The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-08-17
THE DARTS HALL MEETING ON THE
FERRY QUESTION.

PERRY QUESTION.
The meeting at Darts Hall last night,
called for the purpose Of protesting against
the action of the City Council in making
appropriations for the improvement Of the
levee and resolving to change the ferry
landing, was numerously attended. n.
Hakes was made chairman and q. h.
Bard, Secretary, A committee composed Of
o. j. Dmick, Geo. Babcock, p. Fries aud
i. NJ. Hsverstick, was appointed to prepare
resolutions expressive Of the objects Of the
call
Speeches were made by DR.. Gregg, b. d.
Walsh, +. Lucas, y. j. Nimick, i, d. Bu'
ford and Capt. Pierce. Much feeling of a
| character unbecomiug those who in the
name Of the public welfare had met to dis
cuss public question was manifested. The
temper in which the proceedings we're con
ducted and the manner IN which the meeting
was manipulated indicated very clearly that
the aniInus Of those who supposed they con
trolled ii, was as reprehensible as the alleR
ed motives Of those whose action it was call.
ed to protest against. Personal abuse,
petty spite and morrow jealouses were free
" vented. When the bile Of the meeting
was sufficiently stirred up the following pro.
posed resolutions were cast into the mael'
strom
WHEREAS, The City Council Of Rock Island,
At their meeting on the second day OF August,
did adopt certain resolutions for tho extension
of the leyee and the removal Of tho ferry land
ing from Washington to Eagle street, thereby
necessitating largo outlay Of public money J
and
WHEREAS, The Council has refused to recon
slider the action, and PERSISTS ia forcing this meas
ure upon the people TOR the benefit Of few alder
men and other interested parties, and contrary
to the wishes and interests OF large majority oi
the tax payers of the city therefore
Resotued, That we, the citizens Of Rock Island
in mass meeting assembled do protest against
this uncaled for expenditure Of public money,
oharacterzing it rs an outrage upon the tax pay
ors Of the city for the benefit Of few parties per-
sOnaly and pecuniArily interested
Rcsoircd, That We protest against tho secret
tons we're forced through the Council; without
any petition for their passage; without opportu'
nifty for public discussion; without the pubhca-
ton of their author and mover, and without
even giving all the aldermen an opportunity
to express their views in Il full meeting of the
Council.
ResoircR, That We cannot but brand the entire
scheme a. a shallow device of interested par
ties to deprive property owners IN one portion OF
the city Of aprly,icge to which they are entitled
by long established usage
Rcsptred, That no public interest requires the
removal Of the ferry landing from its present To-
cation, and that all attempts in that direction oan
only be iustigatel by the personal motives OF
| those who engage in them
Resotoei, That wewill cheerfulIy pay all taxes
| necessary to secure good highways and
other needed improvements in the city, but
We earnestly oppose all taxation for the benefit
Of few officials, their friends and relatives
and the petty cliquca which secured their elec.
tlun,
ResolDed, That If the interested Couneilmen
and their friends, were determined on the re-
m0val Of the ferry landing it would have been as
little as they could do 10 make the necessary i'm
proyeinent OF the leyee themselves, without
sadting the expense on the tax payers Of
the city, against whose interest the movement is
directed.
RcgoiUcd, That we will resist this unjust and
outrageous measure by oil legal means and that
We will no more entrust with power men who use
their position only to bleed the public for the
benefit of their own private ends.
Rcsoircd, That we hereby express our thanks
to those aldermen who so nobIy stood by the
interests Of the city against this scheme Of private
proft.
As the meeting refused by a decided vote
to resolve in accordance with the above pro
posed resolves, a corouer's jury would prob
ably say they were strangled in their birth,
| OF course they cannot be said to have an
| existence. So the meeting on the evee bu-
saes5 and ferry question failed wholly of
its protessed purpose, and so far from pro-.
testing against the action OF the Council,
ratified It, Having as little sympathy with
the evident aim OF those controlling and
inspiring this movement as We have with
what has been supposed to be the motives
and objects OF those who gave occasion for
1t, we have said nothing in favor of such a
meeting and have felt no interest in it. No
public effort having been made to bring o.t
those who dissented from tho object Of the
meeting, and considerable pains having been
taken to have full expression from those
who sympathi1ed with it, there is every
reason 10 believe that the vote which stran.
glcd the embryo resolutions expressed the
views of the people Of Rock Island, and un.
der the circumstances will probably be go
accepted. lt,t "o-riad N our mind conrlu.
sive evidence that the levee improvement
and change Of the terry landing originated
in considerations for the public welfare, we
should record it with much more satisfaction.
We 80 utterly iosthe even the appearance OF
the use Of u public trust to promote private
interests IA species Of dereliction which is
becoming fearfully common) that we cannot
speak too warmly in reproof Of it, though we
may have been misled as to the controlling
motives Of those against whom this charge
4 made.
This complete squelching of an outburst
If indignation will be accepted as a singular
esult Of d deeply stirred local excitement.
Although this storm had strrers its wind
Violently had no rider.
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