Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-01
RICHMOND Gets
BID TO A DEBATE
Charles Block Challenges Posi-
ton of Supervisor on An
nexation Question.
SAYS HE SHOULD RESIGN
Chairman of County Board Tells Argus
That He Has Been Placed in
a Wrong Light.

Rock Island. ILL.,. May S0.-Editor
The Argus: The question of annexa
ton has agitated the minds OF the peo-
pie of South Rock Island more or less
| for some time and a good deal has
been said pro and con. But things
| took on a different aspect entirely
when John Campbell. president of the
| Empire Coal and Ice company, some
! time this week appeared before the
mayor of the city of Rock Island with
! the following proposition:
| First--We. Mr.. Campbell, --, -,
-, and Hon. George Richmond. be
| ing included in the newly annexed ter
ritory of South Rock Island, will not
! object to annexation providing the
city lays water pipes and sewer in
I front OF our property without charge.
Seccnd-Should Mr. Schriver, as
mayor of Rock Island, refuse to grant
us our demands, we will not submit
| TO annexation. but will oppose the same
| in court on the grounds that the petit
! ton was faulty, being signed by peo-
pie not eligible.
Now, citizens of Rock Island read
this statement carefully. and let us
see what il means. Mr. Campbell says
the petition is faulty. and let it be
taken for granted that Mr.. Campbell
knows what he is talking about, and
is right He is not going into court
to fight annexation. but to the mayor
of the city and demand water and
sewer without paying for it
Try to Shift Burden.
II did not trouble the conscience of
Mr.. Campbell very much whether this
petition was faulty or not, but the main
object was to coerce the mayor of the
city 10 grant these people some things
they were no, entitled to. To the
credit of Mr.. Schriver il must be said
that he most emphatically refused to
be & party to such a deal, TO shift the
burden of taxation from the shoulders
of these wealthy people onto the less
fortunate citizens of Rock Island
What makes the attempt to escape
their due share on improvements more
serious is the fact that George Rich |
mond is implicated in this affair AS
supervisor of. South Rock Island, chair
man of the board of supervisors and |
only signed his name to said ultimat- !
UNI as a citizen, but as a representa- |
tive of the people of South Rock Is
land township and as chairman of the
board of review. as a representative
of the county of Rock Island. a posi-
ton any citizen of this county should
be proud of.
The writer lives in one of the sec
tons which have lately been annexed
to the city. There is not a wealthy
man living in my neighborhood Most
Of us work by the day, but everybody
wanted the improvements. We got
them and paid for them. Now, Mr..
Richmond should compare the progress
'ive spirit of these people with his
own actions and draw some conclu-
;ions. and in order to facilitate mat
ers. the writer offers to debate the
propositions in public with
'fr Richmond:
First-If you know said petition is
l fraud, is~it not your duty as an up
light American citizen to oppose it?
Bad Example Is Set
Second-Knowiug of said fraudu-
o use the same to extort some con
'essions from the mayor, contrary TO
aw. 4
Third-Why the people of Rock Is
and should not demand your resiena-
ion as supervisor OF this township.
Fourth-Why the board of super
.isors should not demand your resig-
ation as chairman OF said body.
Fifth-That as chairman of the
oard of review. called upon to equal
,e the burden of taxation as much as
ossible. you have set bad example a
Y trying to AVOID your own obliga- ?
ons.
Sixth-Why the grand jury should ,
OF be called upon TO investigate this
latter to prevent other similar at =
smpts in the future. You have been .
cry instrumental in prosecuting the :
leriff for alleged knocking down of a =
ew meal tickets and settled a debt =
Z 100000 on the county Let us throw y
lie searchlight on your own actions. /
In every one of the foregoing propo- +,
tons, the writer will take the af- n
Mr.. Richmond will be en- il
tied TO make the rest of the arrange
ents CHARLES BLOCK r
Mr.. Richmond Makes Statement.
George II. Richmond tells The Ar
is that the communication addressed +.
Mayor H. NJ Schriver last week
a threat TO fight the legal =
of the recent election by which a