Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-28
BURLINGTON IDEA
How the City Down the River is
Managed by Mayor
Caster.
SAYS LIGHTS SHOULD SHINE
Wide Open Rooms, But No Place fer
Skin Game Men-ControI Of
Police Department.

/ Upon the topic, Control and Sup
/ preston of Crime" Hon. S. Caster
mayor OF Burlington, writes for the
/ Bulletin of the American League OF
municipalities. In consideration of the
fact that Rock Island is situated in a
manner similar to Burlington. with the
| Exception of being in a trio of cities
and also in consideration of the fact
that Billy Sunday has just concluded
the conversion of Burlington, the arti
Gle is of extraordinary interest here
Addressing himself to the editor of the
Bulletin, Mayor Caster writes as fol
lows:
In compliance with your request |
will attempt to touch upon my plan of
handling crime in the city of burling-
ton.
Crime started with Adam and Eve.
and has continued ever since l dc
not consider myself capable of defining
any remedy for crime or OF establish
| ing any method by which others can
| stop, or even check, it's wide sweeping
influence upon the coming generation.
What suits one locality would be ruin
TO another. Ii must be grappled with
just where, and in the manner in which
IL is found. What will answer for an
inland municipality will not do for a
river municipality. or one with a large
railroad center. where the floating pop
ulation gathers. Crime and criminals
seek the cities where they can move
in the most directions. should they find
il best to fee for their liberty
ThA
checking of crime was in my police de-
partment. BY placing every man upon
his honor. permitting no drinking of in
toxicating liquors while on duty, allow
ing each man to have his own rewards.
for the service he renders. not COMPEL
ing him 10 divide his rewards for faith
fuiness with the chief, captain. ser
geant or anyone else.
Managing Police.
The men are allowed to have every
thing that is given them. but we insist
upon their reporting everything out.
side of cigar that they receive. Any
thing they do not wish to report, they
must refuse. even to a nickle to buy a
cigar with. The first time one fails to
report things given him he is laid of
for 10 days TO study the rules. and this
is good object lesson for the rest o.
the force. The second time that he is
caught not reporting he is dismissed
from the force. for no matter how val
liable an officer he may be. he is not
worth the corrupting of the entire
force.
Show no favoritism. And consider
IL of great importance to keep control
of the police department. for if you do
not IL will politically. If not morally.
kill you. Many good mayor has been
injured morally because he had not the
courage 10 say that his soul was his
own. and let some one under him sell
it, When you have control of the po-
lice department. then you can get bet
ter control of crime; not until then.
Gambling is one of the greatest so
cial evils we have TO contend with
This hidden sin develops in many
branches of life. Gambling existed be
fore the bible was published. II is an
evil that will be with us for genera
tions 10 come. in some form or other
The question is, how can we control it
so as to do the least harm 10 the COM