Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-09-12
THE LIE NARD LETTERS.
A Shocking state of Society and Of Govern.
ment at Washington.
Lawlessness and Murders go unpunishsd---
Mob Law Threatened.


WASHINGTON. Sept. 9.
If ever a city was in fsver-hsat, our bless
ed Washington has been in that state for
The last few days In the first place, the
season had a relapse and Resumed some
hing akin to the old fsrvor, and then The
Board of Public Works committed another
Oolrsge, by tearing down the Market sheds
| IA the Northern Liberties, at dead of night.
The notice sent 10 dealers occupying stalls,
| famed the 18Th inst. as the day on which
| hey were to quit their places; and . week
| ago ihe Board captured the Judge who
might have granted an injunction to restrain
them, and, while they 'dined and wined"
uim, had the buildings demolished. As the
! aext day was the regular market day, the
stalls we're full of provisions, and Negrodom
1ad a fine time carrying home loads Of good
hings, while the police force stood by 10 see
hat no one interrupted the work of demoli-
| lion. On the morning following, while
.oms Of the people tried to save what was
eft of the fixtures, one of the walls fell
killIng butcher named Widmsyer. and q
boy who was, with his terrier, making war
aPon the rats That brought things to =
point; and the consequence is that A r.
shepherd, the obnoxious head of the Board,
escorted to and from his residence BY q
posse of policemen; the other members
have seen fit to make themselves obscure :;
and how it oil will end, not even one of the
! wise men of Gotham can tell. A petition
oumerously signed, which prays she Presi-
| dent to remove Mr.. s., is out; but az one
seems to care SO little for the working peo-
pie as the other, it is very doubtful whether
any notice will be taken Of II. Should he
retain his position however, I'm afraid that
shall be obliged some day TO mention q
case of Lynch-law; as these deaths are
| laid to him, and mutteriDgs 10 that effect
| become general.
OF course you have heard how a brother
lu-lsw OF the President used his prerogative
IN settling an editor 10 his satisfaction. The
Capital copied an article from the Sun con-
| cerOing the Dents which dehcately insinoa
| cd that they had sold certain of6ces Now
az the Sun vas out of their reach, and ar
Euments scarce, Mr. Louis Dent took the
only one be had stout hickory one, near
| y an inch in dIsmeter-and went to the
Capital sauctum, 10 lay il before some
responsible party. There he found Mr.
Reed sitting, writing aud considering that
n favorable position for listening to reason
brought down his argument in such q strik
ng manner upon the intellectual portion Of
the editor that it the &rgumenI broke in two;
| whereupon be continued his remonstrances
| with the previously secured cane of Mr..
Reed, until the compostors stepped in and
adjourned the hearing. Being 9 member oil
The Family, the courts are, of course, not
open to him to seek redress like common
mortal in the ordinary way; and in consid
GRAFTON of this and bis eloquent remarks,
delivered before the Police Court, he wal
6ned 500, and the whole affair considered
a. a capital joke, condensed into -
Dent
Went,
And broke his cane
Ger II. Reeds brain;
Then paid C,
And clear was he.
Last edition of Mother Goose
By the way, we have only seven men IL
iail on the charge Of murder; and in Meth
sE case is there a show even of reasonable
| provocation to the act. Some of the pa
pers advocate q short shritt and qalcG
hanging; but ia doubtful after oil whetbs
these executions ever deter any one from
, committing crime. Surely, enough person
have been choked into eternity to max
crlme unpopular, if people would only lool
upon it 10 that way and Yet day after da
brings its record disregard of human life
, If some OF the measures, ensc:ed to ele vat
the blacks. were carried into effect for III
; benef, of the miserable whites, the state OF SC
ciety might be omswhat improved; but her
al Legislation is typi6ed by the dome Of tn
Capitol as that is q white body with MI
latto Top, so our demsgogues strive to al
range the races in the Sc me order Ssv,r'
: keepers Of restaurants have been fined SO
. aud lost their lie ense, for refusing to Sc
~hisky to the blacks while they may n
fuse a white man AnythiDg they plesae, an
=, 10 one will say a word about it. ProbAbl
some of the cases Will be brought before th
supreme Courl, and theu We will see whett
:. tr, when = q au pays Tor the privilege I
selling be can be punished for not Wish,n
i 10 part with what belongs to him.
LIE NARD.