Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-16
Still just il Common Knocker.

The knocker is a menace to any
community While in the end he III
lures no one quite SO badly as he does
himself, he is nevertheless, a creature
to be avoided The more conspicuous
he may by chance of fate become, the
more harmful he unavoidably is to the
locality with which he is identified
that is, up to the time when his real quail
ties are developed through public expert
ence and public analysis. If, for in
stance, a man who has the reputation
of being chronic knocker, happens
to be officially designated as the may
or of a city. that city must OF neces-
sity suffer more or less up to GER
tain point, because of the effect that
is felt outside.
People as a rule not only despise a
knocker. but they shun town where
the spirit of the knocker is rife. While
they realize that the man who max as
disparagement and blackguardism and
abuse of men and institutions, his
stock in trade. is himself the chief
sufferer, they avoid the town so affiict
ed just as they do the individual SO
constituted.
No man can boost and knock at the
same time. The one element is gem
and the other a germ. and sad to re
late, the evils that beset mankind of
o'errule the virtues. At all events
evil finally becomes master of the
shriveled soul that yields, 1t is the bring
ing out of the same philosophy that
applies to every phase of the human
organism. In the unframed mind there
is always a temptation to do wrong
OF the dwarfed intellect, the DISPOSE
ton is to tear down rather than tc
build up-to assail indiscriminately the
characters of fellow men.
Ever since George w. McCaskrir
got into the public limelight, knocking
has been his chief diversion as well us
his chief argument 1t is an unfor
tunate trait that has become so natura
with him that it might in charity be
said he scarcely realizes to what recn
less extent he carries it. Not since
McCaskrin first forced his presence
and his overriding desire for office
on the public has he pursued any 9th
err course. Before he had been in ROcI
| Island a year. he was publicly assal
ing the characters of men who had es
tablished their regulations in the com
munity before McCaskrin was born. [
mattered not who he was or how we!
he was known, if he differed with th'
McCaskrin idea, he was made victim
of the McCaskrin abuse dope
In a politician. much of the McCask
rim knocking was overlooked 1t wa!
regarded as the part of the Srandstan,
play of the stump speaker, not a com
mendable characteristic, but pardon
able to an extent, at least. where i
was employed for political effect. Man,
who two years ago supported McCask
rim for the mayOralty unhesitatingl
denounced his abusive nature, bu
| hoped that after he attained the DIE
nifty of public office. he would abandon
the bOyish antics that he had indulge
in as a campaigner. 1t was felt thu
he would learn common sense by e.
Iperience and that when he had earne
the recognition of mans station i
the community. he would put ava
childish things.
Such an estimate of the man wa!
However. misplaced. He was hardl
in the office of mayor until he was g
ling about with loud mouth. libelin
land slandering every alderman in tn
lcouncil chamber Instead of seekin
harmony at the outset he delayed hi
committee appointments and hei
back city business for months. Thu