Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-03
ORIGINATED WITH THE PEOPLE

The cause for the special election to
be held in Rock Island one week from
tomorrow originated with the people.
1t is therefore a sort of tryout of the
initiative and referendum program. 1T
was in response to a petition signed
by nearly 1000 of the citizenship of
Rock Island, sustained by a number
of organizations, asking that the city
take over under purchase and hold for
all time as an athletic field playground
| and baseball park the tract of land of
which Island City park is a small part,
that the commission decided to call
! the election.
Feeling on the one hand that a pc
! tition of such magnitude and of such
a nature could not be ignored, embrac-
| ing as It does not only individuals but
a number of the leading organizations
of the city, including the Elks, Eagles,
knights Of Columbus and the Tri-City
Federation of Labor. and on the other
hand that 1t could not legally proceed
under the commission form of govern
ment without submitting it to the peo-
pie, the idea of special election pre-
scented itself 1t was in the discussion
of this, the referendum phase of the
purchase, that the other proposi-
In no
pense of a special election was IN
avoidable in the face of the petition
and the requirements of the law, why
not give the people a chance to pass
on the other essentials at the same
time, argued the commissioners. The
desire of the people residing in an
other section of South Rock Island to
come in, as had their neighbors at the
last election, was taken into consid-
GRAFTON. Why not have the petitions
for further territorial annexation sub
mitted at the same time?
Then came up the question of water
; and fire protection 10 those newcom-
ers, and notwithstanding that all of
the bond issue pertaining to the water
supply is 10 be met out OF the funds
Of the department, it is necessary TO
, have the people pass upon it. So that
was included, and the commission
ers got to figuring on other necessi-
ties. and before they knew it what
they all had in mind mounted to the
aggregate of $4,000.
, And right here, let it IN justice to
/ the commissioners be explained that
: The commissioners did not for a mo
, nent have any idea of putting any
: such proposition up to the people. The
, newspapers, in their desire to keep the
: public posted. referred from time to
! time TO the progress of the commits
4 sioners in determining what they
: would like to have go into the bond
issue proposition, and it would be q
I great outrage upon the commissioners
: TO hold them accountable for contem'
5 plating seriously what was published
. in a casual way during the course OF
their deliberations. At all events, the
! whole issue for all purposes, including
t the $4,000 for waterworks improve
= ments and extensions, and which Il
r not a tax and will not be a tax, wa:
t whitfield down to 100000, and after
: proceeding with the essential formal
ties to put the matter rightly before
e the people, the special election was
l. called.
So that what started the whole prop
:, osition was the petition OF 1000 citi
d zens asking that the city acquire the
: tract OF II acres situated on Eighteenth
avenue and running north on Ninti
Is street and OF which Island City bal
a. park is the smaller part, and hold tn,
II same for all time for athletic, play
e ground, and baseball purposes. Ties
e petitions OF citizens, as said, wer
D. backed by formal resolutions from
s number OF societies in the city VIII
s. consider the city would be guilty of
st great oversight if it did not take advar
Ie tage Of the opportunity Afforded
st insure TO the present and the futur
81 the advantages that other cities pot
IS sess for the athletic development c
Il the youth, and the recreation for tn
IS children, as well as the enjoyment an
], amusement Of the older folks,