The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-18
Our Efficient County Clerk"


'gentlemanly," and ''pious.' He is ,one
of the most Intelligent office holders to be
found anywhere; knows every book and
PAPER in the Office; knows just where to put
his hands on them; knows their contents;
knows all the law applicable to his duties
and the rights Of the people. AS evidence
of this, go into the office and inquire for
any book or paper, and he will scratch that
shock head of hair he carries around with
him, and, taking his old sinking clay pipe
out OF his mouth. or rolling over a huge
quid Of pig tail tobacco and squirting out
something like gill of tobacco juice, he
viii drawl out, in his peculiarly fascinating
tones: wal / dunno, how is it
D-o-e?"
He is the most gentIemdnly man ever
known. As evidence: He never manifests
| the least interestin hunting up information
desired by the people when called for. lie
does not even express a willingness to ac-
commodate anybody. He thinks the office
aud all the books and papers in it belong
to him and are his private property, and
he can do as he pleases about permitting
anybody to see anything.
He is pious, without doubt, for when a
reporter for this paper politely asked to
see the tax abstract he snarled ont; God
damn you don't bother me? God damn
you if you speak to me again III put you
out of this Office quicker'n creased light
ming" And when the reporter was look
ing at public paper filed for record he
jerked it ont Of his hands, saying: Here
God damn you l don't want that publish
ed"
These things show that the Union did
not do justice to Mr.. John v Cook when
it only used one adjective to describe his
virtues.
/ But there are some few things Mr.. John
V. Cook had best learn pretty soon, viz:
! |. That he has no right to suppress or
hide public record 1t is not part Of
mis- duties as a public officer to connive
with anybody to keep the public from a
knawledgn Of transactions which should he
as public as the sun. Suppose the circuit
clerk was to receive and file for record q
mortgage deed, and then hide it unit
some other man loaned money on the same
property, and then place it when it coulC
be seen by all? How long would such &
scoundrel be permitted to remain in Office
Not an hour lohger than the tune required
to make out papers and bring him int
court.
Mr., Cook issued marriage license anC
! then, by agreement with the party or par
: ties, hid it and refused to permit it to b.
seen, He had no right to do it, and SHOULD
be removed from office for the act. How
r are improper and fraudulent marriages t.
| be prevented if the records are hiddel
: from the public? Mr. Cook may CLAIM
that he had no guilty motive, The part.
to be married may claim the same. How
e do the people know whether they had O
not? 1t is no part of Mr.. Cooks duty tC
= connive with anybody about pubic records
and the sooner he quits it the better fo
his peace of mind or his tenure of office
Unless he learns his duty and does it iu
l. partially we propose to give the courts
chance to instruct him in his duties or il
t. struct him out of Office. He is not Their
! to take sides for or against anybody. II
is there as a custodian of the ipubic TT
= cords; to wait upon all who desire to loo
81 at them or take copies of them; to furDis
y certified copies of anything in the off
y on call Of any party who desires them an
t. pays Tor them; to publicly and fairly r
cord ali transactions, and keep his bool
~ aud papers in such shape that the peOp
~ can see them when they wish to-durlE
q business hours. and when not in use
y him or the supervisors or the courts
le.
lis Don't forget that Erstein buys dire
= from manufacturers, and is thereby e
=, abled to sell lower than any house in Da
~ export or Rock Island l6d3t
he -