The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-15


mayor didn't hand in his list of names, and |
of course the members of the old board
hold over until their successors are duly
appointed and quail fed Union.
THE ARGUS made no intimation as to
what the mayor would or would not do, for
it had no knowledge on that point 1t said
By the terms of the ordinance creating
the water board the terms of Office of all
the members and all the officers expired on
the first Monday in January, on which
day, or at the first meeting thereafter, the
council is required to elect new board.
But the mayors law superceeds that
part of the ordinance in regard to the man
per of appointment and confers on the
mayor power to appoint. Of course no
one can now claim that the term of Office
of all the board has not expired, and it will
be the duty of the mayor to appoint at the
the next meeting.
The ordinance referred to is unconsti-
utional and illegal in one respect, because
contrary to the charter, which provides
that the term of all city officers shall ex-
pire on the second Tuesday in March
Boynton was not reappointed last January,
but claimed to hold over, under the rule
that he was entitled to the office until his
successor should be appointed, The mayor
removed him aud the council failed to
disapprove of the removal by the necessary
number of votes Of course Boynton was
therefore, out of office and has been ever
since. The questions of whether Boynton
is the right sort of man for superenten-
dent, or whether ne needs a Job, or
needs money, have nothing whatever to do
with the matter-they should cut no figure
whateverin the discussion; they are not in
issue at all, The only question to be
decided is whether Boynton is or is not
legally in Office.
: Mr.. Mitchell resigned and the mayor
' accepted his resignation and appointed his
successor. The council did not confirm
his successor, but Mr. Mitchell had no
e more business on the board, after his resig-
: nation had been accepted, than any other
citizen. Yet he has had the assurance to
. continue to act, after he had resigned and
his resignation had been accepted by the
e mayor, The Butler Mitchell ring claim
: that the mayor had no right to accept hi:
h resignation, but in this they are clearly
wrong. for the reason that when he re
It signed the mayors law was in force ano
Re all power of appointment 70 city office
is was vested in the mayor after that &C
o became law.-and, of course, tht
n officer having power to appoint has also
power to accept resignation.
The mayor removed Butler, Carse anc
'e Davis, and appointed their successors, bu
J. the Butler water board ring could not mus
70 ter the necessary eight votes in the coun
II ell (modestlv including their own, for the,
10 voted for thelDselves) to disapprove O
le their removal, and, therefore. they were GU
Of Office whether their successors were in o
io not.
&c Neither Mitchell, Butler Carse or Da
IL Wis are members Of the water board, bu
~ they having majority in the council wit
Bill Atkinson have the effrontery to az
!; as members. Their ring being in tn
~ majority with Billy in the council, can II
10 refuse to confirm anybody the mayor az
Il points-but they have not votes enough t
J. disapprove of his removals or of his vetoe
- They are out Of Office but they have I'll
:. cheek to play water commissioners whe
they know they are not water commissio
ers. And Bill Atkinson's vote enable
- them to indorse their own acts by majo
- ity in the council-but it does not enab
=, them to disapprove of the mayors act
That's about the way the matter stand
They cant use dollar in money withol
the mayors consent. And they dare n
Ter go to the circuit court and ask Jude
ng Peasants to say that the mayor is not
" member Of the city council, or that sew,
So is two thirds of eleven
-. The people will take that matter in
their own hands in few weeks, in Il
nd election of one alderman in each ward, al
ock will then decide whether they want co
Is tlnuance of the old Incompetent wat
. ., board or not 1t is our opinion that tn
, do not The ring of men who foisted
'ho debt of over 100000 upon the people
GIG this city without thtir consent, and tn
TT sguandered the money in worthless j
wis of work that had nearly all to be do
md over again, are not the men tn
'cS the people of this city want
Office They have run the wat
an works-in loose and incompetent wa
,et- causing thousands of dollars of unnec'
liza sary expense; they run their little lilies
avs machine called the water board and the
with Bill Atkinson run the city eount
o The people decided against that ring
low an immense majority, last spring. but E
for Atkinson has kept them in power anotf
r a year, and utterly ignored the will of t
in people of every ward in the city, as {
isit presse' through the ballot box. 0
and more trial and the people will be rid of t
was rule of that incompetent water works S
mot Change on the Peoria.
ice. By notice at the head of the first C