The Cairo bulletin., 1909-11-24

on the publlc mind and restore cOH1l-
dence. What would be the result II
the business men did not act? Why,
the churches would take the matter
, in hand, for somebody would have
, to 90 something or the people would
not be satisfied. 1t wG3 not at all
likely that body of men such as was
proposed would grow fanatical and
seek to change the order of the
worlds affairs in few months, as
| some tried to do; but Cairo has stood
on a lower plane morally than ever
before and there ought to be
change There was no occasion for
elimination and recrimination and nc
harm was intended to be done to any
one; the authorities probably wanted
| to do right and ought to he made TO
! feel that the people were behind them
| in any efforts in this direction. Mr.
Huette concluded by moving that the
Commercial club name twenty-five
men to meet and confer with the men
named by the Board of Trade.
j. y. Magee concurred with what
Mr. Huette had said and felt it was
| the duty of the Commercial Club to
| name twenty-five men as requested
| He felt sure that good would result
| from the action; it was not at all
likely that fifty representative men
Of the city would do anything or adj
wise anything to be done that would
hurt the city in a business way or
otherwise. He would amend Mr.,
Huette's motion directing the presi'
dent to appoint a committee OF three
who during a recess OF Ave minutes
should select and report to the club
the names of twenty-five men.
Alderman Meehan said he could see
no reason for this movement, Since
the lynchng the city had been
quieter than ever before, and but for
the Cairo newspapers it would have
! remained so and gone on its orli-
nary ways. A few hours after the
mob had done its work the city was
quiet and there was no work for the
militia TO do except to run down a
few DRINKS. 1t was the newspapers
and their editorials that were re-
sponsible for arousing the people al"
they had done Cairo more harm than
any other influence; he dared them
! to deny it. There was no need Of any
Law and Order League, nothing for
it to do; why not talk about public
/ improvements. There had been a
great howl about graft in the police
department. The only graft he as an
alderman had ever known anything
about was that engaged in by the
| Cairo newspapers under an agree
ment to get money out of the city
Treasury for city printing on bids in
1.-THE making of which competition had
been eliminated. The editor Of The
Bulletin, who had written so much
about graft had been called before
the police, Jail and fire committee
yesterday afternoon to testify as to
what he knew, the committee being
desrous to sift the reports that had
I leone to- his ears: and he had been
Irnabe to give a single instance in
which anv officer had taken any graft
More ministers of the gospel went
wrong than police officers AMI more
bank clerks and cashiers than alder
men. What do we want Law and
Order League for? Who wants it,
The newspapers want it and few
others; but if the laws were enforced
some of the very men who want it
would he in jail. The town was being
killed through the newspapers,
/ Mayor Parsons declared ne was op-
posed to the formation of a Law and
Order League It should be the last
thing to be resorted to and there was
no need of such an organization in
this city. He had repeatedly invited
| citizens to confer with him on mat
terS complained about, among others
ne had invited the President Of the
/ Board Of Trade to call on him with
| IS or 35 men, to advise with him
| respecting affairs of the city and that
gentleman had not done so. The agi-
tation now was due to the press of
the city particularly The Bulletin
which had been filed with editorials
| criticising city and county officials.
Yet the editor of The Bulletin had
been called to testify before the coun-
ell committee yesterday afternoon
lind had failed to give the committee
any information on which it could
act, sclaiming to know of a single
Instance Of graft on the part Of the
police force about which he had said
20 much I'VE are getting at the
bottom of the matter" said the mavor
and expect to do all that can be done
to improve conditiors in the city"
i [The Erlletin win have few
words to say tomorrow morning, with
reference to the remarks Of the
mayor and alderman, in so far as they
relect on this paper and its eiitor.---