The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-02-08
Cheeky Demands.

Two very remarkable bills were intro
duced in the Illinois senate on Saturday
One OF them proposes to appropriate $5,-
900 for the relief of Samuel Mohr, who
lost one arm in firing salute al Garfield
ratification meeting" The other gives
$4,000 to John A. Lyle, who lost both
arms in performing similar service at a
soldiers reunion. There is not says the
Chicago Times. ghost Of prstsnse that
either Of the MANNED persons was engag-
cd in serving the state or the perfor-
nance of any public duty when his in
juries were received, The business in
which they were employed was purely and
simply one of private pleasure. II Mr.
Mohr. in the exaberance of his JOY. had
stupefed himself with whisky and
in that condition broken his neck, his heirs
would have had claim upon tho state of
Illinois for damages to the full as legiti-
mate as that which is low presented for
him, Mr.. Lyles case is not essentially
different. His participation in a meeting
OF ex-soldiers was purely a voluntary mat
the state, He attended for his own pleas
ure; aud the occasion gives him no better
title to public consideration than If it had
been a circus. Even if it were admitted
that there is something of quasi public
character IN such a meeting of soldiers
there would still BE lacking evidence that
the firing of cannon was an essential part
of the proceedings In fact there is no
evidence, SO far as appears at this writ
ing. in either case showing that the bene-
hciaries Of these bills do not owe their
manning to their own careessness. Il is
claimed-and this is the sole connection
alleged between the commonwealth Of
Illinois and these unfortunate casualties
that the cannon by which the harm was
done were the property of the state, and
were defective" 1t this is true, the
public might be concerned to know how
many more of the great guns which are
depended upon for the maintenance OF the
state s peace and dignity. aud the suppress
sion OF resurrection or the repelling of in
vsders, are like these, more dangerous to
friends than foes. But the chances are
that 1t is not true, aud that instead what
ever defects" were in the guns resulted
from ignorance or negligence in hand
ling them when the alleged
premature explosions" occurred.
Passing by the manifest Inconsistency of
the bills in proposing grant of 1000 to
the man who lost one arm and but So 900
to the loser oftwo-a discrimination which
appears to rest on the ground that the
$4,000 arm was lost in the service of the
dominant party in the state, while the
the sacrifice of two arms was made at q
presumably non partisan mseting-it
must be said that the presentation OF such
claims Ii an outrage on common sense. LII
the idea underlying them. which is that
the state should pay men for damage
incurred in party service or pleasure
aeeking-were brought to public notice
unctlcialiy, it would be iidicuied as tie
extreme of absurdity. Put in the form II
q bill deliberately proposing to rob the
treasury, it becomes positive crime,
There is no fattery to the authors of these
bills in saying that such schemes could
only have been born of an unadultsrated
unreasonable and utterly eonscienceless