Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-01
mr.. HUMPHREYS
WRITES OF SITUATION
Submits orymous Communication
on Local Option Influences
ard Replies

request that it be published. AS far as
presuming to speak for the local pa
pers is concerned, it need hardly be |
said on the part of The Argus that mol
authority has been delegated TO the
author whom Mr. Humphreys discusses,
or to any one else, to vouch for its
policy or express its sentiments. AS
to Looney, it ought to be pretty gen.
orally understood by this time that it
is matter of the utmost indifference
to The Argus what he may think or
say, or what may be his attitude or
affiliatiOns.-Ed.l
Rock Island, Jan. 31.-Editor The
Argus: Last evening we received the
following anonymous letter. We wish
very much that the writer had given
the name by which we might know
him, so that a direct interview might
be had with him, but as he presumes
TO speak the sentiment of our city pa
pers, and several hundred citizens, It
is only fair that our papers and citi-
zens have an opportunity to approve
or disapprove such a stand as our
friend takes:
by accepting John Looney as your
coworker and adviser, you have alien
ated the support of all the other pa
pers published in the city. and you
will find that hundreds of decent, hon
est citizens who might, under different
conditions, favor local option, will
work and vote against your conten-
ton. Every anti-Looney vote in town,
before election, will become a vote
earnestly againGt your proposition, for
we who detest and despise the hypo-
critic and blackmailer will not submit
to his taking the credit for having
made the winning fight should local
option succeed. We do not propose
that it shall win, and you may class
me with several hundred more who
intend to hand you package ON John
LOOney's account.
DO you know that ever since he
has been in Rock Island he has con-
sorted with saloon keepers, gamblers,
prize fighters, dog fighters, and people
of like character?
do you know that until recently
almost all of his lew practice was
drawn from that class of people?
DO you know that he tried to hold
the Rock Island Brewing company up
| for $4,000, and failing in that is now
using your short sighted zeal to salve
his own malice?
DO you know that he himself is the
proprietor of saloon in his own build
ing, run ostensiDly by one Dan Drost
a hanger-on of his, man who does
not own his own shirt?
DO you know that this saloon OF
Looney's is called the Mirror" a
gilded den of vice where all the walls
and ceilings are mirrors. tie better
perhaps to reflect Looney's virtues ans
the lack-wit of the men who ere al
lowing him to use them so that h.
may establish a claim to virtue ant
decency.
His saloon does not sell barre
of beer a week, and as he is bound tC
lose his building for the mortgage nov
being foreclosed against it, he has lit
tile to lose. and to crafty his own ma
lice is willing to close all the saloon!
} in this city.
IF YOU don't know these things
hadn't you better get informed? If
member of your congregation know!
and has the nerve to tell you, hadn'
you better ask him. If these thing
are true it is your duty to take publi
action to reject his leadership so tina
the people may~know If you take Il,
} action, you may congratulate Mr. Loo
Iney upon defeating your movement.
'ANTI-LOONEY VOTER"
| understand that many of the mir
: listers received a similar letter, and a
secretary of the Ministerial Allianc
: and member of the local option con
: mittee, | wish to say that neither q
these bodies is in anyway responsible
r for Mr.. Looney's attitude or his activ
: ties in this campaign. Personally, le
: me say that it is not a question
t % who is on this or that side, but, m
2 friends, it is question of which is tn
] right side
e We, as men in favor of giving tn
people a chance to vote on local OF
] ton, know that We are right in thi
s campaign, and we propose to stand O
e the right side, and stay there, an
g grant that there might be some hyp,
Il Icrites and blackmailers standing @
/ the right side. There may be some G
n the other side. We shall work on an
( work all the harder for the right.
y You, my dear friend, take the pos
ton that you are willing to wreck
It good cause, and more, you are willir
e to deliberately and maliciously figl
n against d righteous cause, and to tran
It pie the personal liberty of others sh
d Ply because man whom you hate
> on the right, side of a great NOV
n ment.
d If you think you are on the rig
IS side and that you represent our ci
If papers and hundreds of citizens, tn,
e stand where you are, and let the
d and US stand and work where we a
{ for what we know is right.