The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-03
The CITY Dads.

The meeting OF the city council last
evening was quite interesting. There
was several little ''spats" between the
aldermen to give a sort of flavorlng TO the
proceedings, and Alderman Bennett got
his work in on the health ordinance with
out the slightest ripple of opposition
Alderman Bennett attacked the mayor
and city attorney for net having secured
the proiiles Of city waterworks, which had
been purloined by some one long time
since. The mayor explained that he had
just got on the track of them, and had
been working up the case for some time.
City Attorney Corbett explained that he
was not empowered to bring replevin
snit for the protilcs.
Alderman Sinnet said the eastern part
of the city was sadly in need of light and
that the people in his ward thought they
We're being sighted by the council. The
down town aldermen didn't care as long
as their part of the town was well
lighted, Alderman Schroeder, of the
same ward. also complained, when Alder
man Bennett interrupted by saying, twill
you allow me to ask you a question:
Yes" said Alderman Schroeder
IF it is SO dark in the upper end OF
town, why did you have the electric light
at Brooks crossing removed to directly in
front Of your grocery storeI'
Ittook Alderman Schroeder several min
utcs to recover from the attack, the words
being hurled at him with great fore by
the gentleman from the Second ward
Alderman Schroeder explained, howev.
er that the light at Brooks crossing was
still there. 1t was an electric light tower,
and he did not want to be accused of cars
rying that tower down to his store.
A perceptible litter went around thu
room when the communication of Peter
Morgart was read, charging Officer Dun,
ker with being drunk on the Goth of Jan
uary and insulting him in Given & Bell!
saloon. Everybody admitted that it wa
wrong for a policeman to get drunk, i
such was the case. and expressions Of
coincidence for the immaculate Pete were
heard on every side, Pete should be pro
tectcd against his traducers.
1t was quite amusing to sec how tht
health ordinance or compulsory vaccina,
ton question was handled Before th,
minutes Of the previous meeting wert
adopted Alderman Bennett wanted to
have the clause read that the ordinance
be taken upon its passage" instead OF
being taken up" In stating his request
he said he did not wish i
understood that the ordinance had
passed, but simply to make the
minutes read right He would take The
ordinance up again at a proper time and
then move its passage. The minutes
were altered as he requested, but when he
brought the question up for a vote later
in the evening the mayor rHled that the
ordinance had been passed, and that sec
ton II was repealed. Mr.. Bennett did
not understand it so, but Of course ac>
quicsCed, in the action Of the mayor, for
it was just what he wanted Although
two aldermen, Briggs and Collins. both
opposed To Benefits anti vaccination
theory. were absent. fair majority OF
the aldermen present were opposed to it,
and simply voted with Mr.. Bennett to
have the minutes changed rs he desired
The changing Of the minutes, of course,
would practically make Mr.. Bennett
motion successful, but he did that with
the explicit understanding that the action
was not final and should be voted upol
again. This was the reason that the al
dermen voted as they did. The matter is
more complicated now than at the previ-
Gus meeting and the ARGUS protests
against the passage of the ordinance, anC
claims that there is a good maiorit,
against it, and had it been brought right
" to a vote last night that it would have
been defeated. The mayor should vet,
the ordinance until proper action is taker
upon it by the council.