Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-04-20
PRESIDENT COMES
TO SEE ARSENAL
Will Spend Hour-and.a-Half In
specting Post at Rock
Island.
LITTLE TIME FOR ENTERTAINMENT
Ridiculous Effort of Republican
Committee to Add Politi-
cal Flavor.
LITTLE TIME FOR ENTERTAINMENT
Congressman j. r. Lane, of Daveu-

Congressman j. Z. Lane, of Daven-
port, is in receipt of the following:
Executive Mansion. Washington. d.
c., April 16. 1901.-My Dear Sir: The
itinerary of the presidents trip TO
the Pacific coast has now been COM
pleted and contemplates arriving at
Davenport, 10 va, Tuesday, June H.,
at SIS q. M, leaving at $50 a. m =.
arriving at Rock Island, H., at $40
q. M, leaving at 1910 a. N : arriving
at Moline, III, at 1915 a. m leaving
at 1880 a. N.
1 shall be obliged if you will put me
in communication with the chairman
of the local committees of arrange
ment.
Very truly yours,
GEORGE b. CoRTELYoU,
Secretary to the President.
1t would seem from the foregoing
that the proper move would be for the
chairmen of the committees of the tri.
city commercial organizations to get
together and map out a plan for Tax
ing charge of the presidential train
during it's stay in the community and
offering to serve the executive and his
party in any manner that the occasion
may justify.
Purely Business Mission.
1t should be understood at the out
set that the president is not making
speeches and accepting invitations to
social functions during his tour
through this part of the country.
The prime object of his visit here is
to see Rock Island arsenal. and to con-
fer with the commandant as to its
needs and possibilities. The people
here have been striving to bring the
president to the arsenal for years,
and now that he is coming he should
be permitted to give his full time to
is hampered by reception committees
and crowds of the curious he will be
unable to perform the mission that is
bringing him this way.
In order that he shall not be dis
turbed in his inspection Of the arsenal,
an effort is now being made to induce
Commandanr Blunt to close the arse
nal to the public for the day. The
visit Of the president will be observed
at the arsenal in accordance with mil
itarv custom. All of the officers will
appear in full uniform and salute of
II guns will be fired as his train APP
proaches. The train after reaching
this city will be backed over to the
arsenal.
Republican COmmittee's Absurd Actor
One of the ridiculously absurd Incl
dents in connection with the coming
of the president is the apparent pur-
pose of the republicans to give the oc-
casion a political flavor, the city COM
mittee of the party having already APP
pointed committee to act with other
committees on entertainment ar
rangements.
In the first place, President McKin-
ley is supposed to have laid aside poll.
tics after mis- Inauguration. His trip to
the Pacific coast is to inquire into the
general conditions of that portion OF
the country. He is to travel as pres
ident of the United States; not as q
politician, and therefore there is no
more reason why the republicans
should appoint committee on enter.
tainment than the democrats
1t is not an occasion for pinhead
and peanut politics. The president
is not coming to settle til postoffice
appointment. He will b here TO look
into the needs of Rock Island arsenal,
an institution in which the whole
country, and particularly the su r
rounding cities, feels interested. He
should be received as president, not as
Maj. Mckinley, thepolitician. The Peo'
pie, regardless of party belief, delight
in honoring their executives, either
state or national, and it is poor judg-
ment, to say the least, that has been
shown by the republican city com
mittee in attempting to turn his visit
into political jubilee.
Former Experience.
1t will be recalled that it was Just
such a caper that destroyed the sue
cess of the last visit of Gov. Tanner
to Rock Island. The people were
glad to know that their city was to be
honored by his presence and were
preparing to honor him as governor
when the city and county republican
committees came forward and took
charge, to the utter disgust of all.
If the city republican committee is
wise it will withdraw the committee
it has named to assist in the enter.
tainment of the president.
Those famous little pills, De Wits
Little Early Risers. will remove
/ all impurities from your system,