The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-10-19
Daily y argus.
oTFxUYAL PAPER.
FINANCES.

| he man WHO runs the organ OF the CourI
House Ring has written himself commu.
nication, and so that nobody would ever sus'
pect he wrote it, has signed it principle. y
In this he says-"Mr. Thomas claims he has
rendered US great service in bringing up the
credit OF the county and paying cash for our
| county orders" He then denies that Mr..
| Thomas is entitled TO any credit for the
| financial reform which has been brought
about since he was first elected to the position
Of Treasurer, and LAYS the credit ofthe whole
business to the Board Of Supervisors. The
facts in the case are, TINT the credit Of the
reform is due to Mr.. Thomas and to no one
else. Tax payers should bear this fact in
mind.
When Mr.. Thomas took charge Of the
Treasurers office in December 1865, his pre-.
jecessor, Mr.. A. l.. Wait, handed over to
him the sum of 1866. That was all the
money on hand with which our county cred
it was to be sustained.
During the following February, as county
money began coming in, Mr.. Thomas com.
menced paying cosnty orders. These orders
at once rose to par. This was regarded toith
astoaishment By the holders. When Mr..
Thomas settled with the Board Of Supervis.
ers in September Of 1866, he had on hand
$l,0Sj,22, andhad paid erery order present.
ed up to that date. Being aware how desr-
ab& it would be to keep the credit of the
county up to the very highest notch all the
time, and how much money would be saved
thereby to his fellow.citzens, Mr.. Thomas
determined to make some move looking to
that end. As long as he could get in mon.
ey fast enough to pay these orders they would
keep at par, but Of course, as soon as the
Treasury would run short Of money, they
would be at discount. Mr.. Thomas con-
suited no one as to what plan shoald be
adopted This was from no motives ofegot-
ism, but simply because he did not deem it
necessary. On the 18th of September he
went before the Board Of Supervisors, and
told the gentlemen of that body that if they
would give him the authority to borrow
money nt ten per cent, whenever necessary,
he thought he could keep county orders at
par. Supervisor Kimball then offered the
following resolution which was promptly
adopted.
Resolced, Tha. the County Treasurer be
authorized to procure means sufficient to
pay all county orders that may be presented
to him, at rate of interest not to exceed
ten per cent per annum.
The result was just as Mr.. Thomas antic.
pated. County orders have remained at
par ever since. man would just as soon
have them as the cash. They are consid.
cred Just as good as United States green
back, anywhere. Instead of having to sell
their orders, at fifty cents on the dollar, as
WAS formerly the case, people now get their
full value. For all this we are indebted to
Mr.. Thomas, and to no one else. This
fact the Board of Supervisors fully appre.
ciates, and at its last session passed the fol-
lowing resolution
Resolved, That the thanks Of this Board
are hereby rendered to II. F. Thomas, coun.
ty treasurer, for the faithful and efficient
manner in which he has discharged the du
ties of his office for the whole time he has
held it. Coming into office at time when
the orders Of the county were below par, BY
his e1ertions in conjunction with this Board,
HE HAS REDEEMED THE CREDIT OF THE
COUNTY, placing its orders and bonds on a
sound basis. and we not only thank him as
Board, but as individuals, and for the
People Of the county.
In its issue of the 18th of September, the
organ of the Court House Ring was also
compelled to make the following admlss'
ions
".Nr. Thomas wiH retire NTH the satisfac'
ton of kno,cing hcf his official record
bears no spot or blemish. The most active
friend of Reid had not word Of reproach
for Mr.. Thomas,nor a single error to charge
against his administration v
After Mr.. Thomas serves through the
next term, we expect to be able to pay him
a like compliment.