Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-22
START A LEAGUE
To ENFORCE LAW
Two Hundred Citizens at Mass
Meeting Held at the Ar
mory Hall.
SEVERAL TALKS HEARD
Major Halves Tells How Two Men
Regulated City Back in 1872
Committee Named.

! sion of moral conditions now existing
in the city, about 200 men gathered al
Armory hall last evening and out OF
( the meeting came definite plans for
| the organization of law enforcement
/ league. H f. Van Duzer called the
meeting together and filed the chair
until a temporary organization consist
! ing of a. D. Sperry for chairman and
| F. K. Rhoads for secretary had been
perfected. Later on in the evening
this organization was made permanent.
| Mr.. Sperry remarked that every
real man in the city is interested in
uplifting the morals of the community
and that it is the duty of everyone so
disposed to give his utmost assistance
| in order that children now growing up
may be protected from contact with
vice and evil of all sorts.
william jackson Talks.
When Mr. Sperry had finished his
talk he asked that the meeting resolve
itself into a general discussion as there
was no planned program and no one
| Fad been asked to speak beforehand.
| There were calls for Hon. William Jack
son and he responded He said that the
city is gaining a reputation all over the
state as a place where evil and vice
are unrestrained and it is generally
believed that the city is running to
waste He said that this was undoubt-
edly true. as the foundation of any
community is it's morality. and he sug-
gested that the foundation of Rock
Island receive attention at once. He
SrvnG
are a detriment to the advancement
of the city and that they are prevent
ing a great boom. In suggesting the
remedy for it all, he said that the as
sistance of the proper authorities
should be secured and that law and
order league be formed. 1t is his belief
that the present conditions will cease
to be upon the organization of such a
league. as they will realize that they
must go. He announced to the meet
ing that States Attorney l.. NJ. Magiu
has expressed himself as being in sym.
pathy with the movement towards law
enforcement and that he will see thas
indictments are secured against evil
doors pointed out by the league.
Wants Position Understood.
Following Mr.. Jackson, A. ID. Hues-
ing explained his position as
signer of the call for the meeting.
He said he had no idea that the meet
ing would result in the formation Of
civic federation, one of the kind that
has for it's purpose the wiping off of
the earth of the saloon, and that ii
such an organization was effected he
said he would fight it to the best of his
ability. He held that conditions need
ed remedying, but not to the extent of
Sunday closing and prohibition. He
was for regulation, but not strangula-
ton
George w. Reddig answered Mr..
Huesing by stating that it was not in
the power of a league such as had been
advocated to close up the saloon or
abolish it and that the primary object
of the proposed league should be the
enforcement of existing laws.
Tells of TwO-9Ian League.
Major c. W. Halves told of the first
law and order league ever organized
in this city. saying that it was two
man league and that he was one of
the two This league consisted of Hon.
Elijah Carter, then mayor of Rock
Island. and Major Halves, who was
serving in the capacity of chief of the
police department. Mayor Carter told
his police chief that he wanted the
town cleaned up morally and upon
promising to back UP his officer the
latter agreed to do the work and it
was done in short order, according to
the major. as practically all of the un-
desirables left upon being advised that
they would no longer be tolerated. Major
Halves said it was up to citizenship to
put aside party politics in local
affairs. place the right men in office
regardless of what party they are
affiliated with, and then get ready for
the commission form of government.
Get Down to Organization.
Believing that it was the sense of
the meeting that an organization be
effected for the purpose of enforcing
the existing laws and city ordinances,
Mr.. Reddig proposed that committee
of three be appointed to plan such an
organization. This started a general
discussion. Albert Huber said he
bodied in the organization than merely
law enforcement and that there should
be no such thoughts as mo prohibition,
no morality" DR.. w. S. Marquis re-
sponded to this by stating that the
local option movement was not a pro.
hibition movement. although the sa-
loon interests had generally succeeded
in conveying this impression. The
speaker said he was not ashamed of
the city by any means, but that he
realized there were evils which ought
to be eradicated. Accordingly he Of
fered two resolutions which were
passed. ihe first was to
the effect that it was the sense of the
meeting that the moral conditions and
influences of the city could be greatly
improved by the enforcement of exist
ing laws and by the influence with
the proper officials which an organiza-
lion for this purpose would have.
The other resolution provided for the