The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-08

against by vehicles and is not even per-
mitted Ito run over children; carts and
other vehicles delay US; passengers, i'm
patient to reach the railroad or ferry urge
us up to speed; we are watched by spies,
who ride with us and who count our pass
engers as they lounge upon the sidewalk;
nippers are provided to defeat our pecula-
tons, and patent boxes invented to collect
our fares; if we are not prompt in the
morning the penalty is the loss of our car
for a week. We must bolt our meals
hastily and sleep with one eye open; we
must dress we'll and know how to keep &C
counts. We have no Sunday on which to
say our prayers; no morning hour to read
our newspaper; and can never take our
children to picnic. My children are 10
bed when I leave in the morning, have
retired to sleep when get home at night,
and never 20 to theater, church, or con-
cert; nor have time to stay IN line to cast
nv vote upon election day. My only con-
verse, then, with my wife is in answer to
lher curtain lectures, when | am too
sleepy to scold back and too tired to de-
fend myself with effect. You can't blame a
woman for being herself tired and cross
after days struggle to make two and a
half dollars pay for rent, food, clothing,
school books, and doctors bills for five in
family. Besides, don't everybody knock
down? The directors of this road have
their little perqaisites that never reach the
stockholders; the superintendent makes
his commish on hay, grain, horseshoelng,
and repairs, The man who builds the cars
and furnishes the horses has to come tc
a 'divy' with somebody; when the fran
chise was granted to the road the lobby
had to be paid, and the members of the
legislature had to be seen. Members Of
the board of supervisors get their fins in
before the road is built; the street com
mittee and the street commissioner are or
it. The police must ride free; the city
and county assessor lets up on the valu
alton of the road and stock for coin, and tn,
grand jury fails to indict because they arr
paid. The banks are geeedy as wolves
all the rich stockholders are feeding OF
, each other, 'cornering' shares and freezing
each other out; there is no keeping street
in repair according to contract and terms 0
; the franchise. The fact is, there is onl,
one honest thing about this whole street
! railroad business from beginning to end
= the horses are honest, and they are i'm
G posed upon; they are poorly fed, badl
= attended, and numerically worked. Yo1
= would not blame these poor brutes if the
! could nip an extra feed of oats or mouth
e full of hay after long day of toll, woul
i you? Then, what's the use of trying t
- look yirtuous and indignant when 20
Z; e catch fellow nipping ten cents? This
:, e your place to get out" We got out an
- we did not send the number of that ca
II to the office, nor inform upon the condu(
g. 9. tor. We came right back to the ChrOn
. Gle editorial room determined to begin tn
u work of reform at the upper strata of 81
e. ciety, and, whenever we have occasion {
- attack crime and criminals, to begin OF
ot war upon men high in official station an
~ social position, and work our reform dow
~ ~ ward, leaving car conductors to ply the
y vocation and their patent nippers unit
everybody above them in station becom,
~ honest