Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-12
MAYOR TALKS OUT.
On the Plans Laid to Remove
Him From Of
flee.
TELLS ABOUT THREATS MADE
to Chief of Po-
lice.

| Reports in circulation during the
past few days of the furtherance of
plans looking TO the attempted impeach-
ment of Mayor George w. McCaskrin,
and which it was expected by many
would develop at last evenings council
meeting, are attributed TO a series of
conferences held Sunday and yester-
| day. to which some of the aldermen
became party. some through sympathy
with the movement, perhaps, and some
out of a desire to ascertain what was
on foot. The undertaking was inspired
as usual it need hardly be said. for
personal advantage through the medi
UNI of other peoples grievances.
| The Argus refrained from mention
of the matter yesterday, because re-
CARELESS of the fact that it has not hest
tated TO criticise Mayor McCaskrin for
| his procraStination in making impOr
tant appointments. and has seen much to
take exception to as well as TO COM
mend in his administration so far. il
heSitated to become instrumental in
giving to the outside world even so
much as an inkling that Rock Island
might present the spectacle of the i'm
parchment of its mayor for the mere
qualification of spite. no matter
who might be the instigator And it
felt, further. that there were too many
levelheaded aldermen in the council to
permit such a procedure under the
pending circumstances
The conjectures as to what the aid
ernen might do in the premises proved
} TO be well founded SO far as last even
ing's meeting was concerned. The fact
that not sufficient number of alder
men could be lined up to put the plan
through led to its abandonment.
Mayor Tells of Circumstance.
In view, however, that the stories
have reached the columns of papers
IN neighboring cities, Mayor Nc
Caskrin gave out an interview this
morning in which he said: The move
was started against me by two differ
ent elements, both due to spite One
was due to a change / had made in the
head of one of the departments of the mu-
nicipal government. and OF which the
council gave its appreciation, and the
other an element that | declined to
r submit to in the choice of a chief of
police. | was asked to appoint a GER
|
: serve certain elements inimical to the
common good and moral welfare of the
city. When | was elected mayor
: promised the people to consider their
interests first and give them an indie
pendent administration, and bound by
this pledge | have allowed no one to
dictate appointments, nor do | propose
to.
Finally, | was given until Saturday
night-not by any of the aldermen, who
through cooperation in the plan or
T curiosity to learn what was going on
, attended any of the conferenceS-bu
t by this same element, | was given I'M
til Saturday night TO make the appoint
ment dictated or stand Impeachment.
believe | have too much manhood to
( supinely submit TO anything | know to
be wrong or to yield to bulldoZing I'M
{ der any circumstances. and | fatty re-
fuse to even discuss the matter with
the man who came TO me further than
to tell him that / would not make the
appointment. Then came the develop
ment of the plot which had been under
) way for some time, to attempt to de-
clare my office vacant. But | have no
; fear no matter what any of the alder
men may think of me, or how they
may differ with me that they will any
of them, be found identified with any
move no matter what its object that
has for its backing the element in the
community that this has For the pres
ent | have only to say that | will in
/. due time name a chief of police. one
who | hope will receive the same evil
dence of approval at the hands of the
council that my appointments so far
? have l do not think there can be any
criticism of the men have selected so
far. and / promise to ask the council
to support me in the choice of no one.
unless equally clean. l propose to con-
duct the city SO far as my Office is
) concerned, along conservative lines,
{ but / want man for chief of police
who will serve the city and not be the
{ trembling leaf of elements who seek
to dictate the appointment because
they are trembling themselves"