Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-31
Injunction Comes to Rail.
roads Relief in Yes
terday's Outbreak.
WAS SIMPLY A NOTION
Provoked the Exhibition for
Political Effect---POssi-
Bile Consequences.

Expressions of depreciation and in
dignation on the one hand and of NOR
LITIGATION and disgust on the other have
been heard on every hand. apropos OF
the McCaskrin episode of yesterday
afternoon on the river front. The one
point OF opinion on which all minds
seem to agree is that 1t was the limit
even OF McCaskrin idiosyncras.es.
Not only was such an attack in the
name of the city without the least
warning. excuse, or provocation upon
two of the most important railroads
running through Rock Island. with at
tendant Inconvenience 10 traffic and
interruption of mail service, deplored
as matter of expediency and of pub
lie policy. but it was condemned as a
species OF boyish whim by one sup
posed to be exercising the prerogatives
of dignified office.
The Motive OF the Act.
The motive OF the act of the social
ed head of the city, taking upon
himself the exercise of police powers.
and with justice of the peace armed
with two shotguns as body guard
and going down to the river front and
removing sections of railroad tracks.
over the existence of which there was
no pending legislation, or controversy,
was a natural source of inquiry.
And the most logical answer that could
be afforded was contained in the open
ing phase OF the announcement of the
escapade appearing in last nights Ar
gus-McCaskrin simply had 'em
again" Whether il was the added ex-
posture of the weakness of his person
ally conducted police supervision of
the city in the raid by the sheriff two
evenings before OF the notorious Buff
falo resort, or the spectacle he made
of himself in rushing to the court
house in the morning OF the same day,
to exercise his authority as chief of
police to arrest the sheriff of the couI;-
ty, or whether il was after all another
of the grand stand political plays to
the galleries-these were solutions that
were suggested. The common belief
was that the latter explanation was
the more plausible. 1t was the launch
ing of the McCaskrin congressional
candidacy. with death to the rail-
roads" as the slogan. and the toothp:ck
as an implement of destruction
4 Notion In IIis Head.
Anyway, from the best that can be
learned. the mayor-chief-of-poliee sud
denly took upon himself the exercise OF
legislative. executive and police an
thority of the city and the judicial pre-
negatives OF the county. Reading over
the book of ordinances lie had gained
the notion that the d.. z. l. & n V;
railway, whose Ines in Rock Island
are now leased by the u Iwaukee and
Burlington systems, had forfeited its
rights to certain tracks on the river
front. So without going beyond his
own Interpretation of the situation he
summoned the night force OF police
called Justice HaverfieId. his trusted
lieutenant to his aid. armed him with
shOtgUrs, and hurried down to the
foot OF Seventeenth street and com
menced tearing UP a strip OF track
The various incidents following the
initiatory proceeding. eliminating in
an injunction which drove the mayor
away from the scene of his destruction
and restored the tracks. together with
what happened in the meantime, ap-
pear further along in this article.
A. To the Legal PhsSe.
The place is not here 10 discuss the
legal phase of the railroad privileges
ON the river front. Granting that the
McCaskrin understanding of the ordin-
ance is correct, he usurped the rights
nf fba council 70
adopting go drastic a course. and be
yond that he took upon himself the
authority of the courts in whom alone
reposes the adjudication of legal con
troversies. II his object was merely
to plunge the matter into court and
open suit where meme existed and for
which there appeared no demand OF
occasion. he took upon himself respon-
sibility which the council should share
and which that body is very likely TO
hold him accountable for. If the freak.
ism of yesterday results in compiled
lions into which not only the railroads
but the government may be drawn, the
council. acting for the taxpayers. will
have to be consulted. and should be
considered before inviting further lie
gal WdTldIS lhdH Tic S-LJ 10 HoW eH
gagged in. Law suits are not coveted
by any well regulated business, and
the city should prove no exception to
the universal rule In cases of impo
sition of oppression on the part of cor
porations it ofttimes becomes neces-
sary to go to court as last resort.
But wherein was the D., R. |. & N. w.