The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-04

,antast O +
In 1859 Mr.. Merrill, who was then sheriff
made an agreement with Mayor T. ]. Blu
ord,s administration to board all the city
prisoners who might be arrested that year,
gor a stated price per month. No time was
6Sed in the agreement, but all supposed, as
any MAN would suppose, That Il was for tie
term Of Bufordh administution, unless soon
It terahassd and tlAt eaeh administration
would conduct its own business and make its
own trades. So ~ go 80 -
In 1860, when DIR. Truesdale va enected |
Mr.. Merrill did not inform him Of lie exis.
tence Of this contract but let the matter run
on; nearly through that year, Truesdale sup
posing, as any other man would, that Merrill |
would get the fees allowed by law. But bus
mess was exceedingly dun, and times hard
nobody got drunk or got into rows--they |
cohIan' a ford it, and therefore very few ar
rests we're maae-oaly % in the whole time, |
and the number Of days all were boarded was
only l23.a Bnt Merrill put in . bill before
the city council for$ $3.50 ,oee. The committee
of the city council reported in favor Of allow
ing him his legal fees, which would be $780,
as instead Of 1888, 90. This sum he refused
to take, and it run on until he finally got
$500, ont IF he peoples treasury, on this
matter. 5ss ge3 seftesh .s.s ia zs.aoe "A
Now, the question is this: Did Mr.. Mer-
Nh do right in keeping the knowledge Of this
old agreement from the new Mayor, and
wait, through an that year Of hard times, and
then take advantage of an old agreement
with, . former Mayor, to get $7ee out IF the
people, when he oaght to have had only
$lOg2 That's the question. ~ A7a @aF
And if Mr.. Merrill would do this, to the
detriment of the peoples interest, is he q
proper man to be in the city council? When
his interests, or those Of his clique, come in
conflict with those Of the people, woald not
the peoples interests suffer? Would it not
be- Just exactly as 1t was with. the ferry mat.s
ter sMessrs Webster and Coe were sent TO
Springfield to look ont for the peoples inter
| ests.~ How did they de 4, 'onithe ferry mat.
ter? Byascfi6cins the peopletothsir party
1 friends. Men elected to public position must
learn to act for the mass of the people, and
not for cIques or particular persons or party
friends. What has been MIR. Merrill record
in that respect? The people elected him
sheriff, and he took from the people $7oe,
when he ought to have had only 800. Bet
| ter go for Mr.. Fries, gentlemen-he's not q
professional office holder and ofice-seeker,
and viii stand firm for the greatest good OF
the greatest NUMBER saas.ss.eai asos
1 -stf 1s4srssa @=E-.z...--1--=s fsfx s. s.. -...a
The saloon keepers Of this city have made, dur
ing the past year, more clear profit upon the nm
of capital and skill invested in their business
than any other class in it, eaE .a
Il IF the saloon licenses are reduced nobody gains
lexcept the saloon keepers for nobody imagines
ltkAx bet % whisky would b retailsda any cheaper
than tnow Is, Il the iicenses were reduced even
to $50.- Csies.r r ~: lzt
/ These questions, as well as most other
questions, have two sides. All the saloons
sell cigars and tobacco, and for this privilege
they pay, not to the city, but to the United
States, a license. Nearly all sell oysters and
other refreshments, and for this they pay the
United States akcense. Many of them keep
billiard tables, and for this they pay a license
also, both to the government and the
[ city. And for the privilege of .<llas liaaor-
and beer they pay another license. All this
is avery heavy tax. Then the enormous
taxes imposed by the United States upon the
manufacture of liquors, beer, cigars and to
bacco, brings the price of these articles NJ
to a very high figure. The saloon Keepers
cannot have the "cheekr to charge 10 cents
glass for beer-that would be too high. Their,
is no medium between 10 and at which
change can conveniently be made, and there
fore they charge 5 cents. Now any mar
who is acquainted with the business know
that, at the high price beeris brought up to
by the government tax, and the waste il
drawing, and the loss by the souring of part
ly empty kegs which remain unsold, owe
!, night for people won't drink stale beer, ani
the"foss by the souring Of beer IN this way
quite an item1 the saloon keepers make les
than a cent glass on it---hardly enough t.
pay for drawing it. The profits they maxi
on cigars, tobacco, billiards and oyster
should not be set down to the liquor licens
account. And the money they make on tn
! sale of liquors, at Is and 20 cents drink
!, after paying the high prices and taxes an
. licenses, won't make anybodyrieh. If thes
4 taxes, government taxes, licenses, duties, q
. wen as other taxes, were taken off, the pric
! of drinks would GO back to 5 and 10 cent
|. as before, and the price of tobacco and {
h gars, be reduced more than one-half Blu
!. according to the theory of the Union, If n
!. duties were assessed on our foreign import.
tions the price of foreign goods would r.
D main at the present enormously high figure
r The idea is an absurdity. High taxes, whetl
: er in the shape of duties, licenses, or an
8 other shape, make high prices, and low tax
make low prices.
The Union is also mistaken in saying Thu
y the saloon keepers are making money or &c
ting rich they are not. Sonseof thetn al
be doing pretty well-those who have goo
stand and good run of custom; others a
:, barely able testruggie along, and by clo
: economy, pay expenses; others are losir
: money, hut keep running on by getting
y debt, and win ultimately fail and find ther
. selves unabfe to pay their creditors -a
2 The business, as p whole, is not near
E, profitable as the average of other busine