Rock Island daily Argus., 1893-01-12

IO,ooO people, Including men, women and chill
dren. or these, %, 500 were discharged by the
magistrate, because, in most cases, no Of
Tense of any kind was proven, yet these people
had been arrested, sometimes dubbed, taken
through the streets in charge of officers, and
sometimes kept in prison several days, just as
if they were charged with murder; and all this
not on any charge OF crime, but generally at
the mere discretion of some man wearing the
uniform OF law. When they finally got out
reason stated. or ire remaining 3s,O5O little
over 5000 were sem to prison for various terms
by the magis trate, because OF their inability to
10 pay the fines which had been imposed, and
nearly ALL except about ninety OF these, were
charged with trivial orenses, generally
simply disorderly conduct Yet their
treatment was the same II tley had
committed highway robbery, except that in the
latter case they would have had something like
u fair trial The practice has long prevailed in
Chicago and other cities OF raids being made by
the police in the night time and as many
hundred or more men and WON en-, sometimes
only women arrested and carried to prison IN
one night, on no specific charge OF crime but
simply at the caprice OF a policeman. These
cases have 10 be continued till the next morn.
by professional bailor. The justice charges
dollar for taking each bond, and the bailor
all he can get for signing IL, that ii Is ex-
ceedingly profitable business for those con-
nected with the so-called police court While
the law al present provides that nearly all
other officers shall pay what fees they collect
into the public treasury, and shall receive a
salary for the services they render, this does
not seem to apply TO the magistrates The law
should be made more strict, and prohibit every
officer, whether JUG icial executive, who is in
any way connected with the administration OF
justice, from keep ng any fees under any pre-
text Tor, SO long as he profits by the
amount OF bus ness that is run in,
there Is standing bribe to do injus-
tice. The law Should secure to all persons
fair jury trial before judgment can be pro-
bison The socsed fHF raids nether nrsyent
nor punish crime, but are simply irritants, and
ii is notorious fact that real criminals fire.
quently ply their vocation with great boldness
these raids made and
they go uncaught and unpunished On the other
hand, there are many cases in which the police
are rendered powerleSs TO suppress crime by
reason of political intrigue and interference.
Our police system should be, as far as possible,
placed beyond the reach OF this character OF in
terference.
will also in this connection, direct your atten-
Hon to the fact that our system OF administering
Justice in this state does not command the en-
tire confidence OF the public. This is due TO the
fact that, with our present machinery, Gtiga-
ton is 80 prolonged, and rendered so uncertain,
without regard to he merits of the case that
many prudent men feel they had better re-
linQuiSh a claim and submit TO an injustice than
who are directly oc jupied in the administra tion
OF justice in the hi gher courts OF this state are
not only OF the most able and learned, but OF
the highest character and unquestioned integ-
rity. Bnt the system is so detective that per
sonal ability cannot overcome its deficiencies.
Public Service.
1t will be our duty 10 endeavor to reduce the
expense OF the civi service OF the state. There
has been tende lcy TO create unnecessary
boards, and, while some OF these do not draw
salary, they are pa d their expenses and per
diem, and they ma rage TO draw large sums out
OF the state treasury. Many of these should be
abolished, and their duties, so far as they per-
form any necessary service, be assigned to some
OF the regular county or state officers, who
could attend to them without increased
pense 10 the public Again, the public service
Is frequently GROVE ed by placing many more
persons on the payroll than are necessary TO do
the work. This no. only increases the eXpendi-
ture. but destroys he efficiency OF the service
NJ m n IN M ar u
work, no one OF them will make effort all
become careless, thoroughness will be lacking,
and the result will De poor service l desire to
say word in this connection in regard to the
extraordinary demand for offices, both elective
and appointive. While there are many men
anxious to hold ONCE for the honor OF serving
the people, and without reference 70 salary
there is no doubt that the demand is largely due
TO the fact that the applicants can get larger
salaries while no ding office than they can
earn at the private employment for which they
are qualified The people OF Illinois are willing
TO pay fair salaries for the service rendered,
yet the quest is worth considering, whether
IL we were to reduce salaries, we would not get
rid OF the persistent demand for official posi-
tlons, and at the same time increase the eni-
cheney OF the service. AS the matter now
stands, many capable but modest men who
would gladly serve for moderate sal
ary are deferred from applying II is a
mistake to suppose that high salaries
secure higher grade OF service to the public;
IL anything, they have the opposite effect They
give the office the Character OF spoils, and sim
ply increase the en1eavor to obtain it by men
who want IL for the money there is in it. In
some states the experiment has been made of
paying officials high salaries, and in none OF
them has the service been improved While
must pay such salaries will enable poor
men to hold Office ret we must not lose sight
Of the fact that we, get the highest grade OF
service from those men who esteemtt an honor
o secondary consid GRAFTON. -
Nearly all the 81 eat institutions of the state
have have for years ears been & conducted on partisan
This has created feeling of bitterness, and
there is a wideSpre ad demand that there shall
be change in the management There is also
a belief that many of these institutions
travagant and that their expenses are unneces-
sarly increased to accommodate political favor
ties. InaSmuch as it will be our duty to have
them run in as economical manner possible
1t Will be necessary that those in charge shall
be in thorough sympathy with the adminlstra-
tion. Such changes as may be nee
essary shah be made. care being
highest degree of excellence possible. /
wish, however, in this connection, 10 submit
that the time has come in the development of
our great state when its public service should
politics and when We should establish by law a
CLASSIFIED civil service based upon honesty and
capabihty, such as already prevails in some of
the eastern states. In all cases where the
head officer is not directly responsible for the
acts OF his SubOrd mates such Il civil service
system should be established This would ap-
ply 10 attendants in our state charitable and
reforTnatory institu tons and in the government
of our cities
Chains oil Labor
The state of Iilin 1is already contains one OF
the greatest industrial communities in the
world and is rapidly growing. Not only are
hundreds OF millions Of capital invested, but
employment is given TO hundreds OF thousands
OF persons. The state must do justice 20 both
Anployer and employe, il must to it that
law and order are maintained, and that life and
property are thoroughly protected. Any weak
ness in this regard would be pusilianimous and
invite iucalculahlc evils. On the other hand,
the state must not pursue such policy as to
: N lAhnTinU rpnIlp
the authority OF the state is simply con-
yenient club for the use OF the employer.
W hen the state fol Ows such policy it forfeits
the confidence of its people and itself sOws
the seed of anarchy. We must not forget that
the law contcmpla that the civil officer Shall
protect life and property, and for this purpose
may order out pos cornitatus when necessary,
and that too nasty ordering out Cf the mill
tary creates ir-it stiou ana bitterness. which
frequently results in unnecessary bioOdshed.
Many civil o acers have shown disposition. tc
shirk their duty during strike, and this has
been followed by the Introduction OF an ire
sponstDie armed force controlled 10y private in
dIyiduals. The pre- Sence OF these armed Stran-
gers always act as an irritation and tends to
provoke riot and.C isorder, and we should take
warning by the ex lerience of some 'of sis
ter states and alb olutely pronibit the o;