The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-12
WASHINGTON. March Q, 1874.


also, and are blooming out into full
blown congressional one. The fact is that
the majority of tax payers in our city are
writhing under the infection Of one of the
most unblushing extortions ever conceived
in a mongrel legislature /; and are, at last,
awakening to a realizing sense OF the crush
ing burdens placed upon their shoulders.
As the outside press has declared time
and again, our city is hopelessly in debt !;
and as money is imperatively needed, the
scheme was devised to collect the required
funds in shape Of a general sewerage tax,
assessing a certain per centum on every
square foot of ground under their control.
As, from the governor down, however, the
whole blessed lot of patriotic men have,
somehow, prospered sufficiently to come
into possession of generous slices of the
city within the last few years, the rule of
assessing all alike was found to bear hard
upon their own pockets, and naturally they
cast about for some way to be obliged to
swallow as little as possible of their own
brewing. The city was forthwith divided
into convenient districts, of which, accord
ing TO the ring property within its limits,
one was assessed at one-half cent, another
n cent, and some at two cents per square
foot, strangely enough throwing the heavi-
est assessment upon the land of least val
ne. As if. for instance, Rock Island were
to be divided into such districts, and the
ground at and near Market Square taxed
One-half cent, while in and across the
slough two cents were collected on each
square foot Of ground owned | rather
think the slough folks and those over the
border would object to the arrangement,
and well they might, yet, that is about as
apt an Illustration as can give concerning
the working of this most unjust law which
has done more than all preceding bleeding
processes to cause the demand Tor thor
ough investigation, by Congress, Of Dis
trict affairs.
OF course there is any amount of indig
nation, on the part of our subsidized city
press, against the instigators Of this pro-
ceeding, and judging the future by the
past, | believe that our gentle Shepherd
holds the winning hand, and will carry his
plans over all opposition, until another
Tweed drama is enacted, with Washington
for the scenery.
1t has been asserted and denied, over
and over again, that our subordinate dis
trict employees have not been paid for
months As far as | can ascertain the re-
port is only too true, especially Of our
teachers who had not seen the color of
their salary lorseven months, until, through
the kindness OF Mr.. W. w. Corcoran, who
advanced two months pay to each, they
drew that amount on the eth inst Any
thinking person can imagine the distress
and loss caused by this long dearth in the
greenback region, as the people who fur
nish the wherewith TO live, on credit. are
proverbially well up in addition and null
tiplcation, with wonderful facility for
lacking on regular or irregular, perceu-
tage.
And now, to prevent your being bored
to excess by our troubles, must tell you
of trip l made through the Art Gallery,
presented by Mr.. COrcoran 10 this city In
the main hall are at present ninety-three
pictures of all kinds, sizes and degrees OF
excellence and in the statuary room are
four marble busts Shakespeare, II Pense-
roso, Bdcchante, the Yelled Nun-and
Hiram Powerss original Greek Slave. Of
the latter | had seen copies before yet,
when | stood before it here, the wonderful
beauty Of this exquisite creature moved
me so deeply that could well understand
how Pygmaion could conceive so powerful
n passion for his marble ideal as to Undue
his kisses with life giving power. The
bust Of Shakespeare is, ! suppose, as good
as the generality II Penseroso, though,
looks as if he rather enjoyed his state of
mind, and Bacchante must have been tax
en- at a time when she had been out rather
later than usual, and didn feel like com
ing to breakfast in consequence The re-
naming one, the Yelled Nun, is a thing of
such pure, exquisite beauty, however, that
words are inadequate to describe the effect
upon the beholder. The perfect features
are SO clearly seen through the shrouding
veil, and are so moving in their still beau
~, that the customary obs and abs fall
still-bOrn from the lips of any but the
most unimpressible would be connoisseur:
and one has to get away before even the
wonder how ever the artist could portray
the yelled features so perfectly can be ex-
pressed in words
OF the large paintings I chose two as
my tavOrites for their pathetic beauty.
THE Drought in Egypt, by f. Portaels,
represents group Of Egyptian women at a
well, seeking water for their perishing
babes. Blood, however, is all they fnd
aud all shades of despair are pictured on
their faces One holds the limp, lifeless
body of her beautiful child upon her lap,
looking down upon it with such utter woe
in every feature, that ones eyes fill with
hot tears before one knows it; another
holds her badly up to Heaven, as if in the
frenzy Of despair, while others offer the
ornaments, torn from their necks and arms,
to the old priest who looks down upon
all this misery with the look of one who
WOuld oh an ulodl,, bol,, &c 10 oo,,lJ A.