The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-28

the part Of aldermen upon the prstence Gifts
being an expression Of the sCsU of the people
ended just as might have been expected, -
it became very apparent to the managers
at an early stage the move was q failure,
and they ingloriously fed and left the 6eld
to those who Gained the excitement and
led the assembly to better and more SEN
sible conclusion. It is clearly to be seen the
will of the people in this city don't favor
imperious coercion Of a public officer who
has openly and conscientiously discharged
what he believed to be his duty. has voted
and acted as he thought right. even
though he may have been mistaken in his
views and somewhat hasty in his action.
The ARGUS has heretofore expressed
The opinion that the city council should
have granted Mr.. Harper's request for q
sewer, and it still adherss to that opinion.
Not because Mr.. Harper owns the build
ing-the ownership is of no consequence,
but because OF its character and intended
use, which bring it within the meaning
and intent of the law as public building
for public uses, and which must necessari-
ly be provided with all the modern i'm.
provements and safeguards to insure health
and safety which public use implies and
requires. The city undoubtedly has the
right to prohibit for public use building
so constructed that the mephitic poison OF
of night soil or other impurities perme-
ates its atmosphere aud Injuries the health
or jeopordizes the lives of the audiences
which might assemble there; and further,
lit is not only the duly
of the city to see that eli
proper precautions are used, but to afford
the necessary facilities for providing safe
guards, especially SO when they can only
be obtained through the action Of the city
itself.
We admit the subject is one upon which
there might be, aud undoubtedly is, al
honest difference of opionion, and the AR
Gus has no wish or Intention to harshl!
lcriticise the action either of Mr.
Harper's friends or the action Of the cit,
council.
i The council committed 10 the first in
stance a very unusual breach of courtesy
towards Mr., Harper, whether intentiona
Tor not, and SO far placed itself in tn
wrong. Mr., Harper felt the affront deep
ly. and threatened TO not open his oper
house at all-something, If we had been i
his place we wonld not have said
Mr.. Harper's personal friends called al
Indignation meeting; the spirit and purpos
of such a meeting was wrong in inception
and useless in the outcome. a publ
J meeting at Lest is but.aD expression Q
: such as may be present, anG its resolve
! rarely if ever can be taken as the sentiment
} or wishes of the great body of people VII
J do not attend. But any meeting gotten u
: for the ayowed purpose of coercion @
bulldozing is wrong and indefensibIe, an
! THE ARGUS is as infexible as steel in il
t opposition to such proceedings.
t To. the public it will probabl
be matter of surprise ths
o the Organ of the workingmel
r in spite of its pledges at Turner hall an
8 elsewhere to be their devoted servan
: should have been first and foremost 10 in
8 periously and haughtily calling upon a
a dermen elected by its party to resign-d
t sorting its party and friends, and upon
q question which neither called for such a
q ton. nor is justified by the events whiC
have taken place.