The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-19
A Monopoly Of Fifty Years.

W llSOn cOmuOuCcu W Tuu Il lciIy aSioSo
the Mississippi river, at this point. In
February lS4l, he got charter for ten
years from that date. In February lS49,
he got the charter renewed for another ten
years, but there was then some talk that
he had made money enough out Of the mo-
nopoly and that charter ought to be
granted to the City, and either run by the
City or the franchise sold at auction for the
benefit of Gthe City, by reducing the tax
alton of the people. So strong was this
sentiment, even as far back as that time
that Wilson was forced, in lS49, to consent
to the insertion of the following section in
his charter before he could pacify the peo-
pie and get it renewed, viz: >a'
s4 Prorided, That after the expiration Of the
form granted TO said Wilson by an act entitled ian
nct 10 authorize I'm Wilson 10 kcepa Ferry across
the Mis.i-sppi liver" approved February ad 1871
the Legislaiure or the County Court (whrn created
NAV i the public good requires II, grant TO the
pr,!. idrnt and ara Of Trustees OF the Town of
Rock land the right to keep and run FER,
across the Mississippi river between ROCK Island
and Davenport etc, elc'
Now. why was it that, after 1851, as
provided above, the City did not obtain the
right to keep and run a ferry. It was be-
cause the County Court did not think ''the
public good required it. . Who composed
the County Court? John W. Spencer,
r. J, Robinson, and James Weaverug
WHY didr't they think the public good re.
ouired it? Becauseit would interfere with
the profits of part of the Court, John
Wilson having died in 1851, and the ferry
having passed into the hands of his son in
law, John W. Spencer who Immediately
associated T. j, Robinson with himself in
the business, and the two constituting a
majority ofthe Court, thought they ought
to have monopoly of the business. Way
didn't the LEGISLATURE grant the City the
the right etc., etc. Because John
w. Spencer and I. j. Robinson,
and the County Court, and the
Ferry Company, and their toadles and
dead heads were able to prevent any ap.
plicaton for a charter, And so it has
gone on ever since. In 1857 the Ferry
Company, through the aid of Judge Bailey,
then Mayor, made trade by which that
company got the sole and exclusive right
to keepand run ferry &c. &c. Through
that trade with Mayor Bailey the City was
euchred badly; its right to ferry fran
chise was sold out, and the sun promised
by Z. J. Robinson to be paid for it has
never been paid, and he and Spencer still
refuse to pay it.
For more than twenty years The ARGUS
has steadily advocated the people rights
in this ferry matter During that time
Spencer & Robinson have controlled the
Republican party in the interest OF their
errv.-and have, through their ring, and
their dead heads, managed to get their
charters renewed, and ignore the City and
its rights. Had the people stood up for
the rights recognized in Sec. of the char
ter of lS49, as quoted above, they
could have derived revenue, by the sale
of the franchise, of not less than $4,000 a
year, realizing SUN sufficient to have paid
for water works. gas works, improved the
Ievec aud streets. founded public library
and erected suitable building for library
and city hall. Instead Of that. Wilson
Spencer, Robinson, James Grant and 9th
ers, have all got rich out Of business
which should have belonged to the PEG
pie 5 treasury. The peoples see it now. How
much longer will they permit Spencer x
Robinson to defy their laws and disturb
the public business?