Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-04
NOTICE is. SERVED
City Clerk Rudgren Hears Arou.
ments on Protest Against
Prohibition Petition.
TO GIVE ANSWER TOMORROW
One Law Firm Seems to Have Mo.
nopoIy in Prospective Court
Proceedings.

This morning the protest referred
to by The Argus of yesterday against
placing the liquor question on the
tallot in the forthcoming city-town-
snip election, was formally brought
before City Clerk Rudgren, and the
incident brought about very peculiar
situation, j. l.. Haas of the legal firm
of Haas e Weld representing the
Signers Of the protest. while for the
other side of the question H. A. Weld
OF the firm Of Haas & Weld appeared.
1t was case of a "house divided
against ITSELF and all over the cues
lion of liquor, at that.
Purely Preliminary.
The presentation of the matter to
the city clerk is purely preliminary
tC contest in the courts over the
legality of the petition to submit the
matter to a vote. If the city clerk de-
cldes to sustain the protest, the pro-
5lDltlon representatives will likely be-
gin mandamus proceedings in the cir
cult court to compel him to place the
question on the ballot, and if he de-
Cides to proceed on the petition. pro-
ceedings of the nature of a writ of
prohibition will be instituted in the
court to restrain him from submitting
The matter
The text of the protest to the clerk
given in full in yesterdays Argus.
The remOnstrance, it developed with
;tc formal pracaptat;on ie c;opod h,
the following citizens: Franz Happ,
w A. Crubaugh. Otto Huber, Charles
McHugh. c. F. GAZETTEER. ]. NJ. Boards
ley, c. J. Larkin, Henry Horst, Carl
Hellpenstell. H. E. Casteel, Lothar
Harms. w. o. Negus, Warren H. Reck
and John Volk.
Hears Arguments.
The attorneys appeared this morn
ing at the city clerks office, and in
sisted that Mr. Rudgren hear their
arguments and an expression of their
positions, and accordingly he opened
the city council chamber, and pro.
ceeded to hold court
Before presenting the matter Mr.
Haas notified several of the ministers
interested in the movement, and Rev.
w. S. Marquis and Rev. Marion
Humphreys were present when the
attorneys made their arguments.
Mr.. Haas said that the law strictly
specifies that the public may have
free examination of the signatures OF
local option petition, it being re
quired that the petition be filed &C
days previous to election to permit
such an examination, if so desired
He stated that the anti-prohibitionists
| had had 10 people working for -four
weeks upon the signatures and that
| he stated number of names had been
found to be not according to the re
quirements. He added that it is the
| duty of the clerk to examine into the
| le gality of these signatures, and il
any be found not to meet the require
ments stated in the local option law
20 deduct them from the total. He
cited the parts of the law which
clearly state that the house number
end street of the signer be given ant
that each signer must affix his name
ir person. which requirements were
rot met in number of instances il
the petition.
| Mr.. Weld denied the jurisdiction o
the city clerk in the matter of ex
lamining into the legality of the sigma
lures. holding that the oath of thu
persons circulating the paper is evi
dence of the genuineness of the sig
FEATURES.
Mr.. Haas maintained that The paper
lteing submitted to Mr.. Rudgren a
city clerk, gives the official the RICH
TO examine into its legality.
Takes Under Amusement.
The city clerk finally took the mat
ter under advisement, in accordance
with the custom of many courts, ant
lstated that he will announce his deci
Ision tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock
He will consult with the city attorne,
on the legal points involved. -befor
determining his course in the matter