Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-03-01
THE PUBLIC SCANDALS
OF ROCK ISLAND!
The Review Before the
Battle 4!
What o Republican Administra'
ton has Given Us.
Drunken officials, Corrupt Police
Force, . Disgraced Name and
Qrievous Taxation.
Vots for Bailey Davenport and
Secure q Change.

!
tent ourselves by announcing that he is
The Republican candidate, which still leaves
The present contest where it was some time
ago. The Republicans have resorted to All
manner of lodges to avoid a fair fight, but
all in vain. They haze been at last com.
pelled to come out and make q square con
test OF il, end nothing could please the
Democrats better. This being the ease,
voters should now take few facts into con
which will not be without in
Aueuce.
The Republican administration Of the
past year has been the most wretehed and
odious one we ever had in this city. 1t has
infinitely damaged the reputation of Rock
Island abroad? This we state, not so much
in denuucistion, as to convey the inference
that q party that can give rs one infamous
administration, is quite competent to give
Us another.
We speak Of him 10 an official capacity. 1t
is boldly asserted that he has been under
the influence Of clique Of bankers ever
since be entered upon his duties. Should
we have man of that stamp ad miuistering
our affairs. especially when large sums OF
money are involved? What kind Of rep
utAtion has be given our city sbroad2 By
appearing at public meeting in = beas,'y
state of intoXication, and interrUpting the
orderly proceedings of our citizens, he has
cast su odium and reproseh upon the good
name of Rock Island, which has extended
throughout the northwest. The journals OF
every city have commented on it. But for
our criticism, on his gross and disreputAole
conduct, he would have been re-nominAted.
1t WAS part of the Republican programme
to re-nomlnAte him.
What kind of City Marshal have We
bAd A mere nouentiIy, so fer as an officer
is concerned Everything has
gone ct loose ends under bis
nismanagemeut. he has done nothing to
earn his salary, and yet our e1travsgsnt
city sdmiuistrsti n raised it to ONE
THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, in
order that be might have more money to
expend for electioneering purposes. The
only thing be accomplished during hiseutire
term, was the collection of the dog tax, and
the reason be collected that was, that he
thought he WAS entitled to one quarter Of it
for bis trouble. Should the Republicans
win, which they wall not) he would 10
doubtedly be Marshal for another year.
Have We not had quite enough CT Dog
/ Tax Charlie, the champion saloon hummer
OF Rock lslsnd2
What kind ola Police Magistrate hsve we
had IL? Simonson has generally made sn
effort to keep sober, and to avoid the errors
of Carter and Halves, but on a number Of
occasions, though his spirit was willing, his
flesh proved exceedingly weak. The chief
charge against him, however, Is that Of
dealing with notorious thieves in lenisni
manner All will remember how be released
Jim Bell, the CoonA pimp and CO; throat,
for the insignificant sum Of S25, furnishing
one 9Th of that sum out of his own pocket,
This is bat an instance Of the manner 10
which be has bunged affairs throughout his
administration. He is an imprudeut, Iudis
Greet, incompetent Dung man, and II voters
don't wish to be afflicted with him another
year, they must vote for Bailey Davenport
Whist kind of a City Hay Scales Master
have we had? The fact that teamsteri
have called on the Mayor as late as half
past eight o'clock IN the morning, in search
of the Weigher, and been curtly told tha
"it was too early" is reply quite sufficient
What kind of city police force have wi
had? A regular set of bummers, Thu
farce of culprts rushing out of the Magis
trSte's Court, and securing safety by high
vainly chasing at their heels, illustrates b,
point exactly. The point is still farther il
lustrsted by the discharge of Condor SOM
time afterwards for habitual drunkenness
by the discovery of Curtis asleep in the ga
house; by Burgh's attempt to take Innoceu
men to jail in order to protect drunken
sot by Burgh's brutal fight with a brotbs
officer, and by his being fined and dis
charged for drunkenness the next day; b,
the fact that members of our police fore
have shamelessly escorted prostitutes bom
. from places of amusement; by the fac, tina
they have visited these prostitutes at tAei
dens, and passed whole nights 10 drinking
J with them, while honest people supposed
= them to be doing their duty; and stiI
farther by the fact that Mayor Carter an,
r Marshal HAYES knew ell about these scan
f dslous doings while they were going on
: and made no effort 10 stop them W
r could enlarge on this subject without end
but have said enough TO convince any can
did reader that our police administration
criticism. The cause of morality and dc
cency will be best subserved by a chsrita
Bile silence. And yet Condor THE onl
Irshman in town mean enough to do it
acted as delegate to the Republican cor
ven,iOn, and is pledged position Oh tn
police force another year, if the RepubIica
party wins.
And here we introduce L. NJ. HaversticE
the mobiles, Roman Of them all" As Cit
Printer aud manager of the Republican pa
per, t''the official organ how has he con
ported himself? We think no RepublicA
in Rock laland will have the hardihood /
. defend his public exhibitions of IDIOT
" drunkenness on the most crowded thorough
= fare of our city, in broad daylight, as we
as in q multitude of places too numerous
= Allude to. A bright and shining light is b
to advocate the cause of decency, religion
= morality, aud temperance. Asa publ
,, journal, we feel 9 pardonable shame that Il
D. 4