The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-04-04

The slittle stranger" which arrived ain
such an uncommon way, though blessed
with not half the strength Of purring KIT
ten, has swept away their finely spun schemes
as with the power of a giant. The captain
has shown himself an excellent "marksman."
No more will be pass his Sundays in the
country shooting at q mark" and rebuking
unchristian farmers IN Bowling for husking
corn on that day, thus allowing their indus
trious habits to overcome their scruples,
and nsurp the Lords Day. Nor, we will
hope, will he blame the whole affair on
erasmus Twiggs, in such AN innocent
way. Let him cease his "rambles," there
fore, call at the county asylum in the ofiho-
dox way, get out his little papers, and
"marry the GIRL as is usual on such occa-
sions. GAN is well that ends well, as Dog
berry says when he fines man for the smell
of his breath, and pockets the proceeds.
CONSISTENCY is said to be jewel but
radical officials have no knowledge of the
fact, A few days ages an unfortunate lnan
was dragged to Jail, kept one night, brought
into public court, and fined, sT,s5 because
his breath didn't suit the smell of radical
good templar policemen.
Yesterday Friday the 3D. in broad day
light, in Iarket Square, the most public
place in Rock island, a man from Moline
,vas o. .1r,oL III 81 l., x,<,,,lJ ,t baav h;s faa+
He gathered about him crowd of nearly a
hundred people, who listened to his maud
lin talk and witnessed his drunken efforts to
lead or ride his horse. Around the outskirts
Of the crowd were three drays and baggage
wagon waiting for job, and for sometime
this public nuisance was eontinued-CiSy
Marshal Mclaughlin being one of the per-
sons present, who witnessed the whole affair.
After awhile the drunken man was assisted
across the square to Hine b Kelly's Young
America. He was so drunk that he had to
be lifted along. And all this was done in
the presence of the City Marshal After
they got the man in the saloon he fell on his
face, hurting his nose, which bled over the
floor, the marks of which are yet to seen.
The man was properly cared for and helped
home.
Now we do not say that he ought to have
been thrown on one of those drays and
hauled to jail; his team put up at a hotel,
and himself. next day, brought up and fined
$7,65 and made So or 81 more expense for
keeping his team. But we do say that, if he
had been stranger to the City Marshal, or
poor Irish democrat, this would certainly
have been done.
The truth is that there is altogether too
much eagerness on the part of the radical
policemen and their Dogberry to get fees,
and men are arrested without justifable
cause. If a man happens to have red face,
or has taken glass oflager beer, and a good
templar policeman comes along and smells
his breath, is he to be dragged off to jail ?
That business may be carried so far as to
get somebody into trouble.
Persons who are so intoxicated as to be
unable to walk, as this Moline man was; OF
who attract crowd of people, as he did ; OF
who create public disturbances, should be
taken charge of and properly cared for by
the police. But the same impartial rule
should be applied to nil, without fear or ia
Sor. This making fish of one and flesh Of
the other wont do. 1t wont do to arrest a
man who is making no public disturbance
and rob him of $3.50 and fail to do the
same thing by Moline man who is so drunk
that he cannot walk, and who attracts q
crowd Of q hundred people, by his drunken
ness and imbecility. s Ezes -.E
If the new radical police authorities would
devote o little more attention and energy to
the detection, arrest and punishment of bur
glars, highwaymen, and midnight assassins
and less to smelling the breath of people OF
hunting for some poor Irishman to make
fees from, they would be more in the line Of
their proper duty, and entitled to more re
speet.