically object to
the recognition he is receiving at the
hands of some of the men of our pO-
litical faith. If this man LoOney has
any political principles l have been
unable to see the man who can say
| that he has discovered them. In view
of the prominence of such man in
this campaign l hope there never has
been any doubt in the minds of my
friends where | was to be found; with
which candidate / was working"
Mr.. Searle denied there had been
any offer of jobs by the Yates mana
gers in Rock Island or any other city
or county of the state. The governor,
he protested, was standing on his rec
ord. Neither was he using money to
influence votes, nor entering into com
binations or trading, as was being
done by some of the rival candidates.
who had figured in their schemes
from the national convention delegate
to the policemen on the city beat.
Governor Warmly Received.
Gov. Yates was warmly received
when he rose to speak. The house
was nearly filed, Bleuer's band Led
ing the procession from the Harper
house to the theatre. The governor
said he was here to tell story in be-
half of the 1850 men and women en-
pluyes of the state of Illinois. who
had been villified and cruelty attack
ed by the newspapers of Chicago and
n pretended candidate for the nom-
ination for governor employed by
these newspapers TO lie about the adj
ministration. As he was the chief of
fender, if these alleged gross wrongs
had been committed. he was the one
who should first testify.
L. ;,,t,
defense of his administration. cover
ing the various charitable institutions
and the departments at the capital,
incidentally throwing a few bouquets
at himself. He said the state had
been conducted in a business-like man
ner the past four years. An admins
tration which had been good was en-
titled to retention under all rules of
popular government, not for the gain
of the officeholder, but to encourage
those who were to follow in the Off
cial footsteps to make good records.
The governor said it was not sur
prising to him that the counties of
the state were falling in line one af-
ter the other indorsing his admins
tration and sending instructed dele
cations to the state convention for
him. He said the voter reads and
thinks. and every case where he had
done so he was satisfied that he had
discovered that the official career of
Dick Yates had been honest and fear
less. He attributed the wave of pop
ular sentiment towards him largely
to an issue of 100000 pamphlets en-
titled Truth About the Governor"
4
stories published in the Chicago
trust" papers In these little books
the governor said the whole truth
and nothing but the truth was told.
Says He Wants an Honest Vote.
He said if the republicans of Rock
Island county voted according to the
dictates of their own conscience he
would be satisfied with their verdict.
He did not want them to follow the
order of a crowd of men. who. for
silver and gold, had promised to de
liver the county to a certain candi-
date. Another fall was here taken
out of Judge l. Y. Sherman, who. as
is well known, is cordially despised by
the governor. Cat the Moline ban
quet the other night each had his
hand on plate all the time). The gov
ernor stated that while Sherman was
speaker of the house he appointed $50
persons 10 various jobs at Springfield,
and he would bet almost any amount
that half of them never saw the in
side of the state house, although they
all received their pay. sherman, he
said. also voted. for every pernicious
and Doodle bill that came before the
legislature while he was a member.
And he was the same man going
about attacking the Yates admins
tration.
Some of the points made by the gov
ernor that won applause from his au-
dience were:
III -. ...r- -. IL. 4.