Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-17
THE WIRE WAR.
Another Reason why the Ordinance
Passed at the Late special Meeting |
- Iiiegal---The Fight Mt Chicago.

rs Iiiegai---The Fight Mt Chicago.
While it is claimed that The ordinance
passed at the special meeting of the city
council Saturday evening is Illegal from
the fact that sufficient time did not elapse
between the serving of the notices and the
time of meeting. there is another cogent
reason that challenges the validity OF
said ordinance. A glance at the minutes
of the proceedings Saturday evening
shows the following: "on point OF
order the mayor tAld. Schroeder) ruled
that the ordinance was u committee re-
port; and there being two objections
aldermen Howard and SimnoD) the or
dinance would 60 over to the next regu-
lar meeting under the law" Mr..
Schroeder afterwards changed his ruling.
saying that there had been no committee
report.
Now let us go back a little. At the meet
ing OF October ., Alderman Howard made
motion to the effect that the ordinance
mmittee--Alderman Schroeder, chair
man--draft an ordinance taxing the
Western Union Telegraph company's
poles and granting them the right of way
through the city. The ordinance COM
mittee was so instructed. The minutes
of the proceedings of tine regular Novem.
Der, December and January meetings show
that Alderman SchFoeder. of the ordin>
ance committee. asked further time on
the Western Union Telegraph COM
pany ordinance" which request was
granted at each of the meetings.
Now comes the special meeting
and Alderman Schroeder, acting as
ordinance, and says it is the committees
report. Two aldermen raisv an objec- |
ton and Schroeder correctly rules that
action will have to be deferred until the
mex, regular meeting. A recess is taken,
the Brush company representatives but
tonhole Schroeder, and on reassembling |
he changes his ruling, and says his com
mittee has made no report Nevertheless,
the minutes show 1t was the committees
report, and if the mayor acts discreetly
he will not approve the ordinance. 1t is
very evident that Schroeder has put his
foot in 1t.
Adair Peasants, Esq, and City Attor-
ney MoEniry left last evening for Chicago
to be present at the argument before
Judge Gresham in the federal courts to-
day, of the motion of the Western
Union company to enjoin the Rock Island
County Brush Electric Light company
from sending the electric currents
through the wires of the latter on
Second avenue between Seventeenth and
Nineteenth streets. Mr.. Peasants goes
in behalf of the Brush company and Mr..
McEniry attends for the purpose of fa-
himself with the case in the l.,
event of the city becoming entangled
in the contest between the companies by
reason of the action of Saturday nights
special council meeting.
The Union of this morning attempts to
explain the joint action of the council
and Brush company Saturday night, By
the stand the ARGUS
maintains in condemning the proceedings ,
of that snecial session. The Aecus ia
under no obligations to either ,hs Tele.
graph or Brush company; 1t is the friend r
NJ both cornor.tions and the friend of
me M more than the other II would
bavs taken M mar, In the nresent ,it;oa.
lion had not, the citv hscome need,ess,v
rvolved The Apars ia not interes,ed
in e;,bar corporatio, and I, wand no,
hermit nersonal wall beinp to overthrow
ia convic,ions ~ nub,ic RIGHT and wrong
? II was Il, Ia surnrisino ,brouob what
n auonce a few shares of stock in an on
.ernrise will uield--as ev;denced nv tho
Union for Instance
Wben the Unfou asser,s that the COINS
,irs action Of Saturday evening "meets
With the oenersI snnrohation NJ our ci,i.
,ens - II ia either in wof,l lack If infor.
nation or disnos;tion tn obtain the trne
entiment of the public or /, lies. and If
+ we're necessary IN pursue an investioas
inn It would nrobablv be found that thu
oncerp il affected with the three evIls-'
ndo,epoa instrumentation and fabr;
=
,, - a
'rompteo ny spirit Vi ueienoing PUBIC o
nstce--and not with view OF gaining a
popular approval of Its course--has re-
ejvsd MANY an unsopobt commitment
800, .,.,Ip i