The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-23
BEARING FROM THE WOMEN.

The Rock Island W0mAnIs club. which mas
enfelled ON its membership roster the names
q t,loo mothers wives and daughters Of this
citl, Saturday afternoon by standing vote
unlnimously endorsed Thei Argus in its cam
paSbn to make the community In which they
live safe and decent. In addition $500 was
voted to the fund pledged by citizens to defray
the expense Of state investigation Of crime
and vice conditions and $50 was donated to
The Argus Policemen's Fund for the widows Of
Yatrclmsn James Greon and Edward Miner,
slain Ia . gun battle with an underworld negro
gunman.
Fourteen hundred women striving in unison
can exert incstimable power for good in COM
NUDITY the size Of Rock Island. With the vot-
inf franchise theirs. they can. WELD the bal
ance Of power in any election. They can con-
csntrate on any set of candidates and put them
in ONCE. Theirs 10 wonderful opportunity for
the promotion Of civic Righteousness. No pub
lie Official would dare to display the effrontery
that some of our present public servants have
exercised in recent months were they made
aware that the good women Of the city would
vote as unit ut future elections. The charge
u made that women are impractical in politics.
There may be some grounds for such an asser-
ton, and 1t Is on the strength Of such theory
ing that seasoned campagners have ben abls
to divide good women Of the city in elections of
the past
The dishonest politician may well heed the
warning carried by the action of the Rock
Island Woman's club Saturday. 1t was notice
that the mothers, wives ard daughters Of this
city are conscious of power that they will
sxetrtse openly ip censuring and disciplining
omclals who have employed their authority in
betrayal Of the interest of the decent citizen
ship in order to cater to a small minority en-
sagsd in lawlass trafacking in order to control
the voting strength of that element and share
the more material favors that are resped from
concessions that are only to be had through
oGlcial sanction.
Eighty-fve per cent of the men and women
Of Rock Island have placed themselves
y ON Record as standing for and supporting
morally and financially the demands that have
been made upon officials by The Argus for law
enforcement In the city The Argus never
questioned the position Of the majority of the
citizenship from the outset of its campaign, but
never before in the history of Rock Island has
there been such unanimity and outapoksnness
~ ne people on public question - there has
beeo during the present agitation to awaken
om&aldom to an application Of its sworn duty
Het.tofore the people have been disposed to
assume let George do 1t attitude, but this
dino they have figurativsly taken OF their
coats, rolled up their sleeves. lined up and
aslod to be counted. It ID that oourageousnsss
and unity that forces the hand Of the adamapt
e@cial. The Argus would have been helpless
b IT. Undertaking without the sustaining and
eacuufaging sentiment Of the law-sbiding
people Of the community. Once The Argus
proved it, case. 1t knew there was nothing to
tear in. the expression Of the voice Of the pub
He The Argus waited for that voice. and it
ha4 come through with increasing force and
vclvns each succeeding day. II 10 that voice
that has been heard and answered BY city and
Aesnty oniciais. But the thing to remember is
that o6icials did not respond until they rscog-
aiss@ the import and omipcusness of that COM
nnpity voice.
me Argus charged that Rock Island vas
- ~ grip Of an underworld government that
wa striking at the very vitals OF the commun-
~ veil being The Argus ut out TO dissolve
that government and suppress the trafic by
vhtch 1t was nOurished and sustained The
Ar1SA with the backing Of public sentiment,
- heoken the bond that linked the city hall
Ntth the underworld; It has treated the city to
uucA cleaning Of lawless conditions a. It has
4 notsexperienced in generation: Il has smoked
oat p@cials and their silent partners in UNDER
Nofh trainckins; II has had removed the hand
tAak vas responsibls for inelIestivsnsss Of tho
I poalea department; II has ended gunmsa gov
efz(nentai rule; It has wrested ccntrol Of mu-
I niclpal functioning from the elements Of law
lsWsss and restored It to the hands q the
husabtdint citisenship; It has promptsd sub
II bal men Of the city. striving only in the
& lDt4lsat of the common seod. to finance :
uAf Investigation and prosecution Of the whole
Gt11e and vice situation In the city. hat TIE
1tmosphers Be cleared. the stain b rsmotsd
&cQ the good name OF Rock Island and the
EGAleU exposed and punished. The Argus Ass
eccnpliahed thsse resultssto date simply ~
Z 49, 4 knsv the people Of Rock Island. knew
ENhpe thsy could BE- found when the hour ar
vS to ~ counted. The people Of Rock h
- haye placed themselves squarsH On rec
1A4v sadoess ~Aaa has hssa A1as u
~ tbey want tAs proeram 0sst1 = .
~. vithout regard 70 xhs ~ - hit.
1e1t &asG Rock Jsland iaslulnEe yeass 4
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