Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-28
CONSENT OF CRAIG
Is Finally Announced as to Re-
publican Mayoral Can
didacy.
RESULT OF A YEARS WORK
All of Which Bears Out the Predic-
ton of The Ar
gus.

Inc INST uioNS III IAS ptdu VI liz
republican combine in local politics, a
outlined and fOrecasted by The Argu
during the last city campaign. has com,
about-Dr. Craig, ST., has consented t
become a candidate for mayor.
Strangely coincident with the con
summation Saturday of a deal involv
ing the withdrawal of two of his mos
pronounced adversaries for the repub
lican mayoral nomination, appeared il
the Union of yesterday, the announce
ment on the part of DR.. G. G. Craig
Sr., that he had finally given his con.
sent TO become a candidate for the
office mentioned. In bringing to the
public eye the manner in which the
doctor authorized the announcement.
and as Introductory to an extended bio
graphical sketch of the doctor. space
IS given TO the appended statement
rom the candidates own lips: Il
nave not pressed myself as a candi-
date. For over a year citizens who
were well-dispOsed toward me have
urged me. But it was not until 10
days or two weeks ago that | deter
mined TO make a personal canvass of
the situation. My position has always
been that l would be a candidate if
there were a strong desire that | en-
er the field. The convass of the sit
uatton with those of my friends whom
have been able to see has convinced
me that there is reason to believe that
my candidacy would meet with a
favor waTranting the belief that
would be nominated and elected.
Hence l haYe now finally determined
TO become a candidate-a decision
which | have held in allegiance, be-
cause l had no particular desire to be
come a candidate if there should be
apparent "A general desire for some
other man"
The Doctors Ambition.
Far as it should be from the pur-
pose of anyone with righteous intent
TO disparage the doctors ambition.
and laudable in the highest degree as
is the course of one who permits so
worthy an honor to be thrust upon
aim. il is not altogether inconsistent
with the facts to state that there
are those of the very best incIinations
who may differ with the doctors def.
milton of the word consent" For
with all due respect and Difference to
the doctors idea, if ever there was a
campaign Systematically planned. di-
rected and engineered by a politician
of the old school, it is the one attend
ed by the announcement of consent
that has just been made For more
than year the doctors personally
conducted boom has not slept day or
night. While there have been those.
who too. have yearned for a chance at
the loafs and fishes, there has scarce
ly been a political line thrown out
n opposition that the one who follow
ed it did not find himself ehectuaHy
blocked by the master hand of the
crafty politician. Few men in all Rock
Islands political history have played
the game more constantly than has |
the doctor. He has always been well |
up in the councils of the party. has |
been pronounced in the stand he has |
aken-and incidentally has spared no !
effort to have his ideas put into effect. |
He was particularly conspicuous in |
the Lowden-Yates fight in the county |
last year and much of the so-called |
practical politics that developed so
many strange bed fellows in the
1owden camp. was directed from
his headquarters He loves the
game. and with his relation
o the local affairs Of his party
10 well understood. it would have been
iifficult to disguise in the least the
mercy and persistency and the
lrtfulness with which the wires
ave been pulled and drawn
ince the personal ambition Of
he doctor became known. If there
vas single stone left unturned dur
ne the time that that decision was
eing held in allegiance" it was be
ause it had escaped sight for the in
tant, and when the word of consent
'as given yesterday it was because
onclusions reasonably clear had been
cached that the coveted nomination
ad been coOpered
Outside the Machine.
1t would be Disgusting the truth not
say that outside the Doctors
Iosely guarded machine there are
cores Of republicans who have reach
the point of belief that the time has
ONE TO put an end to close corpora
on politics in municipal affairs What
AL Tgrpprazc c1p h. ost,- ! /