The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-20
FORCED TO TT AT LAST.


When the people repudiated the policy
of the Butler, Bailey & Co., Republican
aldermen, last spring, and by an unpre-
cedented majority, for the seventh time,
called Bailey Davenport to the head of |
their city government. the repudiated Re-
publican aldermen, with Bill Atkinson and |
Jake Wollenhaupt to help them, COM
menced factious opposition to every rea-
sonable act of the mayor for reform and
retrenchment. When the mayor endeav-
ored to save the city from double ex-
pense for experimenting the water works
and its repairs the repudiated Republican
aldermen sought, by every means in their
power, to thwart him in his efforts for re-
trenchment. Tiny denied his right to ex-
ercise the powers granted by the legisla-
ture to all mayors; and they denied that
the mayor could be counted as member
of the city council Their course was fac
tious and illegal, but they were encouraged
in it by the support of Bill Atkinson and
Jake Wollenhaupt, both of whom were
elected by the friends of Mayor Daven-
port, and both of whom were expected to
sustain him and his administration, They
have both proved themselves recreant to
the trust reposed in them by the too con-
fiding voters.
Conscious Of the rectitude of his inten-
tons, the mayor urged the repudiated al
dermen to test their position in the courts.
This they seemed afraid to do. and proba-
bly, hoped to worry along through the year,
in their bullying and factious course. At
last they find themselves cornered and
say they will, through Boynton, appeal to
the courts at the peoples expense.
Their organ states their position as fol.
lows: -I
hcers.
pointed before the act of April 10 went into ef-
feet and as the mayor did not appoint him he has
no right to remove him.
3. That even il the mayor had the right of re-
moval in this case it was exhausted ON Boynton's
Reinstatement by two-thirds vote Of the council,
| And we understand the mayors position
to be as follows:
| l. The superintendent Of water works
is city officer. and is SO recognized by the
ordinances of the city.
2. That an amendment to the amended
charter requires that al officers shall be
appointed on the second Tuesday IN March,
and hold their Office for one year thereaf
ter, and that the ordinance which provides
for the election, on the first Monday III
January, of water commissioners, to hold
Office for one year, conflicts soith the char
ter and is therefore illegal; that the tern
of Office of water commissioners and al
officers connected Herewith, expired, a
provided by the charter, on the secont
Tuesday in March; and that, inasmuch a
they were not reappointed the mayor had
e. after the mayors law took effect, the RICH
to appoint their successors.
8. That no act of the mayors has bee
. overruled by the council, for the reaso
that the mayors law declares that two
4 thirds Of all the members of the city council
g authorized by law to be elected.i necessar
e to such dlsapproval, and no vote in the cour
Gil, equal to two-thirds of all the member
4 authorized by law to be elected, has eve
- been obtained. A vote equal to two-third
,f of all the aldermen has been obtained, br
.. not equal to two-thirds of all the member
..l-which is the language of the mayor
=, law.
The only question connected with tn
= point is this: SIS the mayor member
the city council?" If he is, land the cha
ter declares him to be the very first mer
ber) then he must be counted as msen,be
IT. in ascertaining the number of membe
M authorized by law tt be electe
lily Suppose this question TO be asked "Ho
in many members are there, of the city cou
he CLIP" To ascertain this, we turn to E
charter, and that reads as follows:
N Hereafter, the municipal government of the C
' Of Rock Island shall consist Of the city council co
N ward, majority Of the members shall constit1
r. quorum, etc.
A. We must next enquire how many war
m there are, and having ascertained II
there are five, we can then answer I'll
ses the city council has elecee members, auth
ur ICED by law to be elected. 1t is not gu
er- ton as to who can vote. or who can /
Ter, vote; it is question as to ho,o many me
he bers the charter authorizes to be elect,
will and we find the number to be eleuen.
ice. we want to know who can vote, and "
te's cannot vote,we must turn to other sectit
NJ. and learn that fact. But that is not |
= u question we want answered, because tn
, so is no dispute about that. How many m
the how many persons, how many memb
ime are there in the full city council, who
last authorized by law to be elected? Tha
the question. The charter makes
Who number eleuen. And the legislature, wi
and the mayors law was passed, said it sho
e of take t,oo-ttirds of all the members auth
ized By lao to be elected to oYerrule
mayor. That number is eight. and t
number never having been obtained,
ard mayor has never been overruled.
The repudiated Republican aldern
! I 7 want Judge Peasants to decide, lst, t
re- an ordinance can override and set asid
per plain provision of the charter. and, 2d,t
'nai the mayor is not member of the {
y; council, and cannot be counted in ase
bills tanning ho,o many members are authori
noti by law to be elected to the city coun
ing W. ao.. .h;.l, ;rd,ro oo,, .crot;f,, m