Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-04-01
THE FAILINGS AND THE
FAILURES. OF M'CAsKRIN
Few Reminders Concerning Promise and Fu1fllment.

Mayor McCaskrn procIaims on the
stump that he is one of the heaviest
taxpayers in Rock Island, though he
does not list a dollars worth of real
estate, according to assessor John r.
MoeIer. Here i5 the schedule of per
sonal property ne claims to seek to be
taxed for last year and upon which
$5693 is now due County Treasurer
Cox. Have a look at it: Horse, $500;
watch, $40; annuities and royalties,
$500; patent rights, St,80o; household
and office furniture, $1,000.
Bear in mind that this is McCask-
rims own estimate, and he insists that
he be assessed on this basis. That this
is done as political asset there is not
the slightest doubt. If McCaskrn has
as much personal property as he says
he has, there are coed many in Rock
Island and elsewhere VINO would like
to get glimpse Of it.
This tax pay iG in line with The pres
ent mayors promise TO give his salary
as alderman for the ORNAMENTAL park
entrance" after which ne collected the
$123 that was coming to him ard lett
his note with the city clerk. That note,
as before stated, is still at the city hall,
and unpaid, though it was given July
IS. 1904. and was due in six months.
The transaction with MIR. Jackson, re-
ferred to elsewhere in this issue, illus.
trates the manner in which McCaskrin
has been able 10 announce with flour
ISL that he stood ready to give large
sums in prizes and 20 aid public i'm
provo,nents, as he has frequently done.
in the great majority CT cases. how
ever, he has failed to make good, even
at the expense Of someone else.
POLLCE IN Politics.
McCaskrn has of late had five or six
more policemen on the force than the
ordinances provide for. Tie extra men
are in evidence more as political WORK
ers than as guardians OF the peace.
Though claiming credit for failing to
name chief Of police, McCaskrin is
dischargiTg his private obligations by
keeping JOHN p. Sexton on the payroll
under this title, and he is doing PTac.
llGdtiy iOltiILl Dbl Va GNV MS pay
The council stands for this use of the
police force ss q political asset. and
yet the mayor accuses that body of an
tagonizing him and failing to assist
him in carrying out plans for public
Improvement. The council has, IS the
records show, already voted expendi.
lures that will take much mere than
the current years revenue. The an
tagonism for the most part, has been
from the ether end of the line, for Nc
Caskrin is by nature antagonistjc to
anybody VINO is compelled to work with
him. This has been shown by the man
ner in which he has taken umbrage al
the suggestions or slightest criticism
by the newspapers, by the rejection Of
William Jackson's suggestion as to
the canvass for park funds, ana in dog
ems of other ways. In most cases the
parties he has assaulted have gone or
and discharged their duty, as Mr.. Jack
son did when lie assisted in pushing
the final canvass for Long View parI;
raising $4,000 and insuring the com
pletion Of the improvements.
BURDEN TO TIT: CITY.
Under McCaskrin's administration
there have already been held 40 NOR,
council meetings than there were dur
ing the entire last term OF William Nc
Concchie. These meetings have cos
the city in round numbers $40 apiece
or 81 500 during the two years.
McCaskrin claims al! the credit TO
planning and inaugurating work on TIT
southwest storm drain, notWithstand
ing such an undertaking had long beer
under discussion, and was merely hell
back by the city's financial condition
City Engineer TreichIer had the detail
of the plans practically worked out ur
der the previous administration.
One of McCaskrin's first acts in cor
nection with the new sewer was to a.
tempt TO tack the notorious Twenty
fourth street ditch onto it. When toll
that the people would never stand 70
paying for this, he said: "The publ
be damned"
FARCICAI CIVIL SERVICE.
McCaskrin talks OF civil service
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