The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-17

They Can't Understand It.
The organ of the incompetent and turned
out water board can not comprehend the
difference between census and an election,
and in its ignorance it says "the mayor
claims that he now steps 10 as an indepen-
dent voter without vote.
The mayor claims that when the charter
speaks of aldermen it does not mean
city council" and when it speaks off, city
council it means not the aldermen
alone but every member of the city coun
Gil. The charter says that no fine shall
be RENTED or city prisoner released, 'uu
less two thirds of all the aldermen author
lied to be elected shall vote for such re-
lease or remission In that case il is
plain enough that seuen votes is two
thirds, because it requires, not two thirds,
of the city council but two-thirds of the
aldermen
Article II, section /, of the charter, says,
THE municipal government of the city
shall consist of city council, composed of
the mayor and too aldermen from each
aoard. How many does that make ?-ten
or eleven? Why, eleven, of course.
Article ", section /, says '''The mayor
and aldermen shall constitute the city coatn
ell Of the city, How many does that
make?-ten or eleven? 1t makes eleven
and that is the whole number of the coun
Gil authorized by law to be elected.
The mayors law (which City Attorney
Gest says is now part of the charter
says: ''In all cities in this state, the
mayors thereof shall have power to appoin
all city officers, by and with the consent
the city council by vote of a
majority of all as members authorized by
laac to be elected" ETC. How many is that? ?
Look at Article II and Article " of the
charter and it will be found to be eleuea.
The same law and same section says
And the mayor shall also have power to
remove etc, etc. and if the council mot the
aldermen by two-thirds vote Of all it,
n,ene5 rs authorized By lac to be elected by
yeas nays to be entered on the record
shall dissapprove," etc, etc. How N any
10 number are two thirds OF all the mem
bers OF the city council authorized by law
to be elected? Not seven. If the phras
eology OF the mayors law required only
two thirds Of all the aldermen then sever
would be sufficient. Can the Butler Mitch
: Il 10 M
the legislature? Can they say that the
j legislature did not know what it was about
! and that when it says AL the members Of
: the city council it meant not all the mem
bers of the city council, but only part o
It them, viz: all the aldermen. If they hav,
l. right to change the praseology Of the Law
: in order to exclude the mayor they have 1
right to change it so as to include only ;
portion their pcrtion) of the aldermen.
The organ of the incompetent twate
u board claims that when the law speaks o
all the members Of the city council author
= lied by law to be elected the mayor mus
u not be counted!
l. As we'll might the incompetent organ 0
IS the incompetent water board say that Sec
: 9, of Art. III, which says The member,
< Of the city council shall be, ex-of6cio, fir
e. wardens aad conseryators Of the peac
[; within the city," &c. does not include tn
a. mayor, as to say that the mayors la,
D. don't include the mayor as one of the mem
at bers authorized by law to be elected.
IL Sec. 4, Of Art XI. says. "Ihe member
IL of the cit2; council and fremeu shall durin
io their terms OF service as such, he exeml
TO from serving on juries, in the militia. O
o' working on the streets, Or paying any ia
OF for t'.y same" According to the logic {
e. water l. ar3 the mayor would not be il
ar Guided in the above exemption
sh The inc9mpctcnts think that, becaus
1t the mayors name is not called or recorde
to when the yeas and nays are taken he cal
he not therefore be counted in taking censl
10 of all the members of the city counc
OK authorized by law to be elected! Nothir
I'M could be more absurd The charter pr
bal yides when the mayor shall vote and WHIT
ne he shall not vote, but 1t noaohere proud
to that he shall not be counted when an enl
meration Of all the members of the CT
he council authorized by law to be elected
s. taken. On the contrary, At provides til
ely he shall be counted, for the reason that
be makes him member of the counc
an and the very first member authorized
'ut law to be elected
'rd And, therefore, as 8 votes are requir
w, to constitute two thirds of ali the membe
ter of the city council authorized by law to
md elected; and as the incompetent wat
no board ring has never mustered votes
)ns override a removal or a veto of the mayo
ard they lack one of having done so. Tha
ous as plain as pike staff
the
N, Arrested for Larcency,
tha On Saturday morning our city marsf
,av received the following;
=, Dies MONIES, Iowa. Jan. 14th, 1876
uld Chief Of Police, Rock Island DEAR SIR
ito rest one Frank Mcmahon, VINO, believe, came
l'o your city yesterday He is about five feet eight
a We nine inches high, weighs about 16O pounds,
black curly hair. black eyes, fair complexion, sui