Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-12
The Real Significance OF Mr.. SearIe's
Local Triumph.

The great triumph of c. J. Searle in
the Rock Island primaries yesterday.
looking to the shaping of the prefer
ence Of the republicans of Rock Island
county in the matter of congressional
candidates. was not only a high COM
pliment TO that gentleman, but it was
something more. It was reputation.
1t was both vindicatiOn and repudia-
ton. This view of the case so far as it
affects Mr. Searle does not voice, nor
should it voice one syllable of dispar
agement either of Mr.. Allen or of those
respected people identified with Mr..
Searle's own party, who for reasons
satisfactory TO themselves saw fit TO
oppose his aspirations or to prefer the
other man.
1t is not TO any of these. not to MI
Allen or any of his followers, promin-
ent or otherwise within the republican
party in Rock Island that the success
Of MIR Searle in Rock Island is con
sidered either in the light of vindica-
ton so far as he is concerned, or of re-
| pudiatiOn so far as his enemies are in
volved. The political enemy is one
! thing: the viciOusly disposed personal
| enemy is another. The one forgets and
/ fOrgives. and those who are lined up in
/ battle array at one time in a struggle
| for political supremacy, are just as apt
! to be found in directly opposite ALLAN
| ces when the next contest comes
around. That is what makes politics in
| teresting, and shows the independence
| of thought and spirit that is back of all
! 10 rT1g. Of
! But the personal enemy. who lives on
/ hatred. who feeds on hatred. and who
will go TO the end of his days still hat
| ing and still hated. is the curse of all
! political parties and all political organi-
cations. The viciOusness of an element
of this kind toward Mr.. Searle. with
the consequent mere suspicion. wheth-
er warranted or not, that there might
exist either through sympathy or
Otherwise an understanding on the 9th
er side with its influence, gave to the
Rock Island candidate the advantage
of friends and support that might 9th
erwise have borne an Indifferent atti-
| tude toward the campaign. And thus
was developed one more Illustration of
| the fact that in Rock Island county pol
| itics, not in one party, but in both.
/ a man must not only be known
! by the company he keeps, but by the
company he does not keep. This is a
point on which they can be no four
/ flushing or hedging. The man who
| bears even the faint of suspicion must
unequivOcally repudiate, or the people
/ viii do it for him
| The unclean element. stamped and
known as such. is eternany out of
| Rock Island county politics and moth
! ing can revive il. and the candidate
| for favor at the hands of any political
organization must frankly and openly
dlsavOw any association with il if he
would survive. 1t is TO the glory and
good name of the people of Rock Is
/ land that this is so.
Neither in Moline nor throughout
the county, is the condition that APP
plies to Rock Island so openly mani
fest. and hence is Of no significance in
determining the outside preferences. So
| that regardless of how far beyond the
limits of Rock Island Mr. Searle may
succeed. he has. at least, and will con
tinue TO enjoy, the satisfaction of vim
| dicatiOn where he is best known and
where the character of the personal
| hostility to him is best known.