Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-12-08

Rock Island, ILL.,, Dec. I, lS99.-Io the
business Pubic of Rock Island and Mo
line, H.: Members of the committees OF
the Rock Island Club, the Rock Island
Retail Merchants Association and the
Moline Retail Merchants Association
representing said associations, have pre-
scented to you, though the press of these
cities, Il statement, with view to dis
pelling an apparent confusion arising be-
sause of two independent telephone prop
o=itions that have been made to the peo-
pie of Che three cities, Davenport, Rock
Island and Moline.
NhIle we do not question the sincerity
and honesty of said committee, or any
member thereof, we do disagree with
of fairness" and also disagree as to the ac-
curacy of their general conclusions, and
the wisdom of their endorsement.
The committees first conclusion Is the
fairness to the committee and to the
public would demand that having sub
mitted to the committees arbtrament, the
contesting parties should be in honor
bound to abide by the committees deci-
sion" This would be true, were the
committee appointed by the request OF
the contesting parties. But in the case
i'll hand, we, the Tri-City Mutual Tele-
phone Company, came to Rock Island for
the purpose of placing before the people
personally and individually, our telephone
proposition, with view to securing a list
of subscribers who would agree to become
cur patrons, if we would install an in
dependent telephone plant in the three
cities.
At the very outset, we were met by a
card la the various papers of the city,
signed by a committee representing the
above named clubs and associations, ad
vising the business public to sign no
contracts with any one until said CON-
mittee should have time to investigate
and report.
This made it practically impossible for
us to make any progress in the matter
OF soliciting subscriptions, and we were
thus forced TO await the action of such
committee, and our matters We're there
fore presented to said committee, not by
our own desire, but practically by com
rulsion.
1t is further true, that before our
proposition was ever placed before SAT-!
committee and represented by an advo-
cate of our cause, said committee of the
Rock Island Club, had already given a
| conditional endorsement to Bills and
Workman, and our proposition was there
fore met by strong handicap Of a for
mer adverse decision
Under such conditions it was impcssi-
bic for Us TO be on equal terms bzfore the
committee; but even with such disad-
vantage the committee was very evenly
divided as to the merits of the PROPOSE
lions. However the final vote OF the couI-
mittee was against US. We do not feel
, that harness compels us to drop our
original plan OF action, simply because, a
committee, not representative of all three
of the cities, has given its support to ali
other.
We pass by. a. unworthy of cons;dera-
ticn, the attempt, by innuendo, or imp!i-
cation TO lead the public to suppose that
our people are not worthy. We have no
objection TO praise of our opponents; but
the fact that the committee has decided
that Messrs. Bills and Workman, "havc
always adhered to the exact truth" can
nor fairly be construed TO mean that cur
company fail to measure up TO the same
high standard. While some people might