Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-30

I scented to the outside world of having
= state warrant sworn out for the ar
rest Of a gambler for burglarizinq 4
| gambling house. he had declared tn 1t
he would NAIL THE TOWN UP
TIGHTER THAN A DRUM AND
FAVE GRASS GROWING IN THE
STREETS IN SIX MONTHS. White
| for his course in closing the saloons !e
received the corlmendatory resolutions
Of the ministerial associations in the
spirit in wEcioh they were offered. his
initial move looking to reelection YVES
10 summon the saloon keepers to the
city hail Nov. % and 24 last, and tax
! ing them into his private office one "a
2 time, he sought their cooperation ard
support, asking that each make himself
! his special political champion. to keep
| him posted, and check as far as pos
sible. ALL KNOCKING ON Ills AD-
| MINI STRATION.
! The saloon keepers recognized TIE
| proc eedirgs as nervy performances,
but treated it as one of the phases of
/ McCaskrinism. Since then ne has
/ been turning himself inside out in his
endcayors TO fawn over the liquor men
and make good for what he did in his
| passion a year before. The capcr is
but 4 question of the cheap politics
/ practiCed by McCaskr,n in his guest
/ for votes and for support.
MiClIINE POLICE SYSTEM.
TIE evils that have grown out Of
a headless system of police affairs has
been from time to time commented
upon and with it the public is familiar.
McCaskrin on the stump talked contin-
uousiy of the modern police force ne
would provide when mayor. of the civil
service methods he would Introduce,
etc, and yet ranker machine than he
has made of it could not be imagined.
The men of the blue have been used
to peddIe McCsskrin's slanderous cam
paiqn literature. They were required
to circulate his petitions for signatures
for place on the ballot, while the
conveyance provided by the city AMI
supposed 10 be for the use of the de.
partment in official business. has been
, appropriated TO his personal use. H
has even had the audacity to press 4
into service in his campaigns, and has
made stump speeches from it. THAT
is CIVIL SERVICE WITH A VEN
GEANCE.
More than this, he has made the
disposition Of prisoners a personal
matter. Men are arrested during the
night he has personally interviewed
and reckIessIy set at liberty, and nc
| record has been left available Of thu
causes for which they were arrested o.
! detained or released. In many of the
cases so the city has, no doubt. be sr
placed in Jeopardy of damage suits
No one has right to release a mar
whose liberties have been restrained
but magistrate, and in every instano.
where contrary practice has beer
pursued the city is liable for false i'm
| Prisonment.
II ALI NEWS SUPPRESSED.
II The privileges that belong to tn,
press of giving to the public the opera
ton of the department has been en-
tirely dispensed with under McCaskrin
ism. Arrests of which, in time at least
the public had right to know hav
been repeatedly suppressed. and tn
members of the night force that hat
made arrests during the night, hav
returned to the station in the mornin
to find the prisoners released withou
+aVing themselves been given the o.
portunity to prefer charges. The cor
sequence has been the night patro
men have become discouraged. The
even lost interest in their work cease
to be VigiIant, and many of them hav
made practice of retiring from thei
| beats at 2 and in the morning an
| letting things go.