The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-07-17
RKruBLicAS STATE coSvrSTIos


fhe Reporter before Ceaneil- General
1eaarks.
The " Reporter" or the particular editor
OF the Gc,ette who is temporarily reportin
Council proceedings, was by the ridlculou
action d one Of the aldermen representa-
the Third Ward, placed in an unusually col
spicnous position before the City Council i
its last meeting. This Alderman felt a.
Erieved at an allusion We made 10 Lii. vi,
lent language before Council, in our rcpol
of the proceedings u the previou. meeting
We promptly and oandidly rcbnkei II
course, ~ We shall that Of any other Alder
man who in q similar manner disgrace, hin.
~clf, his position and his constituents. II
may thank us fyr our forbcaranee I'm no
publishing h, remarks in the language the
we're uttered, 80 our duties n Reporter
would have rendered il perfectly proper il
us To do. We could not possibly have bee
more severe upon him than be was upoi
himself Had We been DESTROYS Of ia3nyia.
him, which we were not, we could have Il
Ken no better plan than H. make him III.
organ Of his own folly And beca.se ",
remarked. in commenting upon b., ,iolenc.
that hereafter We slotid give hi, lanruae.
lac announced before Council that We ha,
h,,aisasd him---him, mn Alderman n
may consider il grave threat, Ia pro,nis,
to publish certain 81 his remarks as they mr.,
made, and probably il, effects rcgld be J,
rious. lie can easily avoid such notoriet
by saving that only which be- would not /,
ashamed 70 sec in print. We may her
take occasion In remark, that the c.,n.
has the power Ia vacatc our .e.t n. Rcpor,
er whenever IL chooses, but 80 long n, ",
occupy that scat, We shall do orr daty, ire
spectise II consequences. More c.pcciali
shall we mot he deferred from The perform,
ance cf our duty, by threat. II ;. redress on,
side the newspaper columns" such a, TIL
particular Alderman saw liz 10 utter iron
his official scat in Council, and in the pres
ence Of law abiding and orderly citizens VII,
have rignt to look to Aldermen, or ouy
10 have, for sramptt instead Of warning.
After the Alderman from the Third ha
stated his grievances, = motion was ina
Tor the vacation ofour seat rs Reporter, Al.
on the ground taaf we had mi.repre cent.
lie proceedings Of the previous meeting.
the Alderman who made this motion Wa
not aware OF his own ridiculous position, "
We can assure him the majority 81 ms Lrvt!
er Aldermen were, and promptly proved i
20 by their votes. Our report Of the pro
cceding. was entirely correct 80 far as /.
went. But our remarks relative to being il
personal fear and erasping after our new
hat, in anticipation of muss, was only in.
tended Is pleasant piece Of hypcrbole,
which VIC certainly thought even the Alder.
man from the Third and the mover Of Ia,
resolution, had brains enough to understand
But II appears they hadn't, and 70 regarded
il - serious report, or intended to he, o.
the proceedings. What absurd folly We
shall HEREAFTER, when We try to bc funny
over Council doings, label the paragraph
"this Is joke, " and thus, perhaps, may b.
able to reach the comprehension OF lhoe.
who can no moro appreciate the ludicrous j,
Others than in themselves. The motion
was very properly voted down. SO signal,
did the third ward Alderman feel the re-.
buks that he 1t once arose and made per.
sonal threats against Us in the event Of on,
being guilty Of any similar offence liza
the Alderman considered how little possiLl,
influence such threats could have Oh ma
70 much his superior in size, 1--WE weigh neal
~ ono hundred y he might have rfrainet
from placing himself in 50 laughable po
sition before the Council aud the public, an..
escaped being called To order by the Mayor
for very similar language TO that for which
be was r-bukcd in the Gazette.
We have now few remarks for the bene-
tit OF the public and Council. A mistaken
idea appear 10 prevail with some Aldermen,
relative TO the reporting of Council proceed
ings, fr newspapers. In our case, il appear. |
by certain Aldermen to be considered a per- |
sonal hvor % hs Gase,te, TO allow H. Re |
porter seat on the floor. We do not NJ |
gard IL as personal favor, and will hot con-
vent 70 be placed In the position of tailoring
under especial obligations TO the Council for
the facilities of reporting their action, With
put pay and n considerable interference
with oar other duties, 10 their constituents.
We claim II as u r.ghf--a rignt which any
paper in tile city can demand, aud right
which A. acknowledged 10 l.c a right Of the
pres III every large city ,or civilized co,nmu-
nifty cf tho Union. II j. right which !, Z
0or'sr may fcrSeit for himself l,y some out
ra@eou, conduct, hut which he cannot forfeit
Ior his paper. II NJ were turned from our
place - Reporter, the Gazette would have its
,.yat TO demand facilities for another e.
por.sr, ard Council would have no moral
r.gas slshossh their iega. right IN undisput-
> 1, 70 refhse the accommodation. And n
Reporter in his seat has the right to report
and makc his comments in his
osn way. No respectable paper would sup
psrt . report~r in making false rcports Of
psosesdingA because the injury would fall
apon itsslf-and the arrangement !. entirely
WITH the publisher aud the reporter, whether
= npe bs shall make comments on proceed
ings- We IRE no sm4ssye<, and We d just
y we choos in the premises When We
phssia . regular reporter, he likewise will
10 just pcscissly = ~ plssse he shall do
DIT r. aegrisssd Alderman, saw ii, 10 make
Isnasks = thoueh Ne were enjoying so.us
lia1inEnishsd (asor In being permitted at
nnsh labor torsport tothe people what their
lwvsnas szs doing-aDd In visw Of this e.
-, thst - should eel under obligations to
fsun AlduDn from the public gaze when
70 make assss Of themselves
- ~ ~ ssbedssss u his ridiculous
o1|R 80 was q insult tothe Council
- Ne ssdsrstand Cur owa
|9clApnd G1All ssvse transsssd thsn =
iDrse. Il y Pity that he esnsot
$500 ehas ~ y . pshlie ssrvsns, NJ
Anaeosic ralsr WHOSE well intended actions