The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-29

fConsinnsd IRON First PagsJ
I n also hsfs 70 tell you what the
1noyor expects Of this board.
ln the first place, You want To-
6emher that ron are called to ,
voSy thanklsss task. Your duties
Eofe, You may flnd ct times, VIII
Is very UNPLEASANT and You may
euller embarrassment before your
friends and acquAintances. due In
great part to the furore which has
recently been raised In the COM
munity. You will be subject to
criticism and will incur a large
measurs Of censure on your heads
no matter what y0u do.
There II nothing required At
the hands Of any man on the board
that II not honorable. You are not
here as three men to serve rs dunn
mies-not as . biased body. Your
personal records Is citizens Of this
community will disprove all such
charges-one in fact being son
Of m ex-mayor of the city, and
can be considered as especially
above reproach.
Lastly, charge you in the name
Of the mayor to dare to do the right
stand out as real men and perform
your duty, and bear censure which
Is sure to come. No one has the
right to dictate to you what to do.
Newspapers Barred.
Neither has any newspaper the
right to dictate or suggest. Mob
rule 1.-THE rule Of a large crowd)
often falls short of being equity or
justice. And it is just as wrong
for a man in public office to be
swayed falsely by thousand as it
is to be swayed by five. You men
sit here in judgment, knowing
nothing Of conditions except such
facts as come to you through testi-
mony. Your duties are, briefly:
ITO listen to the advice any citi-
zen tenders You in good faith.
ITO seek evidence in your in
vestigations wherever you may find
it.
ITO exercise your power of ad-
ministering oaths, taking evidence
and ruling ON your findings, even
TO suspending an officer of eithe,
the police or fire department
There is no appeal from your dc
lisions.
Il wish to particularly call youl
attention to the fact that you may
,JrduCt these Investigations in al
..-sht any manner you see fit. Yol
~, pii.iiegeI 20 CAL in officers o.
llllce department, or othel
v4s, ana ask them any peril
4; questions. This may be don,
,..saly in a public meeting or pri
.tely behind c-osed doors.
This action, suspending an Off
Ger. is the final and most drastic
pei-alty this body can impose. TIT
stigma of such an act is far reach
ing in the private life Of an indi
vidual SO treated. 1t carries init
his affairs and follows him wher
ever he may go, and must weigl
In his qualifications whenever an,
wherever he applies for job.
Now in courts of law cases ar
tried on the basis of evidence
which may be documentary 70
written) or oral Thy use of wit
nesses.) The fundamental rule i
that when one testifies he must d,
so on the basis of personal knowl
edge. Hearsay evidence, which W
OF the bar are only too familia
with, which blasts characters an
ruins regulations throughout tn
country and somtimes even sway
civic organizations and govern
mental bodies. is not accepted a
testimony in the smallest court i
the land.
"Circumstantial evidence is
different thing, and is acceptabl,
No court or board such as your
has any right to convict ON heal
say evidence. You must insist thu
anyone pressing charges before 20
have direct proof.
Civic Virtue Unc0rnered.
"The community is in a feve
over this thing, the present allege
vicious conditions as described
the newspapers. But just remen
Der that in this or any other con
munity no one crowd has all of tt
civic virtue. Gentlemen, tn
board comes in after another boal
has inaugurated an investigation
the police department. The poll,
chief was called before the o.
board on Monday evening, and W;
asked where he was at a certai
time on a certain night. Before
had time to think the investigate
was broadened out and he ";
queried about charge of demora
ization in his department A re-
olution then passed by the o.
board suspended the chief for
days. 1t was stated in newspaper
the next day that the chief admitte
certain things-in fact pleade
guilty. These statements were ev
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