Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-02-28
EXCESSIVE TaXaTIeN.
Facts for Reading Voters

EDITOR ARGUS-DEAR SIR In a pre-
cisls, at the dictRton of the Grand Mogul
of the Court House Clique, had levied s
tax sufficient to pay every dollsr Of the
county Indebtedness, principal and utter
est and have the enormous sam Of Fifty
Too ThouoaHd Dollars left, and neither the
Uai0n the "orgEn" Of the Court House
CIiquel nor any of the county officials, have
bs1 the cheek to undertake to defend or
refute the charges. Thus leaving the inev-
liable conclusion in the minds of every On
biased reader that these damaging charges
are true and cannot be truthfnliy denied or
defended. Taxpayers in discussing these
charges, both Republicans and Democrats,
frequently ask the questions: What do they
want Of this fitiy-two thousand dollars
What are they going to do with it, &C., 30. ?
But neither the Clique nor their "orgsn"
propose to enlighlen the taxpayers on this
subject, consequently they are obliged to
plsints are becoming loud and bitter, for
on presenting themselves at the collector
office to pay their taxes they are startled al
the enormous and excessive taxation, aud
u any exclsim I'VE can see for ourselves thai
the charges Of the ARGUS are true There
are but few who take the psins 10 examiLe
the amount of tax levied by the county
and propose to give some of the figures
as published officially by the county clerk
The amount of tax levied upon this COUNT
FOR the past year is the unprecedented sun
Of $3.50 1903, over quarter of & million
dollars, which is more than was ever levied
in the county heretofore, even during the
war, when We paid thousands o. dollars fol
the support Of soldiers families, and boun
ty money TO enlisted volunteers TO serve il
| the army. besides many other expenses il
consequence OF the war. in Rock Ialsnd
township the amount levied the past veal
was the outrageous sum of 81, l54 20. ar
| increase over the previous year of Sirteer
| Thousand Ttro Hundred and Fifty Dollars
| OF thus burdensome and excessive taxation
| levied by the county, Rock Island has about
oDe-third of the entire amount, and nohue
with all its boosted manufacturing estab-
ishmeats, and a territory nearly four times
as large as Rock Island, pays about one.
half what Rock Island pays, but it is q 10y
al town, and furnishes the necessary votes
to make the Republican party successful IL
| the county, consequently it must be let of
easy. If you AJAX any Of the Supervisor
of the county what they LEVIED so exces
sive a tax for, they will say, "Oh, we left il
to Mrjor BeArdsley TO figure it up, and we
| didn't know it was going TO amount TO Sc
much presume the Major came one OF
his crafty tricks on some of the unsuspect
ing Supervisors, BY estimating what amount
of tax given per cent. would raise on the
tie equalized state valuation, and then in
stead of extending the tax on that vslua
ton, be extended on the valuation as re
turned by the several assessors, which
amounted to ll,304, lS5, whereas the
equalized state valuation amounted to ONLY
| $4,4l5,SS0, difference of $6,S7S 800
thus showing that we are taxed on valua
ton nearly three times greater than othel
portions of the state for county purposes.
By extending the tax as aforesaid, the
little TiCeed has doubtless deceived some
of the unsu5pectiug members of the Boart
of Supervisors.
Gentlemen of the Board of Supervisors
be careful Of those tcine dinners in the fu-
;ure, given by the Grand Mogul of th'
Cont House Clique, paid for by the PEG
ple's money, wrung from them by exorbi
tant fees, or in some other way, for the PEG
pie of the county have lost confidence il
the little Ttceed, and look upon his ever,
act with suspicion and distrust Look q
his dctstorial manner in the Republican
convention Monday evening, and at meet
inRs generally. Everybody must stant
aside for his preference or fsvori,es.
ASTI-ExoRBITAET TAXATION.