Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-12
ONE WAY TO CLEAN THE
CITY.

UNI WAY III CLEAN IhE
CITY.
When the human maggots that in
police courts ate OF each other it
seemed not 20 alarm the citizenship.
They were supposedly within a prop
s1erly stockaded portion OF the city and
Mexican might devour negro and
negro devastate kind and still the
good citizen rest undisturbed in his
sleep. That these low dives so minute
Z 1y located harbored the last remnants
OF vomankind and primeyal fights OF
conquest took place nightly. Mr.. Good
Citizen concerned himself not al all.
Z The Sodom and GomOrrah wouldn't
couldn't spread onto his confines.
But-the human garbage district
didn't stay put and little by little the
seepage and bits OF offal flowed nearer
TO Good Citizen until he swoke one
morning to find his respected brother
murdered at his own door step. his
neighbors held up and robbed. the son
OF his household in the clutch of the
gambler or in some unspeakable den
Of vice. And yet further when his
country cousin came 10 town 10 invest
In business he was met promptly by
ourly negroes or rolled" by confidence
men and relieved OF $4,000.
- Such is the up-to-the-minute history
gambling rampant, holdups frequent,
burglaries common and murder too
common. Upon whom shall rest the
correction for such a state of affairs,
and upon whom should devolve the
PREPARATION OF conditions? Frankly IL
has its Alpha and Omega in Mr.. Rep
resentative Citizen and associated citi-
zens. who have gained their pros
perity and homes in this community.
for which participation in the good
things OF Rock Island the toll should
be honest supervision OF the best in
terests OF the city.
Here are located men OF. affairs big
in their respective capacities: heads
OF colleges. schools. men in the pro-
fessions. medical. legal banking. who
are eminently capable OF coping with
lawlessness II il for such a body OF
men. casting aside sectionalism and
other considerations. TO combine and
cooperate enmasse for a cleaning.
II any members OF the city commits
s.Cn are misguided and ineffective in I
the administration OF public at
fairs IL Is up 20 a combined cooperative
citizenship 10 make known its
needs and demand fulfillment. to I
expect OF the commission a wise coun- I
selling az once 20 the rehabilitation OF
the city. making OF Il a safe abiding /.
place for men. women and children.
But how will you proceed with this /
cooperative effort in the accomplish /
ment OF results. asks Mr.. Common Citi- /
zen2 In what manner and with what 4
assurances OF success may the people /
OF Rock Island move toward the end 1
so much desired
The answer IL simple. Let the Of 1
fcers Of the municipal commission |
who are responsible for existing con- |
ditions hear your protest, not In wordy /
resolutions. not in feeble expressions.
not in hypocritical defamation, not 4
in The sign language, but IN the volume /
OF human sound
Are there in Rock Island loo citi- /
zens-are there so citiZens-who Will /
20 10 the city hall in body at a given |
time and In the presence OF the mayor 1
and the commissioner OF police regis
ter. not merely a complaint, not a
meaningless warning. but demand
for a clean up. and a permanent clean
up within "A hours?
This body of citizenship. represen-
tative Of every walk of life. must be
enlisted before IL starts on its mis-
sion. There must be no towards or
backsliders in the crowd There must
be no temporizing, no listening TO
excuses. no argument There need
be no IL or ands. and no asking
OF why's or wherefores. The COM
missioners interviewed can be spared
that painful ordeal The thing TO
do is to make the demand and see
that IL is respected-clesn the city
and drive out the undesirables of every
race and conditiOn-and keep them
out.
Are there any considerable number
OF the citizens of Rock Island who are
ready TO 60 TO the front on such a
mission?