Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-03
in HARD TRIAL
TO SAVE BRUNER
Kittilsen Permits Use of His
Name in Disreputable Cam
paign Document.
RUNS INTO THE BREACH
Is Made the Weak Instrument
of Designing Elements Whose
Purpose Is Obvious.

A communication signed by Sheriff
Edward Kittilsen, and designed for
political effect, as it bears on the
shrievalty campaign, appeared in the
republican papers of Rock Island and
Moline last evening. AT 1:45 yester-
day afternoon Sheriff Kittilsen called
The Argus on the phone and asked if
it would publish a communication from
him relative to some things it had been
saying about the conduct of his office.
Mr.. Kittilsen was asked if the com
munication was of a personal or po-
litical nature, and also as to the space
it would require, the explanation be-
ing given to him that it was late in
the day to consider anything in the
line of communications of great length.
Mr.. Kittilsen replied that the COM
munication pertained TO his Office and
would make half a column. Mr.. Kit
tilsen was then reminded that The
Argus had not gone after him person
ally during the campaign, to which he
responded before the sentence could
be completed And l am not going af-
ter you. At any rate" he continued,
Il will send the communication to you,
and if you can get it in, all right; if
not. all right"
Fifteen minutes later the communi-
cation which has been alluded TO came
TO The Argus office. The bearer was
informed. after it had been read, that
for two reasons it could not be pub
lished in The Argus of last evening.
In the first place. il was three times
as long as Mr.. kittilsen had estimated,
and in the second place, while it was
intended at least to be political in
character, it was for the most part
personal in so far as il pertained TO
The Argus, and no paper would pub
lish a communication dealing all the
way through in attack upon that paper
without taking the time to append its
own comments. The bearer was also
told that to the knowledge of The
Argus the communication had been in
the offices of other newspapers at least
four hours before it was submitted to
The Argus. to which it was admitted
that the communication had been
given to the other papers the day be-
fore.
simply Ruse.
Under these circumstances it did
not appear to The Argus that Mr.. Kit
tilsen was so much interested in hav-
ing it printed in The Argus as to have
the paper refuse to publish it. although
the bearer of the communication dis
avowed any such intention on the
sherifT's part
The Argus has not a great many
comments TO make upon the commune
cation at this late hour. except TO re
peat that its object is for political eff
feet. despite the evidences of spite, in
which effort it is apt to fall short of
the mark. as the manifest purpose is
TO divert attention from the issues of
the campaign to things that are irrele-
want. AS far as the illusions to The
Argus are concerned they are for the
most part so disreputable and false as
TO be only important in giving en-
phasis TO the conviction so generally
prevailing that outside influences not
only dominate the sheriff, but al times
do MS thlnhlnS LOT MIN.
One Point of Interest.
There is one point in the commune
cation which Sheriff kittilsen says he
Is particularly anxious to impress upon
The Argus. and. in fact, it is about all
he offers in defense of the conduct of
his office. The rest of it is abuse and
instrumentation of circumstances
which. even if true, would have moth
ing to do with the subject under dis
cussion. and which, whether with the
shcriff's full comprehension or not are
into the communication TO
serve two ends. one of which is the
of well established per
5onal malice. and the other to serve
The old trick of diverting attention
from the main controversy. The point,
however. TO which the communication,
which the sheriff has signed. calls par
ocular attention is this: Il have never
directly or indirectly accepted one
penny of graft | have never pro
.ected' any form of vice. I am not
chief of police of your city. My office
S not police headquarters, nor are my
deputies policemen-at the present
ime. Consequently, The Argus is
hardly fair in expecting me TO thor
)ughly police your city. [ wish to inn
press this one thought upon The argus:
All the raids / have made have been
begun upon complaints made, and war
ants issued. 1 stand ready and will
ng to make such raids at any time. ]
invite the editor of The Argus TO make
complaint and have warrant issued