The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-17
Water Board Wisdom and Water Board
Grammar.

10y hioi mug, uttCIcu the iOiiOWluS dS-
chunk of Water Board wisdom,
viz:
1.-THE board of aldermen is the people
and Their actions are the peoples ldsos"
There's grammar, and wisdom also, real
water board grammar and wisdom.
The theory Of our government is that
persons chosen to such positions as alder
men, supervisors, members of legislatures,
or congress, represent the people. 1t not
being convenient for all people to meet
and transact their business, they have
agreed to vote for men to represent them.
The men thus chosen are not the people,
as the water board organ says, but they
are chosen to represent the people, and if
they prove recreant to the voice of the
people, and they do not represent or carry
out the will of the people, as expressed
through the ballot box, then they deserve
the execration of all good men, and should
never be trusted again in a representative
capacity.
Now, what are the facts. as applied to
our board of aldermen? Simply these:
At the last election the water board ring
was repudiated in every ward in the city.
The leading opponent of that penny wise,
and pound foolish incompetent ring was
for the seventh time, chosen mayor, and
by the largest majority ever given to any
mayor for that Office; and aldermen were
chosen, in every ward, who were supposed
to be opposed to the miserable manage
ment of the water board and friendly to
the mayor. The people repudiated the
public management of Butler, Davis,
Carse, Bailey and Woodruff, and it then
became their duty to listen to and obey
the voice Of the people, as espresso d
through the ballot box Instead of doing
this, they at once commenced tactious
and spiteful opposition to every act OF the
peoples mayor, Their very first act was
to crawfsh on their own position OF the
year previous. Then they claimed thai
the mayor (Galt) ought to be consulted as
to his choice for clerk and marshal, anC
the Democrats in the board admitted the
Justice of so doing, for the reason that. il
order to make his (Galt's) administration
success those holding most intimate
official relations with him should be friend
ly to him, and not enemies who would TT.
TO thwart him in measures he deemet
proper for the public good. The Demo
Gratis therefore acquisced in the course in
dicated by Butler & Co.
| How was it last spring? Would no
consistency on the part of Butler 4 70
have required the same course to be pur
sued then? Most certainly. But, instea
of preserving their consistency they Sc
duced Bill Atkinson into their ranks an
crawfshed on their own fair proposition G
the previous year. And all through thi
year they have, under the lead of Butler
repudiated the voice of the people and ri
the city in the interest of the same incom
petent and repudiated water board, 1t
another instance among hundreds, show
ing that men educated at the peoples e.
pense, at West Point, as general rul'
hold the people and their will in contempt
that they do not believe in the represent;
tive theory Of our government, but, whel
ever they get an opportunity, reverse th
theory and attempt to dictate to the
masters. We are not surprised that Blu
Ter, with his West Point theories, shou
hold the pesplei in contempt and attempt
e dictate to them, instead of carrying o
their will as expressed through the ball
box. But we were never more astonish'
in our lives than when he deliberately r
pudiated his own position of the yo
previous in regard to consulting the wis
of the mayor. Pride of consistency,
seems to US, would have compelled him
treat Mayor Davenport exactly as
: treated Mayor Gait, in that respect. .
: he bury pride of consistency and go ba
: on his own previous fair proposition fro
y partizan motives, or to please person
II enemies of the mayor? In either case
-" showed that he is not the right man
: place in public position.
The water board organ says their 1t
{ aldermen's actions are the peoples law:
Z Here is another false theory-precis'
i such as West Point dictator would
> likely to write. The water board org
% makes no qualification whatever,
i claims that whatever the water boa
Z aldermen carry through the council is la
d and, by fair inference, that the wa
board ring is the ruler of the people a
that the dictation OF the water board
u man has right to resist. "1heir dctlt
!, are the peoples la,os," says water boa
, wisdom. No more unsound or yicit
cheory could be uttered. The acts OF
a aldermen are only legal and binding wi
: in accordance with the charter and
= laws of the state When otherwise, tt
are of no more binding effect than wo
be the acts of base ball club 1t is qu
: evident that the people have got to hi
another tussle with this incompetent &
\ dictatorial water board before their We
a will be respected,
ie New prints at Wivill Il Co.'S 1901
of
,ir POLICE COURT.
Id