Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-11
A BRIGHT EPIsTLE.
Bigoted Attack Upon the Argus for
Assertirg that the Leg Atty OF Au-
gustana College students Voting

Bigoted Attack Upon the Argus for
Asserting that the Leg aIisy-of Au-
gustana College students Voting
should he Inquired Into.
An anonymous individual, whose bril-
liancy and ambition are Offset. we regret
to say. by bigotry and lack Of experience,
has sent a communication to the morning
newspaper published in this city and
which that institution eagerly published
ATTACKING the ARGUS for holding the
belief of large part Of the population
of Rock Island, that there is question as
to whether the transient students at that
college are legally privileged to vote in
Rock Island; and for publishing the
names of thirty six Of these students who
are known to have voted, at the last
election, and whose residences are indi>
Gated by their own registration. as else
where. For doing this the ARGUS has
been accused by this smart correspond
ent OF dong its utmost to create
prejudice and i'll feeling against the
college. Tie correspondent who makes
that accusation may be too bigoted, or
he may be SO far above the average in
telligence that he cannot comprehend it,
but. to express it plainly, he is guilty of
bare faced and malicious falsehood.
The sophomore who thus asssils the
ARGUS egotlstically remarks 1.-THE gentle
men belonging to the college, who vote
at our elections. usually vote indepen.
IDENTIFY, according to their best judgment.
and as they are possessed of far more
than the average intelligence of the vot>
ing population. are not at all likely to
vote biindly." The ARGUS, which does
not place itself above the common herd
of humanity Or the average intelligence
of man, does nevertheless take IL upon
itself to remark, though it does so in its
most humble manner, even TO clothing
itself III sack cloth and ashes, that il has
never attacked Augustana college; it has
never been otherwise than friendly to that
institution Of learning under any
and all con 1itions. 1t has upheld
1t. supported it, and striven to aid
it in every way possible, as its faculty
know. How much less would it be apt
now to raise is voice in opposition to 1t
when it contains within its walls young
men possessed of far more than the
average intelligence of the voting popula-
ton" How fortunate Rock Island is in
having these highly cultured, natures
gifted youths amor 6 US, and how kind
and considerste it would be of the college
faculty to tag them so that we may know
and gaze upon them with admiration and
awe when they come down town and
mingle with the common herd-the
average voting population"
OF course in the face of the high self
estimation in which the sophomore holds
! himself. the high % opinion in which he
holds also the classes who, by their ball
lots, shape not only the policy Of the city
government of Rock Island. but the des-
tiny of the greatest nation on earth. the
ARGUS would not presume to take too
many liberties in replying to the state
ments which he makes, but it will say this
much frankly: that the assertion that
the gentlemen belonging to the college.
who vote at or elections usually vote
independently according to their best
Judgment" is hosh, Notwithstanding the
supreme intellect of those voters. 1t
is as utterly barren of truth as
the remark that the ARGUS has attempted
to create any Ill feeling toward Angus
tana college. The students of that col
lege-notwithstandi that they ''are
possessed of far more than the average
intelligence OF the voting population
vote like so many geese or cattle, one
leads and the others follow; as one goes
the others 90. But this is nobody's bus
mess and it would not have been brough:
in but for the high-sounding self con
ceited remark of the sophomore.
The ARGUS has only to repeat that it
has no desire to enter into a controversy
with Augustsna college or the students,
and in candor. it does not believe tina,
the endorsement of that institution goes
with the communication which is respon
sible for these remarks. Neither does
the ARGUS believe that all the students
have the exalted opinion of them
selves as the one who wrote the bril-
liant epistle. Tie ARGUS has. in the line
of duty as newspaper. agitated the
question Of investigating the legality Of
certain of the students voting, without
questioning how they voted or making
anything of personal or disrespectfu
attack upon them. For this, and this
alone, a great mass Of pent up intellect Ii
thrown away upon the world, which, in
this country, is composed of no more in
telligence than tie leverage voting pop
ulation."