Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-04
CAUSE AND COMPLAINT.
The Unions Friendliness to irresponsible
Correspondents.

The Unions Friendliness to irresponsible
Correspondents.
The Union says it does not know
what public opinion has to do with
the airing of personal grievances in
reference to the attacks that have
been made through its columns of
late on the Davenport & Rock Island
Railway company. 1t does not know
why a newspaper should be expected
to deny a hearing to citizens, VINO
feel like calling attention to faults in
the street railway service, etc.
There has been no disposition to take
exception to such communications as
NAV call attention to faults which
should be provided against. and there
is not where the Union is ut variance
with public opinion. Public opinion.
in general sense, upholds the street
railway system, its methods and its
equipment, and it is not the criti-
cism but the attack that issue is
taken with. The Union boasts that
it has always made it rule 20 pub
lish communications in relation TO
matters of public character. To be
sure it has, aod therein it has very
frequently subjected itself to CEN
sure by making itself the monkey to
handle the chestnuts that designing
people are anxious to get from the
lire. but who are too great towards
to publicly assume the responsible
ty for their own utterances. The
person who, above an anonymous
signature, will attack another, who
will use a newspaper to vent a griev-
ance he is not willing to publicly give
from his own lips. is a coward-and
public opinion condemns a coward.
The newspaper should seek to voice.
or to mould public sentiment. The
columns of the up-to-times newspa-
per should be open to citizens who
have opinions or criticisms to eX-
press. 1t is not this class of ccntri
butors who come under the head re-
ferred to, and it is such commu-
nicatious rs the Union published yes
terday morning, or that from Work
ingman" last week that may be
so classed. Very often good may
come from calling attention to short
comings in the public service hither-
to unnoticed. AS several days ago
Secretary Lardner stated: 1--WE de-
sire the public to make known any
inadequacy in the service and it will
be remedied, if it is in our power,
but we think the place to come is to
us when complaints are to be made. y"
The Complaint and the Attack.
1t is not, therefore, the honest
complaint that people find fault with.
for the street car company is not in
iallible. The only infallible thing in
Rock Island is the Union-none will
dispute that-.but it is an attack that
is unjust. 1t was the attack. so en-
tireiy unfair in contrasting and be-
lifting the general system at q
time when overwhelmed by the ele-
ments that Mr.. McCabe took issue
with. and in which public opinion
sustained him. AS well attack a
man whose hotel is destroyed by fire
or cyclone for not continuing to
serve the public in the accustomed
manner, as to pouncelupon an i'm
mense street railway system for not
running its ears through miles Of
snow drifts. This is where the diff
ference comes in, and it is on this
point that public opinion-for which,
by the way, the Union infers it. does
not give a snap-takes issue with it.
The reputable newspaper will open
its columns to opinion, to suggestion
and to fair criticism, but the reput-
able newspaper will not permit its
columns to be used by fictitious in
dividuals to crafty their spleen and
make ridiculous and unwarranted
att acks upon others.
By the way. will the Union in it,
feigned fairness to the anonymous
correspondent publish commuuica
ton attacking the Rock Island &
Davenport Ferry COMPANY? Would
it publish one for ..Suferer" criti
cising the candidacy of W. II. Gest
for congress, without appending it:
own comments? Or will it dig
out of its waste paper basket the
communications that have been SEN
it bearing on the Gest candidacy
that do not accord with its OWL
| ideas?
The Unions boast as to what it ha,
made it a rule to do is bosh, very
much bosh.