The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-02-03

the December term 1869, which were left to
the new Board by the republican Board of
1869, and for which they made no provis-
ions for payment. and there can be no
excuse unless'it be thay expected to have
control of the county again, and intended
to keep up the taxes in spite of hard times,
De deducted from the total, the deficit for
1870, which should have been provided
for by the republican board of 1869, shown
is Sal, 075. That amount deducted from
the total. $95 ,475, leaves $54, 400, which
amount deducted from the amount of tax to
be collected, as reported by the clerk, $685.
0"0, and the balance is $4,000. This
shows that provisions have been made srf.
icient to pay the expenses of 1871, and
leave balance of $40, 600 to apply to tie
floating debt, which should have been pro-
vided for by the Board Of 1869. Was it
wrong in democratic Board to leave unpro-
vided for the $50, 900 as represented by the
Union, or is that which is virtue in a repub-
licsn criminal in democrat, for the Board
was republican in 1869.
1t will be seen by comp arison that the
aoa.ing debt has increased during the past
year, over the previous year, which was
| about So, 600. This year about Gal 900,
| and deduction Of last years from that of
this year leaves about $40 900 as the
| obvious for several reasons. Some person
procured an increaes of the fee bill of the
| county officers, costing the people of the
| county several thousand dollars, the exact
| hey certainly will not. The fees them
selves are we'll enough, but the law requires
a return be made and that all fees received
be accounted for that if an officer receive
suticien. fees to guarantee him his salary
| the remainder to be accounted for; ssiaried
officers need no fees, ars entitled to none.
| But what a splendid chance for the radical
| office holders to balance the accounts OF fees
and the books of the county clerk and peck
ct the remainder, and it has been.
| The county has been run for several years
BY two finance committees, one special, the
| other regular. Last year the special COM
nittee used $26, 800 in the payment ofdebts.
| The debts should have been paid, but they
should have procured the issue Of domestic
| bonds and caused the money to have been
raised on them, rather than Withdrawing the
cash from the treasury and making no pro
visions for..replscing it.
| ~. l.
square cost about 5000; the insane asy,
um at the poor house cost $4,000, and will
take another thousand dollars to finish it,
: making q total of $4,000, without adding
one cent of the increased fees, all ordered
by the republican board in 1869, except the
sidewalk. Thus leaving $34 800 totally IN
provided for, and which this board is ex-
pected to bear the blame of. This explains
why the present year shows an increase in
floating debt over last year.
; Mr. Wilson pleads guilty to the charge at
; being instrumental in having the tax levy
cut down. He was not willing to tax the
people in one year enough to run the coun-
; to two years, when in times of plenty, money
easy, produce high, under radical rule they
were forced to carry large floating debt
The past year has been hard one, crops
have been short, prices low for produce, and
trade extremely dull. Besides, as it is the
tax levy covers oil the expenses for 1871,
and provides for ell the debts of the previ
Gus radical board, except the $50, 900, which
the new democratic mem bers of the Board
could not know existed when they went
, into office. But the republican members
and the county officers who had heretofor.
B, regulated the county taxes to suit their OWL
, expected wants and convenience probably
knew of the $4,000 deficit, and hence the
t strenuous efforts they made to have the tal
: levy kept as high as it had previously
, been, out the democratic menbers having
been elected on principles of economy
could not consistently vote taxes upon the
people any more than sufficient for the cur
rent expenses of the year and to meet ths
debts coming due by law. In doing this i
seems that they have left unprovided for thu
inevitable heirloom of republicanism-s
debt of $50, 900. Whereat the Union bowls
The law ssys that Eve mills for ordinary
urposes, ten mills for special purposes, va.
all that they could levy, and jail tax o
one mill was sufficient to raise all the money
for that purpose. Thus we have shown tina
the charges Of the Union that the democratic
Board has increased the floating debt of the
county 900 falls to the ground. This
increase is the direct result OF the negligence
of the radical Board and the county officers
who managed them to. provide for debts Of
their own contracting. Their neglecting to
provide for the payment of thisa mount and
the subsequent false statements ofthe Union
hasgreatly embarrassed the finance committee
and forced them to go outside the county to
raise money and all this for the sake of q
little political capital, but when the
people fully understand the case, we are
confident they will return democratic
Board, elected upon the same principles Of
economy and reform as the present Board,
who have kept within the requirements OF
the law in the levy of the taxes. They
levied sufficient to pay the current expenses