Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-23
Then and Now.

In the course of extended comments
n the results, the day following the
election of two years ago
he Argus said:
THE municipal election in Rock
Island sounded the death knell to
bossism in local politics. Weary
beyond expression of the same old
story, the convention dominated by
one man, the republican party
proved as anxious to put its heel
upon the odious practices that had
grown into the control of its party
affairs as the democratic party had
been. The alternating system in
the mayoralty chair had become so
obnoxious as to be almost nui-
sance, and the rank and file deter
mined that there was but one way
to end it, and that at the polls.
What The Argus said little over
two years ago when it gave its eff
forts TO the cleansing process in
the democratic party, that sooner
or later the republican party i'll
Rock Island would have TO meet
the same issue, and recognize the
fact that it would be better to have
no party than to submit to an or
ganiZatiOn so dominated, has come
true. The democratic party, though
losing in its main ticket, made a
gain in two aldermen in the coun-
ell and is in better standing before
the people today than it has been
for several years. The republican
party is in state bordering on
hopeless decentralization from eX-
actly the same causes from which
the democratic party had formerly
suffered. But failing to do what
the democratic party did, it has
been stricken down-through the
political boss.
Some months ago The Argus
spoke of the trend of the times in
Rock Island toward a nonpartisan
movement in local politics. not nee
essarily involving the elimination
of party organizations, but in a
union of the Influences and strength
of both parties for what might
prove the highest good for Rock
Island, on the broader principle of
good citizenship and municipal
progress. There were a great many
in the republican party who took
kindly to the idea, but the bosses
did not. The bosses stood out
against anything contrary to the
drawing of party lines. And it was
this that the people had grown
tired of.
"As to Mr.. Cavanaugh's candi-
dacy, to use his own expression, no
apologies are to be offered. He
came as the choice of a reorganized
and better party. He had led its
organization in it's successful cam
paign for a higher ideal, and he
was the logical leader in its cam
paign to uphold the party standard.
No one realized better than Mr..
Cavanaugh the peculiar conditions
prevailing in Rock Island of a mi
nority party where the people
were so pronounced in their deter
minatiOn TO sweep off the earth the
system of bossism that the greater
party had failed to clear itself of.
The failure of union labor to rally
to Mr. Cavanaugh's side is of course
a source of great disappointment
to him, and is natural subject of
comment throughout town. Stand.
ing as he did the undisputed repre-,
sentative of labor interests, those
who have held to the theory that
their cause has been overlooked by
political conventions, can not say
again that they have not had the
opportunity to honor deservedly
popular and recognized champion
of their cause in a conspicuous
manner. Perhaps the only explain
alton that can be given is that the
labOring people were so anxious
to place the stamp of their disap
prevail upon the republican party
i'll its relation to the campaign tina
| they overlooked the opportunity of
| fered in the minority party, ant
thus gave their support to a candi
date who under the stress of con