The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-16
Making Oath to Bills against the County.

articles furnished paupers in the sew
eral townships, or for paupers at the
poor farm, or for articles for the
poor farm, or for county offices,
or for any other county purpose, be made
out in proper bill form, by items, stating
the amount and price OF each article fur
nished, with the aggregate Of the bill prop
erly extended; and Nth an d1fddott at
tached to such bills, stcorH TO before some
justice of the peace or other officer Of the
the county authorized to administer oaths,
setting forth that the articles or acork haze
been Furnished as stated in the bill to achich
the aSidaCit is attached, and that the price
charged is the lo1oest cash price at schfch
afiant sells such articles or performs such
cork, and that the amount Of the bill is
justly due and unpaid !; also that all bills
for supplies for the poor, outside the poor
house shall be certified TO by the Supervi-
sor ordering the same, and that they were
actually necessary for the support OF the
person or persons to whom they were fur
nished.
Two classes of people in this county have
been throwing obstacles in the way of car
rying out this rule ever since it was adopt
ed, viz: ]. Persons who wanted to Snug
gle dishonest bills through, and rob the
county treasury, and, . Persons who af
fected to think their honor was impugneC
by asking them to make oath thatthei bill
was correct.
In answer to the second class it is enough
to say that the rule was not made for then
it was made in the interest of economy
and honesty, and to prevent swindlers from
robbing the people-and it is not right fol
honest men to play into the hands
of swindlers by aiding in defeating
the rule. 1t is not an uncommon
rule. 1t is adopted by many of the de-
partments of government, both National
and State. The new reform government in
New York City, to aid in suppressing a
new horde Of Tammany thieves, adopted
the rule. Here is the copy of an oath to a
bill only short time ago, which WE
found attached to a bill in the New York
Tribune few days since, viz
city and County Of Neac York, ss.-Neison J
Waterbury being duly sworn deposes and SAYS thai
the items charged In the above account are correct
that the services specified and articles above emu
mcrated have In fact been performed and furnished
and by due authority; also that the prices charged
are reasonable and just. and that the said account
has not been either In whole or any part paid. sat
isfed or assigned and that the same l. now justly
/ due. NELSON j. WATERBURY.
4 Sworn to before me June H. 1873.
W. LAWRENCE,
Notary Public. City and County Of New York
There are few more honorable or high
toned gentlemen in New York than Nelson
J. Waterbury-yet he did not think it i'm
pugned his honor to swear that his ac
count was correct
In relation to the swindling class, one in
stance will answer for now: When f. H
Johnston was Supervisor from Port By
ron, he presented and got allowed a bill
for DIR. ]. W. Morgan, of Cordova, for at
tending deceased lady by the name o
Cox, who, we are informed, had paid Nor
gan, in housekeeping articles, the full
amount of her bill, before her death. ",
are told that this bill was a downright
swindle and that the money was tlcheC
from the peoples treasury after the bill
had been paid by the deceased woman il
full, and that her relations are ready II
prove the fact. This is only one instance
out of many in which the people of thii
county have been robbed,-and we don
think honest men ought TO aid the clas'
who rob the treasury
At the session of the Board of Supervi
sors this week, Supervisor Felix moved t,
reconsider the whole of the resolution pub
lished above, and discharge the Purchas
ing Committee. Supervisor Bowles movet
to postpone action on this until Decemhe
when there would be a full Board. Al
the Republicans but Daley voted agains
BOwles' motion,-and Donaldson and Par
menter voted with them, and thus defeated
Bowles motion
On the passage of the resolution all tn
Republicans, but Daley, voted for it, an,
Donaldson voted with them The vot
was a tie-but the Chairman (Sup'r Gren
ell voted nay" and thus, we are glad t
say, prevented its passage
Not content with being beaten, another
effort was made to open the door for un
sworn bills. Krell moved to strike on
that part of the rule of last May whic
required bills to be sworn to lsee part i
italics and brackets printed above am
with the aid of Donaldson and Parmente
carried it, all the Republicans voting for
except Daley. Had Donaldson and Par
menter been true to the rule, Krells mo
ton would have been defeated.
II was an unfair advantage of the alb
sentees to spring the trap and force
through without giving them chance t
be heard, and we much mistake thei
frmness aud spirit, if they don't reinstat
the rule as soon as the Board meets mex
December. Men who rob the county treas
ury will rejoice that the door has bee
opened to them-but we hope their re
joicing will be of brief duration