Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-27
MEETS ALL IDEALS
James w. caVanaugh as a Can.
didate for the May
orally.
SOUGHT INSTEAD OF SEEKING
Method of His Nomination Com
pared with 9th
ers.

Some weeks prior to the nominating
conventions The Argus spoke Of the
tendency then apparent in Rock Island
toward a non-partisan movement in the
selection of the mayor hereafter. This
spirit, it was stated at the time, was
awakened by the policy of making the
Office a subject of repeated raids by the
same elements in local politics, means
purely of gaining power-hrst, one
wing of the republican party Selling il
and then the other. until the alterna-
ting system had become so abhOrrent
to the masses of the people themselves
that they mad made up their minds to
have change. Itswas also stated that
If this practice was persisted in, the
people might turn 10 some other candi-
date. regardless of politics. In the re
publican party there was a strong feel
ing that the time was ripe for break
ing away from these old customs If the
party was 10 remain in power. so as the
time for the conventions came on, can
didates were developed. some avowed,
while others received the higher com
pliment, the one more in keeping with
the peoples ideals. of being brought
forward by their friends. Things seemed
to be running along smoothly, and with
every prospect of a new deal of some
sort whether political rOtherwise. There
at all events of new candidate. There
were decided preferences in the party,
To be sure. but regardless of this. all
seemed 20 mbibe some satisfaction
from the fact that, no matter what hap
pened, the party was TO have new
candidate. But the party reckoned a
little too soon, for just as it had settled
back in the enjoyment of it's pleasant
anticipations. it found them rudely
shattered one afternoon by the an
nouncement in it's party paper that B.
Frank Knox had decided to once more
enter the field for his party's mayor
atty nomination. II was realized at
once that this development meant
dragging up of the old questions of who
was who in the party. regardless of the
Office or the preference or the aspira-
lions of other people. But Knox went
after it, He lost in the primaries. but
he found something TO play upon in the
ambitions of lesser candidates for les
ser places on the ticket. He worked
upon these Weaknesses. pulled wires
sufficient to make combinations affect
ing not only the composition of the
ticket. but the parceling of offices after
ward i'm the event of his election-and
thus by circumycnting the preferences
Of the caucuses as TO the head of the
ticket. he won out after all-in the So
called convention.
Some Local Ideals.
Following it's discussion alluded to
at the outset of this article. The Argus
recited what TO its mind would meet /
with the popular idea as to a proper /,
platform for the party that expected to |
win to stand on. and likewise the quail !
fica;ions of the candidate who would |
be most apt to appeal To the people in |
the existing state of the popular mind. |
Here is the kind of platform that was !
then spoken of as representing the .
spirit of the times:
One that would provide for bust !
ness-Iike though progressive admins
trstion of city affairs; the perfection of
the fire department; the extension of
permanent streets and continuation of
park improvements: the abolition Of
tolls from the Rock river bridges: the .
encouragement of all bona fide inter /
urban roads, and, withal. an admnistra-
ton broad in its tendencies, but insur-
ing honesty and decency in the guard
ing Of public welfare.
OF the kind Of a candidate that the 1
people were believed to be looking for. /
this was said: A man who has never
sought the mayors chair, though he /
may have been sought; whose record ,
is clean, yet liberal: progressive. yet 4
conservative: who has average intelI- 4
9ence and strength Of character: who /
possesses sufficient individuality to 4
lead rather than be ted; who is public
spirited. yet with proper business jude- /
ment; who. although fearless and out 4
spoken in his political views, is never ]
theless a big enough man to appeal 70 4
the people on the broader ground of +
good municipal government. regardless
of politics.
Approved at the Time.
These pictures OF the ideal platform
and candidate for mayor of Rock ISL