Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-12
OUR COMMON CAUSE
The New Court House and
What it is to Us All.
ALL EYES ARE ON THE BOARD.


The board of supervisors met in
december session at the court house
this afternoon at o'clock, Chairman
r. M. Sinnet presiding.
Aside from the ordinary course of
events and business of the county
which calls the peoples representa-
tives together from all portions of
the county, the board is entrusted
with duty at this session which is
the most important act that ever de-
volved upon the upervisors-the
taking of steps looking to the issu-
ing OF bonds to the amount of 1923
600 for the erection of new county
court house.
Impressed With the Duty.
The supervisors all seem impressed
with the duty that is before them, and
it is gratifying to note the manifest
determination on the part of all of
them to take hold of the work at
once and carry out the will of the
tax payers, as evinced at the polls on
election day. One of the members
from the country said this morning,
Il voted against the submission
of the bond issue proposition, and /
voted and worked against its APP
proval on election dav, but | see that
the people of the county think differ
ent from THAT was wrong in nv
position, and that by long odds the
prevailing sentiment of the county is
for the bond issue and the new court
| house. l submit most graciouslv to
the will of the majority. Henceforth
l am for the court house. and YOU
can count on my most earnest efforts
to put it through, and put it through
right. and quick, at that. The
court house will be built. and built
at once. have talked with many OF
the other supervisors and all are pre-
pared to take hold of this matter.
and unless | mistake very much, the
present board will show the people
that it is ready to do the will of the
tax payers, and do il promptly and
properly"
A Proud Privilege.
| The members, so far as The ARGUS
has seen them, realize the privilege
that it is the present boards in
are proud of it, and have come pre-
pared to give it their best thought,
their time and their energies and
labor, and to devote the entire win
ter to the preliminaries to the end
tn at the corner stone may be laid at
the very opening of spring.
One Man Power to he Avoided.
The ARGUS has previously had &C.
basion to aliude to an attempt bv one
person to obtain from the board the
authority to furnish all plans in the
way of architecture and to have SUI
pervision as well. of the building,
but it was hoped that such an auda-
cious performance would not be at
tempted by anyone. Today, how
ever. Chairman S. j. Collins, of the
republican county committee, is pre-
senting his claims to members for
Just such position. Having armed
himself with plans. etc, he is laying
his case before the members and
seeking their approval of his scheme,
and much to beregretted he is Great
ing the impression that he has a
cinch on the job he seeks. Without
prejudice to Mr.. Collins, without re-
llecting on his knowledge of architec-
tural and CONSTITUTIONAL work, THE
ARGUS thinks it would be no less
than an outrage to coniine the plans
of the building to any one man to the
exclusion OF all others. Rock Island
county wants the best in the way of
designs, and it should have the bene-
fit of the competition among the fin
est architectural tale ut in the country
before binding itself to plans. After
the board has made decision as to
plans. it will be time enough to talk
of a superintendent of construction,
but even then there is no reason to
consider Mr.. Collins the only individ-
ual qualified for the post, no matter
what his standing politically or 9TH
crwise.
At this stage of the proceedings
the presence of Mr.. Collins on the
scene is simply calculated to cause
delay and possibly friction. such as
would otherwise be avoided.
The Question Taken Up.
The court house question was tax
| VA ChAc hloCA uOOHs " nth uuutI INC
head of new business Supervisor
Quayle presented resolution
setting forth that the court
house should be built by the
board without delay on the pres
sent site, and providing for the
appointment of committee of
seven, on plans, building, etc., and
one of seven, on bonds, the chairman
to be ex-officio member of each COM
mittee. The resolution was sec
onded, when Supervisor Mckinley,
of Moline, moved as an amendment.
the appointment of committee of
five, on site, to the end that this
matter might be settled first, the
point being that the new building
should not he located on Court
House square, but further up
town. Supervisor McKinley's chief
purpose was delay, as he sought
to have the motion prevail that this
committee, should it be provided for,
| was nat tn rpuorf until thu March