Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-29
1T is ESSENTIAL
Executive Capacity the First Con
sideration in
Mayor
INSTANCES OF PAST FAILURE
Honesty and Generosity all Right
But What Must Be Requir-
ed of Others.

An argument on which the Union
has been laying particular stress in
the present campaign and one which
II is the hope of the Knox crowd will
offset in degree at least, the eSecu
tive record of bungling incompetence
on the part of the three-term candi
date, is that when he went into Office
the last time he found the city's debt
increased by reason of the reservoir
expenditure, and that under his ad
ministration the Indebtedness was
taken care of so far as he was con
cerned. The well known fact of the
matter is that under the plan of fin.
ance conceived by Mayor Medill, the
reservoir proposition was amply pro
yided for from the revenues of the
waterworks fund, and it was merely a
question for the city clerk TO handle
which was admirable done. The
question of the city's ability to handle
the reservoir expenditure was never
at any time raised, and hence the I'm
ions argument falls pretty fiat, espec-
tally when at the present time it has
all been nicely disposed of under the
very plan arranged by Mayor Medill.
and the city has bought a city hall
into the bargain.
The mere reference Of these indis-
Tutabie facts only has a tendency to
arouse anew the discussion OF the con
dition in which Mayor Knox left the
city at the close of each of his ad.
ministrations. After the first the po-
lice and fire departments were in such
a deplorable condition that one was
a subject of public Tidicule and the
other in so scandalous a state of dis
Tuption that It was necessary to en-
gage an expert official TO come from
Chicago and reorganize it. BY the
installation of a new chief and a new
force the police department was plac-
ed on it's feet. but in furtherance of a
desire to keep the fire department as
close TO civil service lines as possible
and to preserve TO the city the advan-
tage of experience. at least, Mayor
MediH felt it would be better to re-
train the men and reestablish disci-
pine than to rehabilitate the depart
ment with those who had had no act.
ual experience in paid system. So
the official of the Chicago department
was brought here and the department
was put on its present excellent foot
ing.
Boys Play I'm Public Service.
But apart from the boys play ex-
hibited in the direction of these i'm
portant branches of the pubic service,
the first administration was such a
H..
jury investigation and indictments for
frauds upon the city followed. And at
the end of the second Knox admins
tration another grand jury investiga-
ton was attended by further iL.dict-
ments. these rejecting fully as much
IL not more upon the executive man
agement of the city than the first for
they included the nominal chief of the
police department OF which under the
ordinance the mayor is really the
actual head and a general Condemna-
ton of the unprecedented moral con
dition of the city due to reckless dis
regard and almost incomprehensibie
incompetency in municipal govern
ment.
As far as the argument, the only one
that has been raised in his behalf in
the present campaign. as TO Mr.. Knox
generous hearted nature and his hon
esty. are concerned. no one has ever
raised a doubt. That he is both no
one who knows him personally or by
reputation will for moment question.
But il takes something more than
generous and an honest man 10 ad-
minister capably the affairs of a city
the size OF Rock Island. Mr.. Knox
has proven this 20 the satisfaction of
the majority of the people of Rock
Island. Generosity is n trait of tenn
permanent that in the individual is in
the highest sense commeudable. In
the public official IL may not always
prove a staying quality, where it he
comes as the Union has described il.
a fault Honesty Is virtue that
that should be conceded TO any one
who considers himself worthy of pub
lie Office.
Capacity l. Essential
II is essential. however. that a man
who is honest himself should possess
the capacity TO see that others for
whose relation to the city he Is re
sponsibIe. are likewise honest in the
discharge Of their obligations One
may well praise generosity as per
sonai attribute and honesty both in
the individual and the public official.
but where employed in the public ser
vice there is danger OF it proving Of
little worth where not accompanied by
the force of character and admins
trative ability that exact Of any man
who bears any relation TO the city his
fun duty. An honest may may be
capable OF keeping himself above re
uroach in his personal transactions
but when he puts himself in position
10 stand for others he must be also
capabie of dIscernment OF what 9th
ers are doing. He must in other