Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-09
A SCHEME.
The Movement as to the Paving
Of Seventeenth.
CAN THE NEW COUNCIL BE USED?

| Body-The Hand of the Obstruction.s.
Clearly RiscernibIe-The People of tn G
Ward Have Expressed Themselves on the
| subject. t.
The criticism of the new councils
course Monday night in holding back
the paving of the section of seven
tcenth street. south of Ninth avenue.
Is not confined To party lines. parti-
san rs was the attitude of the alder
men in their votes on the subject.
the movement to hold over the pro
cecding cmanating from republican
and the republicans, without cxccp-
ton. even those previously votinv
for the ordinance, sustaining the
suspending motion. The vote ar
rayed the opposing party strength.
the eight republicans standing to-
gether for delay, and the six demo-
Gratis maintaining the well estab-
lished policy of the previous council
for progress. That the action of the
republicans was prcconcerted, and
that their actions were but the con-
iirmation OF what THE ARGUS fore
Swallowed in its issue of Monday
night was not to be disguised. The ey-
idence of the fact that the obstruction
ist had at last gotten n foot-hold in
the council was nj once apparent. and
Notwithstanding the fact that the
previous council by unanimous vote
had adopted the Seventeenth street
paving ordinance. notwithstanding
that the obstructionist then and
there defeated had made that very
act an issue in the municipal election
that followed, attacking Aid. Daubcr
for unfolding public improvements.
and that the people of the ward ac-
ceptcd the issue and spoke in no I'M
certain tones, returning Mr.. Daubcr
to the council by a handsome major
ity. Notwithstanding ali this, the
obstructionist succeeded in making
n party issue of a matter that pre-
viously had been passed upon. by
clcvcrlv conceived and executed plan.
whipping the republicans into line
to DO his bidding.
The Significant Feature.
The fact that the last section of the
street pavement has received & tenn
porarv set back is not the most sir
niiicant feature OF the course of the
council Monday night. The inten-
ton il to defeat the entire project. rs
Aid. Corken rightly said. The dis
eliminating policy of the aldermen
rs regards the Improvement is but
greater evidence of the sympathy of
the republican party for those who
have abundance of this worlds goods
to the utter disregard of those who
have not. and the intended effect Of
this discrimination il is the expecta-
tation OF some OF the republican
councilmen to eventually react
against the entire Seventeenth street
project. That the majority repre-
sentation in the council has no idea
that Seventeenth beyond Ninth
avenue, ut least. will now he paved,
Is not to be doubted. As part of the
scheme flashed Monday night was 4
petition praying the council to turn
its attention TO Twentieth street.
This was the something pretty
urgent" that Aid. Schneider at
tempted to bring up.
Now THE ARGUS is not opposed to
the paving of Twcntienth street, and
if the pushing through of Seven
tecnth is to result in the completion
OF the Twentieth street improvement.
too. it j. so much the better and so
much mere to the credit OF the old
council. THE ARGUS does not blame
the people on Twentieth street for
wanting their street paved. but they
should not seek to have il done at
the expense of another street. The
propcrtv-holdcrs on Twentieth street
are suffering from the same obstacle
that those on Seventeenth have been
struggling against and are struggling
to overcome.
That the Twentieth improvement
should be used rs an argument why
Seventeenth should be abandoned is
q mere subicrfuge. The Twentieth
street pavement was ordered first,
and has been delayed by the mysteri-
Gus interference of just such inilu-
cnces as are now seeking to retard
the progress of the work on Seven
teenth. Why has not Twentieth
street been paved before this? Who
can find better answer than the OBJ
structionist. who is now attempting
to divert attention from Seventeenth?
Can anyone in Rock Island familiar
with the history of the locality and
those who have sought to build it up
and advance it.and those who have al
WAYS stood like stone wall in the
path of progress. he made to believe
this individual is any more in favor
of Twentieth street than he Is IN Ia
voa of Seventeenth. The ARGUS
says let both streets be paved, II de-
sirablc, but don't stop the one that
the city has gone ahead on so far for
the one that up to date selfish lniiu-
cnce has succeeded in staying the
progress of. even though the contract
has been formally let.
The Only Proper Course.
There is no inclination to uphold a
course that would he oppressive to