Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-10
WHAT SHALL THE ISSUE REQ
Ae coming School Election ann tho
'ehisent Under.tandins With
Which all Shouid yote-I., Thar.
be Nothing concealed.

understanding With
which all Should Vote-Let There
be Nothing concealed.
w. B. Ferguson is being urged as
candidate for member of the board of
eoocation at the forthcoming election to
succeed the retiring member, DR.. George
E. Barth.
Inc information has come to The
ARGUS, though with what degree of truth
we are not prepared to say, that the cam
didacy of Mr. Ferguson is sustained bv
Ihe A. P. A. order, and should he
De elected. it is with the understanding
that he is to acknowledge obligation to
thst organization. AS stated above. THE
ARGUS has no positive knowledge that
Mr. Ferguson is the candidate of any par.
tlcular sect, but it does hold that if he is,
the public should know it. The time has
come in the history of Rock Island school
elections when the issue should be made,
and the people should know for what prin-
clples they are voting as well as for
what men. All are familiar with
The disgraceful tactics which have char
acterized the two last school elections in
Rock Island, and to what extent secret
ana illegal methods have been carried TO
thWart the will of the people. The AR.
GUS holds that in school elections, above
all others, there should be fair play, and
the elimination of everything that tends
OF prejudice or narrow-mindedness. The
proper men should be selected-men who
are known to be friends of our public
schools, while religious prediction
should be no consideration. Far would
it be from the purpose of The ARGUS to
support any one who is
known, or reliably suspicioned
of being unfriendly to our public schools
or in sympathy by word or act with par
ochial schools. Catholic, Lutheran or
otherwise.
One year ago through the most IN
warranted and disreputable misrepresen-
tation on the one hand, and the boldest
and most outrageously illegal procedure
on the other, one of the best members
of the board of education was defeated,
the voice of the people smothered and
their will trodden under foot by non resi-
dent voters. The defeat of that member
involved al apparent reputation by the
people of one of the bast records ever
made on the Rock Island school board
But such it was. A class sctuated
wholly by prejudice and with a falsehood
as their watchword, glosted over the de-
feat of that member, for they accom-,
plished it and the legal voters did
not. A false cry that that member
favored the Catholic church, and
the introduction of illegitimste votes &C.
cempilshed the purpose. 1t is the
repetition of such disgrace that THE
ARGUS seeks to avoid. If the A. P. A.
has candidate of its own letis be known,
and if that organization has any charge
to make against another candidate let
it be made openly and boldly, so that
they may be proven or denied. according
to the accuracy or falsity of the same.
In word, let the issue be made if the
A. P. A. or any other secret organization
| proposes TO run the Rock Island
! public schools, and we will see how the
people feel toward the proposition.
Give the people chance to vote intelli.
gently and fairly, and if Mr.. Ferguson is
the svowed candidate of the A. P. A. lei
the fact be known in justice to the voters
and TO himself