Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-31
LAWYERS WILL
ENDORSE A MAN
ON EACH TICKET
County Bar Takes Preliminary
Vote on Men for Circuit
Judge.
SOME ARE NON-PARTISAN
William McEnIry, w A. Meese and
William jackson Favor Recon-
mendine but One Candidate.

After an extended and spirited dis
cussion, the Rock Island County Bar
association this morning finally adopt
ca plan for recommending candi-
dates TO go before the people at the
primary election at which nominations
for circuit judge in this district will
be made. Immediately following this
decision, the polls were opened to the
members of the bar to deposit ballots
showing their preferences and under
the resolution, the voting continued
until o'clock this afternoon Presi-
dent b. d. Connolly and Secretary
James NJ. Johnston were in charge of
the voting.
SPIRITED DISCUSSION.
The bar met in the circuit court
room shortly after 10 o'clock with 80
or about half the members present.
The resolution prepared by the spe-
Cially appointed committee. recon-
mending that the bar vote on its pref
erence for a nominee for the demo-
cratic and republican parties, was at
once presented and the battle was on.
| H. A. Weld advocated the vote of the
entire bar regardless of politics on a
candidate for each separate party. Will
| liam McEniry opposed this on the
grounds that party spirit would pre-
vent a republican voting for the best
man to head the democratic ticket and
vice versa. He favored a non-parti-
san election and expressed the belief
that 80 per cent of the voters would
| he guided by such a selection. Any
plan other than a non-partisan one, he
said would result in the nomination
and election of a man from other than
this county.
! w. A. Meese of Moline expressed
views along similar lines favoring a
ron-partisan selection of but one man.
G. o. Dietz took sides with Fl. A. Weld
ard Oliver Olson, William Jackson and
J T. Kenworthy expressed various
views.
VOTE DOWN REPORT.
suggestion by C. w. Wood of Mo-
line that unless two-thirds of the bar
association concurred in the decision
reached, it should not constitute an
endorsement for any candidate or can
didate, caused another lengthy verbal
set-to in which various of the attorneys
made themselves heard.
The report of the committee finally
came to a vote and was turned down
by a vote of 16 to Is. several refusing
to vote. II. NJ. McCaskrin, who OPP
posed any endorsement by the bar,
moved to adjourn but was voted down.
AMENDMENT Is MADE.
The suggestion OF II. A Weld that
each member of the bar should vote
fc1 a candidate on each ticket and the
suggestion of G. w. Wood that no less
than two-thirds should decide for the
bar, were incorporated into the orig
inal resolution and 1t was again pre-
scented. Once more the single, nom
partisan endorsement came up and for
nearly an hour the lawyers argued pro
and con Finally vote was taken on
the amended plan and 1t carried Is
to Ii Another discussion occurred
and G.. w. Wood sought to have the
matter reconsidered but the majority
ruled otherwise. A motion was then
made by f. II. Guyer that the taking
Of the vote commence. More argu-
ncnts and requests from II. Nj. Nc
Caskrin and others as to who were
candidates followed. In response J. L.
= Paas announced he would he a candi-
date subject to the action of the bar.
c. b. Marshall and S. Il. Kenworthy
we're placed in nomination by friends
and J. NJ. Johnston announced 1t was
the wish of c. f. Dietz of Moline that
he be not named Mr.. Guyers mo-
ton carried at this time and the vot-
, ing began Members OF the bar who
, we're not present were to be reached
by the president and secretary before
4 o'clock and advised of their right to
vote.