The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-28

ridiculous by its ceaseless attacks upon our
county clerk. Mr.. Cook is a competent.
industrious, obliging county officer who re-
fleets credit upon the party that elected
him. Moline Revie,o
The Rerie,o knows better. 1t knows
very WELL as does every leading man in
the Republican party ia this county, that
Mr.. Cook was put upon the ticket through
the efforts of few managing dema.
gogues in the Republican party for the
sole and only purpose ofcatching the farm.
ers' votes; that those who we're most in
strumental in getting him nominated never
considered or cared whether he was com.
petent or not. They knew he had the
reputation of being good, we'll. meaning
honest man, and they put him on the tick
ct in order to defeat competent man or
the farmers ticket. and WELD the patron
ace and influence Of the Office, not for the
peoples interests but for their party's in
terest. They barely succeeded in defeat
ing Mr.. NJ. 4. Wiser, a perfectly compe
tent man and experienced in the bushes.
of the Office, and put on an incompetent
man, and merely because he was farmer
for they knew that Bur LIE Quatte, {
farmer, and the farmers candidate, wa,
competent, educated man, who could FL
the Office to the acceptance Of all. The
Review knows that Mr., Cook, as an officer
does not reflect credit upon the party that
elected him, in respect to his ability to
discharge the duties of the office. And
it knows that, had Mr.. Wiser or Mr. lie
Quatte been elected the people would have
been certain of competent officer The
ARGUS has not the slightest unkind feel
ing towards Mr.. Cook, and only tells a
plain truth in plain way when it says
tina he is incompetent and does not reflect
credit upon the party which elected him.
Every supervisor, without regard to party,
knows this to be fact, and can give good
reasons for his knowledge of the fact
There are great many honest, well mean
ing men in the county who are not compe-
tent to discharge the duties Of that office
Because they are honest and mean well is
no reason why they should be elected.
They should be capable also. The Jeffer-
sonian requisites: rs he honest, is ne
competent" should be applied. MIR. Cook
is not to blame, except in this: No man,
however well meaning should accept any
office unless he can and will discharge its
duties intelligently. Nor should any party
nominate man who does not come up to
this standard.
Mr.. Gould, the circuit clerk, is also
amenable to censure. He possesses far
qualifications, but does not and Will not
comply with the law which requires that
he shall give his whole attention to the
duties of his office. He does nothing ap-
preaching his duty, and declares that he
will not
What, then, is the result? The Repub-
licaa party is responsible in one case tor
eecting an incompetent man, ana IN Tue
other case for electing and keeping in Of
fee, contrary to law, Il man who refuses to
do his duty. And the people, the whole
people, are compelled to pay extra taxes
for extra clerks, besides paying these OH
GERS salary for not performing the duties
required of them by law. And the Re
publican party cannot evadethis point. If
only those who voted for them had to pay
the extra taxes it would not be so bad. -
But even then. the ublic interests would
suffer. Let the Republican party be held
for these things and let any
other party be held responsible for doing
the same or similar things.