Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-27
MUNICIPAL MATTERS

7 regarding Union Electric Telephone &
Telegraph company matter, and asking
speedy action by the council on the
ordinance read concerning said matter
at meeting of Aug 1 last On motion
of Alderman Thompson, properly sec
onded, the communication was received
and ordered filed.
The mayor read communication
from L. w. Stanton of Chicago, rep
resenting parties interested in de-
veloping said Union Electric Tele-
phone and Telegraph company, and
asking that action on the ordinance
referred to above be delayed until
he has opportunity to communicate
with his business associates in the
matter. On motion of Alderman Nc
Nealy, properly seconded, the com
munication was ordered received and
filed.
The mayor thereupon delivered to
the council the following message:
To the City Council of the City of
Rock Island: We have conducted the
affairs of our city to the best of our
ability We have made all of our &C
tons public. Not a dollar has been
spent without your approval. No or
dinance has passed without your vote
in open regular session. No outsider
can say to this council, 'It was
largely through my Efforts etc.
The actions of this council are its
own. We have ordinances to govern
us, and our procedure is governed
by regular rules of order. Among
these rules is rule 81, mo ordinance
Ill
at the same meeting at which it is
offered for consideration" Under
this rule no ordinance can be rail-
roaded through this council. No or
dinance has ever, during my admin
istration, been railroaded or unfairly
passed through this council. We
need no champion of the people to
tell us what to do. We should al
low no one to obtain credit for our
work. John Looney says that ordi-
nances have been railroaded through
this council.
John Looney has promoted prize
fights, dog fights, cock fights, and is
constantly associated with criminals.
He is known as a shyster. He has
beat men out of their wages. He
has endeavored to libel, without JUS
tffication, many decent men in this
city. He has been indicted, and was,
in our circuit court here, tried and
found guilty, and sentenced by Judge
w. H. Gest for the crime of conspir-
ing with others to defraud the city.
Looney now admits they sneaked in
artificial" cement in place of Port
land" cement in the Twenty-fourth
street storm drain. Looney says ''it
is just as good" but admits a viola
ton of the contract, and the jury
said they were guilty of crime against
the city and the people of the state
of Illinois.
This is the man who says, 81 am
champion of the people; I fight for
the peoples rights. 1t was largely
through my Efforts etc. Looney
came here to be heard on an ordi-
nance before it was in our power to
consider it. He wanted to violate
our rules of order, and claims that
you were going to railroad" an
ordinance through.
Looney says he protected "the peo-
pies rights" against you. Gentle
men, such Infamous lies are an out
taken up our time. You
know his purpose. He wants you
to help him, by some conniving trick,
to get to be the owner of telephone
in our city. A telephone
company in the hands of a common
would ruin the city.
You and I, gentlemen, must not al
low this to happen. I am willing to
stand between the people and this
character, Looney.
In regard to these propositions to
buy, 1 tell you now that L. w. Stan
ton is a henchman of and booster for
this notorious John Looney, in fact
came here on a telegram sent by this