Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-28
DRAGGING UP
PAST HISTORY
A Pastime Employed in the Pres
ent Campaign that Will Not
Profit Knox.
VAOILLATIoN WAS PAINFUL
The Paramount Issue is Too
Sharply Defined to Be
Avoided.
WAS PAINFUL

There should be no objection to the
Union delving into the history of
Rock Island, but instead of merely af-
fecting the reproduction of existing
conditions of affairs, it should adhere
to facts. 1t may be true that when
Mayor Murdoch turned the admin
istration of city affairs over to Mayor
Banding there were no wine rooms,
but it is equally true that the same
state of affairs prevailed when Mayor
Banding passed the city government
over to Mayor McConochie 1t is
matter of history that cannot be sue
cessfuny disputed that the stalls made
their appearance as an adjunct 10
Rock Island saloons under the first Nc
Conochie regime, when Phil Miller
regained control of the police regula-
tions, and they have been fOs-
tered and increased during each
succeeding return of The Me-
Conochie- Miller influences to con-
troll. 1t is a M after of truth equally
well known to all familiar with the
question, that Mayor Medill was the
only mayor who revoked the licenses
of saloons harboriug disrePutable W.
men. He pursued this policy under
both his admins Jrations, and the fact
was made all the capital possible by
the Miller crowd, and it is not I'M
likely that it entered materially iato
the cause of Mayor Medlll's def at
two years ago. People who have
taken an interest in Fourth ward poll
tics do not doubt that Aid. George
AsIer through the word of Miller and
his minioDs paid the penalty 3
year ago for having been so unwise as
to suggest that there should be some
regulation of the most conspicuous
saloon evils of Rock Island. The
abuses that have developed in The
conduct of some of the saloons here
had their origin under the first adj
minist ration of Mayor McConochie.
Miller having been essentially q part
of the McConochie administration,
the dives and joints have Aourished
uninterruptedly throughout all three
of the present mayors administra
tiOns.
Faults In the Police.
There have, no doubt, been short
comings in every administration of
public affairs, and the police depart
ment is where, in every city, they are
most apt to be found. Even way back
in the last Murdoch term, to which
the Union refers. that paper will re-
call, if it refreshes its memory, th7re
were such things as faults, and plenty
of them. But of all the farces in the
way of excuses from police manage
ment that, which like everything else
that entered into the Knox idea of
municipal government was the
worst. The Andy Etzel style of
police chief is TO this day
the joke about headquarters. Andy.
who is still on the pay roll, is good
hearted fellow, and doubtless means
well, but he might Just as well have
been in Milan the farthest he had
ever travelled from Rock Island at the
time-as here, while he was chief
Phil Miller, the same Away
Phil. was practically the head of the
force. He paraded the main beat.
carried an umbrella over his head in
the summer time aud-kept the boys
happy. The other members of the
force were harmless during their wax
ing moments.
Most 4bOminabIe Administration of ALE
The Knox administration in gem
eral was such an acknowledged
failure that the Union has has
tened TO assert and reassert of late
that 'sMr. Knox is stronger and
firmer man than when elected mayor
before" 1t bore the stamp of some
thing even worse than weakness. 1t
was vacillating, and without definite
or original policy in anything. AS
far as the saloons were concerned,
MIN ON NOAInAD