The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-02-10
THE LATEST SCHEME TO GET THE
TOWN In DEBT.
Wilson and Robinson to be injured
by Building the Peoria Railroad.
DIR. Truesdale ISLANDERS the Argus
and Mr.. Gable.

There is a little clique of people in this
town who are never happy unless they are
engaged in some scheme to get the town
into debt or cheat it out of its reven-
ues. just now their especial desire is
to get debt of $4,000 fixed upon the peo-
pie, the funds to be swallowed up in the Pc
oria railroad. This scheme is not creditable
to the sagacity or business shrewdness of
some who are engaged in it, and it is wholly
unnecessary and wrong: LIST, because Rock
Island has already done her share for this
road; ID, because the road will be extended
as quickly without su describing the stock as
by doing so; and Sd, because, whatever
| amount is saddled upon the people in this
way viii be lost-swallowed up By after
schemes, in mortgaging the road to get mo
ney to buy iron and rolling stock and ulti-
ma.ely turning it over TO the bondholders,
and cheating the original stockholders out
of all they put into the concern.
But this little clique is not satisfied with
being beaten 3 to l, by the people, and want
to try it over again. We doubt if they have
the right to do so, and we are certain they
ought not to be permitted to do SO. They
| have had one trial and that ought to be suf-
fcient.
On Saturday they had two little gather
ings, to crate on the subject, and J. II.
Wilson and T. J. Robinson made the verv
brilliant announcement that it was not to
their interest to have the road built be.
cause it would depreciate the value of their
coal lands! Their friends ought to vote
against subscription if they have any regard
for their interests.
DR.. Truesdale Grated, also, in favor OF
running the town in debt, of course, and an
nounced "his belief that the entire opposi
ton of the ARGUS is instigated by Mr. Ca
ble." The DR.. is complimentary-but his
| belief has no foundation on which to rest
| The ARGUS is owned and controlled, wholly
and entirely, by the individuals whose names
appear as its proprietors, and is 'instigated'
solely and only by what they think is for
/ the public interests. Can DR.. Truesdale say
as much for himself, and his changing and
changable policy in regard to the Peoria
railroad, while he was mayor? Does DIR
/ Truesdale think we would be justified in
charging that he is ''instigated" by the ferry
clique in his action; that he is owned, con
trolled and run by the poor heirs? There
would be quite as much propriety in it al
in the charge he makes against us.
DIR. Truesdale also stated that "Mr. Cable
ia anxious to retain monopoly of the coal
trade and keep up the price to twice what ii
should be- In this the DR. is also wrong
or we have been very wrongly informed Il
is well known that Mr.. Cable has kept the
prlce down and insured the people a certain
supply at all seasons of the year-and thai
coal has never been, and is not now
above the value of ten cents in gold, which
is below the average before the war; and
that there have been times when he could
have demanded and obtained double the
price he was selling for. All last winter he
could have sent all the coal he could have