The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-02
ALDERMEN.

First Ward-Jo ohm Shallean.
Second Ward-M Ii. White.
Third Ward-C F. Grant,.
Fourth Ward-H. A. Barnard.
The annual report Of the city clerk was
read and accepted, and ordered filed.
The report of the street commissioner
was presented and the same was accepted.
On motion of Aid Gault the city
accepted the proposition of the Rock
River Bridge Co., to buy the bridge
and ever thing pertaining to it for the sum
of $500. The vote was as follows:
Ayes-W bite, Wheelock, Okerberg,
Gault. Tuffiey and Whipple.-6.
Nays-Grantz and Wittick-2.
On motion the council adjourned until
Saturday May 9th at o'clock.
5. L. WALKER, City Clerk.
Communication Of Alderman Grantz.
To the Editors of The Argus
The writer of the communication in The
ARGUS OF Saturday, signed IAN Old No
llue Citizen" seems to be much iuceused
at me and other Germans whose sigma
lures appear on the petition to the board
of education favoring the exclusion of
foreign languages from the common
schools. He says we are influential Ger
man citizens and prominent members of
the Turnverein and yet he takes upon him
self to be the mouth piece of that soc:e-
ty, and states that the Turnverein anu the
German element generally are opposed to
it. | beg to differ with him,
Again: He says, in signing the petition
we acted against our own best interests
and against the welfare of the German
element, one of the fundamental princi
pies of the Turnverein being the protec
ton of German interests" This is all
wrong. My interest is the same, no more.
no less, than any other citizen ought to be,
and if | understand the principles of the
Turnverein, of which am proud to be a
member. personal liberty, to the full ex
tent OF the laws and constitution of the
country, embraces the main principles o.
the society. Equal rights, and justice t.
all. do not let US the Turners) be look eC
upon as despotic,or tyrannical, in demand
ing that which we have no right to ask, il
fact, never have asked, for German ia
structlon was began only few years back
and let me ask: What good has it don,
to our German children?
Again: Have we or any other national
ity the right to demand privilege which
the laws Or the statutes do not allow us {,
have? We cannot, nor should we, ask fo
more than common English education fo
our children at public expense.
The s'Od Moline Citizen" wants ou
American born citizens to believe that the
lTurnverein is to further the German
interest more than any other. Now, &C
cording as understand the objects of thu
organization, we 1.-THE Turncrsl are boun'
to become American citizens as soon al
possible so as to make our 1.-THE German
interest iudentical with the country in which
we live. but, as he would make it appear
we are exacting aud selfish in our idea
and, outside of Germans, should protec
no interest that is not wholly German
| / signed the petition because | conside
it proper to abolish teaching the language
in the common schools. If you permi
German to be taught then you canno
Justly discard Latin, Greek, Italian, Swed
or any other foreign language, and be
lieve the majority of our citizens will carr
me out in this.
The "Old Citizen" claims that we bav
% German school etc. etc., and talks abou