The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-11-24
Scratching Ballots.


The Aro,.s last evening says republican
of this city refused to vote for Mr.. Merrill,
whrn he was running for sheriff, and contln-
ues
ego, this act. Sheriff Merrill declined any long
ar IN emnIoy him. professionally, for the county,
and employed another man who charged the coun
ty lust double the sum which had formerly peeh
charged, and the board Oh supervisors aiio"e" 'i'
bIll.''
The editor of the argus very well knew
when he penned the above paragraph that
he was uttering that which was not true
He knew that Sheriff Merrill had nothing to
do in EMPLOYING a physician to attend on the
prisoners.-Unios 22d.
No we didn't know any such thing we
thought every word we uttered was strictly
true, and we find, on examination, that 1t was
strictly true, except that the board of super
yisers did not allow the extra charges.
Now that so much has been said about this
matter, we may as we'll tell the whole story.
1t is this: At the election, last fall, Nj. ID.
Merrill, republican, and Z. j. Underwood,
democrat wero candidates for sheriff DR..
A.. J, Grover, a republican, was very warm
and intimate personal friend of Mr.. Under
wood. but he did not like to vote against his
party, nor did he wish to vote az inst his per-
soma! friend He knew that one vote, IN a
strong republican county, could make no DIT
ference in the result, and he therefore declin-
ed to vote for any one for sheriff. 1t was the
set of a gentleman, not untrhe TO bis party,
and not unkind to his particular personal
friend. Previous to this, Dr.Grover had been
employed as physician, by order of the board
of supervisors.
In the month of January or February toll
lowing. Sheriff Merrill declined any longer to
call DIR. Grover, and, without any order OF
the board, employed DR.. Plummer, and this
was done, too, in the face of the fact that Dr.
Grover was the last physician who had been
employed by order of the board OF superVls-
ors, and before the board had directed the
employment of Plummer or any one else
Does the Union now think that 'Sheritf Mez-
rill had nothing to do in employing physl-
clan to attend on the prisoners p
Our statement was true, as far as this -
Sheriff Merrill did, latter he was elected and
before the supervisors made any change IN
physicians) discharge DR.. Grover and employ
DR.. Plummer.
At the meeting of the board in March fol-
lowing. we find that, on the 18th day of
March
ssOu motion of Supervisor Atkinson 1t was Or
dered that DR.. Samuel c. Plummer be and he Is
hereby appointed county physician tor the town
OF Rock Island including the persons conhned IN
the county JAIL
Why was this motion made? Who instr
gated it? Who suggested it to Supervisor
Atkinson? Was it not done by the court
house clique as punishment to DR.. Grover
for not voting for Mr.. Merrill? 1t will be
"michtv hard" to make the public believe to
the contrary.
At the same session of the board, and be-
fore he aCas appointed, Plummer presented
his bill fer services rendered by order of Sher'
if Merrill, who had previously turned of
Grover and employed Plummer, and in that
bill Plumnser charged the county Just exactly
double the prise formerly charged by Grocer,
for every single item.-and we are told that
he made visits enough to the jail in one month
to amount to almost as much as Growers bills
for the previous four years.
And we stated that the supervisors allow
ed his bill,-but this part of our statement
was incorrect, though we thought it was true
when we made it. But, by reference to the
proceedings of the board, we find, on the 10th
of March, the day after Plummer was np
pointed, the following:
con motion of Sup'r Moore the following reso-
luton adopted, viz:
s'ResoIved, That DR.. A, J. Grover be allowed
the sum Of one dollar per visit to the poor OF the
city and prisoners in the county jail, per bill
rendered, and that the bill of Dr.. s. c. Plumme'
for visits at the county jail be reduced the
amount, to-wit dollar per vist''
That's the whole story, as we understand
it DR.. Grover, county physician, would not
vote against Merrill, his party candidate, mol
against his best friend, who was running or
the other side. He knew his vote would mo-
elect one or defeat the other, and he did no
vote for anybody for that office. Merrill wat
elected, and he without any order OF the
board, discharged Grover and employed
Plummer. Plummer charged just twice a
much as Grover had previously done, and thu
board cut his bill down to former prices.
Using the language of our neighbor we say
that "the whole article" in the Union, els
species of special pleading for its party, moi
at all creditable."
Does he 'ssee the point" now?
ID ,l,ls