The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-09-20
The Advantages of a Democratic Board o.
supervisors.

forcing the Board TO levy special tax OF 10
mills and county tax of u mills, thus
making the tax equal to the tax of previous
ured. They saw no necessity for forcing q
tax burdened people to pay such high taxes,
not even to protect the actions Of previous
administrations. They could levy a tax not
to exceed 10 mills, which is called special
tax, aud could only be used for the payment
of such debts as the county was unable to
pay with the usual mode of taxation, but
what was the use of such heavy assess
ment, when il could only be used for the
payment of debt. The county had been for
years under the rule of repu bliesns who had
levied tax to the full limit of the law, and
ought to have paid all debts as fast as they
matured Taking it for granted that these
debts were paid, there could only remain to
be paid this year $500, maturing on the
1900 ten per cent. domestic bonds; 1890
on the S47 900 eight per cent. old Rockford
4 Warsaw r. r. bonds and, jud ging from
the levy of last year, about $4,000 for
current ex penses, giving a total of S29,560,
which under Democratic sd minist. stioD,
and with the leaks aIl stopped, and the rat
holes al plugged at the court house, should
paw off the debt that natures this year and
pay the current expenses of the county,
especially IS there ought to be a handsome
balance left over from the republican ad
mihistrstion of last year, as a jail tax Of
$1,000 was raised year ago, where only
$500 was needed to pay the
amount Of jail debt tina. mstured
during that year, and this year the jail tax
amounts to $4,000 and only 81 400 is
needed to meet the amount of that de BIT that
natures. And again the special tax
amounts to $4,000 when only $500 is
necessary to meet the ma,ured debt for
which the law says this tax can only be
raised. Presuming for the sake of the
howl that comes up from the LHt0R and
the Court House teaches, that the previous
administrations have faithfully collected
this money and have not squan'ered the
balances which the law saws do exist, there
| should be, according TO these figures, a
balance of nearly 100000 in the treasury
With these facts the Democrats did wisely
in levying only sufficient TO meet the actual
debt maturing and the lowest estimate of
current expences, as they can have this
republican balance to fall back upon to keep
all county orders from being ''hgwked about
the streets at & discount Should thera be
slight deficiency in these balances there
should be stlll sufficient to prevent county
orders from becoming ARTICLES of nerchan
disc" or from failing below par"
Now mark you" Mr.. U,ion land YOU.
btrnacles who are bowling because your
supplies are thus to be cut off, if such
misfortune does occur to county orders we
shall charge the blame where it belong.
and SO will the people of the county. If
you have squsndered all these balances
which We have shown ought to exist, the
board have still levied enough to pay oil the
debt thst Will mature next year and to pay
all the necessary current expensis of tine
county. You have LEVIED much more than
enough to pay all the necessary eIpensis of
running the county economically and 10
pay evry dollar of debt tina, is mstured to
date. And the present board have levied
enough to do the same for next year, to say
nothing of the large balance of nearly
5000 that republican administrations have
collected over and above the amount sctu-|
ally needed.
Gentlemen these are facts. If they do not
suit the eminent ability of the genius of
the Union for Financial statements" can be
called in to straighten them out. We have
on several different occasion asked him TO
turn his ponderous mathematical intellect
upon this sub ,ect of county finances. He
has been as silent as the grave, until he
thought that in this cutting down of taxation
there was chance to make party capital
We have him now fairly committed to
discussion of this subject, and unless those
who have been fattening upon county pap
and steaIngs from county taxes choke him
down, there will be little airing of the
musty records of county affairs.
We dodge no issue. The Union com.
plains that the new members have been
governed by party interest, and have done
acts according to party diotation. Most
certainly they have. The democratic party
and the people who have elected this demo
cratic board, elected them for Just such a
purpose-for economy in expenditures-for
reduction of taxation-for investigation of
county affairs. These are the party dictations
these are the peoples dictstions. The |
silly attempts of the Union upon the matter
of electing democratic chairman by the |
republican board is all bosh They elected
Mr.. Johnston for no other reason in the |
world than to take him from the floor so that
he would be out of the way. The present
board of democrats are perfectly able to
shoulder the responsibility of all of their
OWN acts, and if we mistake not will force
The previous board to do the same thing.
Come Mr.. Union we invite you to discussion
Of county finances. 1t will be an interesting
'ubject to the tax payers of the county, and
hey wait for you to bring your ponderous
intellect to bear upon this
Iubject. Come.
MAsoNIC.-Regular Convocstion of Bar
'et Chapter No. Is R. A. M. this Tuesday
evening at y o'clock. Work in NJ. Degree.
By order of the 81. P.