The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-10-27
A HERcuLEAE TASK.

10 incompetent; Sd, TO explain "n"'
mean by "Ring" or "Clique." IL
lst. We would be very happy indeed
not only for the sake of our neighbor' whom -
we are very much inclined to obge, but Tor i,
the sake of the taxpayng public, to be able
to give an exact statement Of the ways and
means by which and by whom the revenues
of the county have been wasted We have
! shown in these columns from the records I
that since the erection of the Jail about |
800, 900 in jail taxes have been collected 9
to nav bonded debt created for that pur' I
pose, Of $4,000 or $2j, 900, $4,000 OF
which is yet unpaid. The only answer or
EXPLANATION made has been that large part
of the tax collected for this purpose was ex'
pended in providing for the families of sol.
diers during the war. The war has been
closed over four years, and we are still call.
ed upon this year to pay jail tax OF about
$40, 900 when only $4,000 of the debt ma
lures. If we could explain this we would
be oss happy to do SO. The demand upon
us to do it is as If a prisoner, proven to have
had stole goods in his possession, should turn
. upon his accusers in open court and demand
. that they should explain what he did with
the goods as a prerequisite to his convic'
a tion. We have traced into the hands OF
} Radical county officials, who altogether con-
t stitutc, say--just for figure of speech-a
8 Radical "Ringn or "Clique," about$lO0,OO0
q of specific taxes. We have shown that the
/. amount cannot have been applied 10 the
It uses for which it was levied. We are met
r with the naked assertion that about two
r thirds of it has been applied to another and
d different object, leaving yet large sum 10
/. be accounted for. If the money has been
to honestly and properly expended, the accus'
AZ ed, who are charged with full knowledge OF
n, where it went. and how it went, know 1t and
ID can easily show it, and it is perfectly rea'
or sonable that if a clean showing could be
M. made !. would be made. But knowing this
impossible, and particularly impossible Tor
en- US, the organ modesty demands that we
90 trace this wasted treasure to some parucu
cir lar hole, or admit that it has not been vast
me ed. Had we the time, and an IRON constI!H
-, t;on 10 endure the labor, to overhaul thu
vss county records for eight or ten years past
IA we have no doubt we could teach GU
for neighbor great deal about the mysterle
zee of the county finances but we cant submi
| Al. Il, IL IN rla
ses which we of course study and diligentl
dr strive to do.
MT I'd. We didn't know Capt. Reid had an
military record worth speaking of; and
wo he had, its relationship to an efficient Treas
,Lo ury officer is not patent to us. AS to hi
,ev incomp potency, he may not be more incon
In, petent than many other Republican othc'
,re holders, but as contrasted with Mr.. Thoms
nor his qua lifcsons are mythical. As to III
ues unfairness practiced against Mr.. Ihoms
tho in the nomination Of Mr.. Reid, there ma
es be difference as to the proper use OF term
of The full bred politician recognizes no sue
bly obligation as fairness, and no such quail
allv as untairness in politics, regarding "succe
Who as the only test of merit " But the Rim
,em striped organ knows great deal mo
ERE about the particular facts which constitu
arr. what Mr. Thomas terms untairness, than '
can tell it. Its party knows, too.
bev 3D. Now, az to the terma cling o.
,ob "Clique," the use of which rasps upon o
al neighbours nerves so harshly, we promise
;,a discontinue them if he will supply US wi
bose terms which will better designate q cotel
=. of Radical politicians and spoils.hunters,
pun which the Union is the most willing q
luch subservent organ. We WILL not even ole
the in a matter of taste, if we can avoid it,
Our neighbor is still curious about tho
e1eo l07 names, and wants to see them.
rson make him a proposition: If he will publ
,woi full and fair account OF what we saw
~ heard last Saturday and Sunday, bear
,x upon this campaign, and particularly nF
NV" Mr.. Thomas, we will publish the names
'no ARGUS.
u Al That's cool proposition. It's like
ever schoolboy's offer to trade jack knives ISL
can unseen" For all we know, our neigh
place may have been visiting o dram.shop 81
oh Saturday aud Suna~yI' who're he NAV hl
"a" seen and heard much clearing upon
the campaign, and particularly upon Mr.. The
the as" which would be highly improper ii
,ered moral newspaper like the Unjon.- Union
ex' 1t is very evident to everybody with
PAPER idea in his head that typographical er
lticaI made "we" of what was written and int
a'gn' ed for she" in the paragraph from the !
nnnP GUS Make this correction, as every rea
n' OF of the ARGUS must have done, and ii is
u the orally true that what the editor saw and
re- would be highly improper to publish 10
luItF paper, even the Rock Island Union. /
OF thermore, his repeated attendance at dra
shops was the most venial part Of it.
DISTRESSING FIRE AT CAMP MCCLELL
luoo' "A CHILD CONSUMED IN THE FLAMES
naen' The dwelling of John Boog, laborer
mat Lindsay & Phelps mill in Davenport,
ePuo' destroyed by fire yesterday and one of