Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-03

InlS III reply 10 the iaSJ CuOrt on
the part of the McConOchie interests
to work an unfounded prejudice TO
one of the greatest achievements in
Rock Islands history. II is not nee
essary therefore for the morning paper
to make any excuses for the reflection
it has cast upon Contractor Larkin in
its zeal to do injury to a great puplic
enterprise. Mr.. Larkin's part of the
contract stands for itself, and he has
no hesitancy about saying as much
for the remainder of the undertaking.
So thus collapses the last highly laud-
able endeavor of a paper, which ut
terly failing in its first purpose to
mislead the public as to the finances
of the improvement, then went in to
throwing mud at the improvement as
II whole. A contractor equally as
prominent as Mr.. Larkin. who was
standing at Mr.. Larkin's elbow when
he dictated the above this morning,
remarked: Il never did big Job in
nv life that there was not 'some part
of it to be gone over when it was
completed. There is sure to be some
little fault, but that does not
amount to anything. Man was never
made to be perfect. but to
condemn the whole enterprise sim
ply because as the result of the frost
a little piece of concrete gave away is
manifestly unjust.
Matter of Common Justice
\ Second avenue merchant, who is
a republican, ordinarily, speaking
Saturday evening IF the Unions at
tacks on the reservoir, said, this
cot H. Il
Medill more good than harm for anv
in elligent citizen readily understands
that it is designed for political effect
purely, and that a paper should resort
u such a course in belittling a great
unde aking which i of such inesti-
mable benefit to the whole people, for
the mere purpose of njuring the man
who has provided it, is awakening as
much disgust among those who might
he swayed by purely party lines as it
is the righteous Indignation of Mr..
Medill's personal friends. For my
part, if 1 believed the stories which
are being concocted had the least
shadow of truth, | would he all the
more inclined to do all | could to keep
the present mayor right where he is,
To the end that he, and he alone,
should DC held responsible for the job
complete. | was told today thst if
CConochie should succeed it would
be his first act to tear the reservoir to
pieces for the purpose of demors' rat
ing that the charges were true, and
thus without investigation condemn
work that Mayor Medill is will NC to
stake his reputation Oh, aud which, l
no nj nf &c
honest and sincere endeavor. and
which, l am convinced, is all that it
should be. This tearing down of a
good work for the mere purpose of
tearing down a first-class mayors
reputation would cost the city, at the
least calcu alton. $4,000, and would
work great injustice. which / de-
cline to be party to, while leaving
the question as TO whether Mr.. Medill
should be condemned or upheld for
ever unsettled 1t will cost the city
no more to let Mayor Medlll finish the
work THAI the estimates if the Job
Is all that it should be in the pres
ent state of advaI cement in the con-
struction. If the enterprise has not
been properly managed, we will then
find it out soon enough, and Mr..
MedilI will be judged accordingly, but
l do not believe 10 this premature
condemnation, or in putting another
man in n position to desPOil work
before the people have an opportunity
10 Judge of it. There is question of
justice involved here that
overshadows politics and everything
ell e. If, when the reseI voir is en-
tirely completed. it is faulty, let Mr..
Medi!l, and he alone. be blamed and
held responsible. If it is all that we
count on its being and it gives prom
Use of being. let Mr.. Medill. and he
alone, have the credit of il. We are
not going to benefit the matter in any
event by putting the city to the ex-
pense of thousands of dollars for the
mere purpose of giving another man a
chance to reDreseut that the improve