The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-04-29

"a &h& "a - 1890
independent Of the regular police
force. to act ia that capacity on that
occasion. 1t has always been custom
airy 10 this and other cities, on excit-
ing election occasions, to employ a
! special police force to preserve order,
and it was in conformity with that
custom that the extra police force was
employed. On the second night Of
the meeting of the new Council. the
bill for the services of those gentle.
men, who had been regularly employ
ed by competent authority, and who.
had performed the work assigned
them, and for which they were en-
titled to pay, was presented, the name
of each man being given, leaving the
mount each should receive to be
fixed by the Council. For some reason
or other, the bill was laid over till
the next meeting, at which time it
was again called up. After consider
able discussion, il was decided that
each man should bring il his bill
separately, and that each bill should
De certified to by the man who en-
ployed them As the character Of
service rendered the city BY each.
man was the same, and as it
would be justice to give
each man the same amount of money,
the extra policeman could not see
the propriety Of rendering separate
bills, and procured at the bottom Of
the bill, a certificate from ex-MayOr
Baker,to the effect that they had been
regularly employed, and that he be-
lieved that each mar had discharged
the duty assigned him. That was
thought to be sufficient; but it was
not, and at the last session Of the
Council the bin was again laid over,
under the rule that each mar should
render his own bill separately By many
who have long been familiar with the
manner Of allowing bills by d~elibera-
tive bodies, this was thought a strange
transaction. OF course, the reason
assigned for not allowing the bill
was mott the real one, for a bin for
work done on the ST eets, in which a
large number of men had beea en-
gagged, had been allowed just before,
all on the same bill; hence the rea-
son assigned, as before stated, could
nobbe the real one. But what was
the true reason? That was the ques-
ton that all not interested wanted to
know, and the more especially did
the extra policemen want to know
that, being the interested parties, and
all of them being too poor to lose
even a day from work if they could
help it. The true reason has, at last,
been learned. Yesterday q gentleman
asked a Councilman why the bill was
kept hanging on so long, and why it
had not been paid, and, finally, why
the men were required to make u
separate bills and present them 10 the
Council. To all of these interroga
tories the Councilman, with some
hesitation, answered, 4 have been
informed that the special police force
was selected from members of the
Grand Army Of the Republic, Hndthe
object of having the bills made out
separately was that the Council might
learn the facts in the case" He con-
tinued, IF that is the case, I an not
in favor of paying the bill" Here we
have a nice . mess of fish, indeed.
The Grand Army of the Republic is
composed Of nlen, and none but men
. who fought for the honor of their
/ country. No man who had ever been
a soldier, and against whom the
slightest suspicion rested that he had
not discharged his whole duty while
I serving his country, can be admitted
into that organization; in a word,
neither towards, deserters, nor any
who have been dishonorably dis
missed the service. or have disgraced
THE flag under which they enlisted to
fghf, can be admitted to seatih that
organization, and these are the men
whC are now from week to week de-
MED the poor piJtance OF a salary
each for one day by the majority OF
the Council Of Evansville. These
men. who took their" lives in their