The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-10-11
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE.
OUR ENORMOUS TAXES.
Illegal and Doubtful Expenditures.
THE JAIL TAX EXAMINED AGAIS.

and consequently demands and must receive
the attention Of tho public withou, respect
to parties and politics. We Of Roek Island
county are just now enjoying to Inc iu'Ieh
extent the fruit Of the peoples ioiIy IN al
lowing the reins Of power TO be gathered INTO
the hands of bad and corrupt mon. We are
taxed in such an outrageous mannst to sup
mort ring Of barnacles and their tools, that
there seems to be no other alternative than
for good and homes, men Of all peIitcal
proclyties to unite in opposing the schemes
Of public plundsr now IN progress, and to
drive from power the dishonest originators.
Our taxes are enormous; they are preposter.
ously large, and are increasing every year.
We wish to draw the attention Of the tax
payers Of both parties to this fact, If indeed
the perpetual drafts on their substance have
no. already done 80. Never in the history
Of our county has such cxtrAvagance pre-
vailed in the management Of It's affairs, as
at present. Never before has il been so
necessary for the people to overturn the
demagogues who are wasting their treasure
Never before did public burdens lay SO heavy
on tho shoulders Of the masses. Everybody
is complaining. Ia fact, considering tho
extent to which they are taxed for National,
State, and County purposes, tho people have
| become to be little more than serfs and
laborers for horde Of prodigs Office hold.
ers
Our taxes ore all figured up to the high.
est notch, but the most illegal and outrage
Gus imposition to which we arc subjected, il
that known as the "jail.tax.' In previous
issues We have traced it's origin aud shown
what large sums Of money have been raised
in this manner, and diSbursed for purposes
foreign to the object for which they were
raised. Indeed we confess our utter inabtlI.
,y to tell wha, has become Of this money.
Whether it has been pocketed by the Court
House Ring and It's dependents, or whether
. i, hos been squandercd in reckless and
useless manner, We are unable to say, and
do not see that anything ia to bo gained by
solving the mystery. Tho money is gone
nothing remains to show for it but ,hs ire
spouslble statements of a weak sud corrupt
organ which is perhaps a party to the con.
,piracy against the public, and oil that can
now be done is for the people to awake from
their lethargy, and SEQ that other ard yaster
sums do not follow
Since the "iail tax was first instituted,
the people have paid over to the Barnaces
on this score, over one haadred thousand
dollars. All this has been to pay an origi'
nal debt of twenty thousand dollars, which
is not yet liquidated. When we first pub.
hshed this startling fact, the organ OF coun.
,v corruption WAS silent for season. 1t
finally rallied, however, and shielded this
delalcaton of its party under the presence
that the most Of this large sum WAS eXpend
ed in the relief Of the families Of our soldiers
during the war. We do not believe THU
, statement, bu, being aware that the cry Of
q "Copperhend' and Traitor would be raised
if VIC oontradcted it, We chose rather to in.
qure why Jail tax of $4,000 had beer
levied for the ensuing year, when we have
no sodiers' families TO support, and when
: all the ian liabilities falling due amount to
' bu, g., 600. The organ of corruption an
8 swered our question by stating that under
, the extravagant administration Of Democra
cy in this county, that party saddIed a
Warsaw Il Rockford railroad indebtedness
Of $lS3000 on the people, and that the
ail tax WAS to help pay this
democratic debt" The real debt contract.
ed By a cote Of the people for the Warsaw
& Rockford Railroad, (which was but an
early name tor the present Rockford, Rock
Island b 81. Louis Road, a psf institution
with the radical organ,) amounted to only
$4,000. Bonds were issued to the amount
Of $780, 900, but seven 81 900 bonds were
=, ! afterwards burned an oPeu court. os thi-
t $4,000, and interest accruing, a chic
r amount has been paid, for which service
the public is chiefly indebted 10 the dnan
ciSl ability Of several prominent democrats
= Of this city Thus, since there is no longer
a possibility of clonking theft and corrup
ton under the pretence OF caring for SOL
10 scarcely room to cover it with tins rail
road indebtedness, which can easily be
g ! cared for with other funds
j. We should perhaps state that most of the
y W. u K. bonds taken up, were bought for
the county at fifty cents on the dolIa, BY
p democrats, thus rendering the sum the rad
V cals have properly expended still smaller
!. than it would otherwise appear, and show
It ing that it has chiefly been property ex,
pended by democrats.
In the first place, every dollar Of this jail
r. tax which has been raised, over and above
e what was required to meet the regular in
is staments falling due, has been Illegally
r raised, and Illegally expended, if it has not
! been stolen outright There exists nc
q authority for raising money for one purpose
| while designing to, and actually disbursing
d i, for another purpose. The action is lille
ga, and the tax is Illegal and the people
e should refuse to pay it. Al the last session
II Of the Board Of Supervisors, Treasurer
" Thomas expressed an opinion that a jsi
e tax of ,tice.eightRs Of a mill ,could be fuuJ
o adequate to NEE! every requirement. Why
IT then was tax OF two and ous.half mile
\ levied They tell US il is 10 nav the rail