Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-30

Facts ~ Regards Both Twentieeh and
the rhorouehfare In Question-How One
Good Work, Though Failing, Forced
Matters.
"Last evenings ARGUS uses the I'm
ions item in regard to the tearing
up of Seventeenth street by the storm
waters last Friday as a text for re-
hash, with few additional fr;ils, of
its ieremaids over the failure of the
council two years ago, to sidetrack
the Twentieth street pavement, and
improve Seventeenth street instead.
The ARGUS presents no new argu-
ments in support of the efforts made
by it at that time in favor of paving
Seventeenth street before the Twen-
tieth street work. which had been
provided for by ordinance several
years before the Seventeenth street
project was preached, and its revival
at this time. before the new asd
hampering legislation is fully under
stood aad Interpreted, seems to be
very idle. Morning Union.
What of the above is not ridicu-
lousy absurd is an unmitigated
falsehood, willful misconstructiOn
and misstatemens of facts rs far as
The ARGUS is charged. and it de-
iies the Union to prove in single
instance wherein The ARGUS in its
agitation of the Seventeenth
street paving question and its work
fer the project, either directly or
Indirectly. whether in word or init
nation, suggested any terms looking
to the sidetracking of Twentieth
street. On the contrary, it con-
stantly urged attention to the latter
street, which had been provided for
year in advance of the Seventeenth
street discussion, and the contract
let and which. nevertheless, was
permitted to be neglected until the
bringing about of Seventeenth
brought the same land owners who
were blocking Twentieth to terms
with the city. Then it was that THIS
ARGUS. which had protested against
the delay on Twentieth, insisted
that the city make no compromise
with the obstructionists, but stand
upon its rights and put both streets
through. There was not an argu-
ment either advanced or thought of,
of paving Seventeenth before TWEEN
tieth, as the contract for the latter
had, As stated, been let many months
before Seventeenth was thought of,
and when the old council went out
a year and a half ago it had not in
the least interfered with progress on
Twentieth by ordering Seventeenth.
The same property holders inter
ested on both streets had stood out
against the city's paving advance
ment on Twentieth, and it was only
through the determination that was
evinced on Seventeenth that they
finally yielded ON Twentieth, al
though there was no reason why the
new council at the time could not
have pushed the work on both
streets. Hence will be seen the alb
solute falsity of the Unions allie
cations.
A Ridiculous Position.
Aside from the entirely false state
ments made by the Union of the sit
| uation, its assertion that no new ar
garments are presented now in favor
of paving Seventeenth is ridiculous
to an. extent that it is really unique.
A street which the morning paper
acknowledges in one issue is impassa-
BILE, SO dangerous, indeed, that it
/ should be closed to traffic, does not
present any stronger argument why
it should be paved than heretofore.
10 ahOut az lOUical a conclusion a 4
the Union is generally to be credited
with.
And now its revival at this time
"before the new and hampering leg
isiation is fully understood and le-
gally Interpreted seems to be very
idle" says the Union. Bright Union.
In the art of vilifying distortion of
the truth it is unsurpassed, but in
any attempt to expound the doctrine
| of common sense il ia n Snectacic. n