The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-30
F" STILL HARPING," &C.
The "damnable iteration of the Ottawa he
publican is equal to the old English dlt'y

OF slXty-nve dollars! WHICH 'hat was ~
and the facts and figures were called for' inc
editor returned to the change in slang
whanging lachrymose whangdoodlc article
Of three columns, in which, after dimly Aud
ing to the EDITORS own dubious experience as
county officer quarter of century ago. OF
Whereabouts, and briefly skctching the ORR
gin. rise, culraination and ehulgent glory OF
the radical party of La Sale county, he comes
down to business" and says the salary grab
consisted of $245, being the amount OF the
county treasurers commissions on collecting
some 100000 Of the illegal railroad grab law
tax. This also was denied, and the eXplana.
ton made that this tax being illegal, the lees
charged for collecting it were illegal; ana
that The law directed the rhOle 81 the tax 10
be refunded, and it VAS so refInded-every
cent Mr.. Cullen can take his own tax re-
celpt and figure it out for himself. Not one
cent of the 70 cents Tor whatever the sum
was) that he paid of that grab tax was retain
ed by Mr.. Raymond when he refunded TO
Mr.. Cullen his portion of it, Mr.. CH,len may
not know this, ror there are few things OF
any sort that Mr. Cullen does know very clear
ly,) but it is a fact nevertheless which every
man of common intelligence knows well
enough. Nevertheless Mr.. Cullen, in this
weeks Republican, reiterates the charge
saws the fees ,rere paid to Mr. Raymond and
retained by him-but offers no proof, though
the sworn reports Of Mr.. Raymond and the
renort of the finance committee of the Board
of Supervisors shows that he lies.
The truth is, and it may as well be told
now, since the Republican, stirs up the matter
with such persistence, that Mr. kaymonds Is
the onlv Office around the court house expect
possibly that of Sheriff and County and Cir
cult Judge) in which there is no salary grab
bling. Every cent he receives-no matter IN
what shape-musl 60 on his books, and they
won't balance if cent is unnaccounled tor.
But how is 1t with some of the other Offices!
Take, for instance, the Recorders office. The
salary of the Recorder is fixed; so is that OF
his clerks. The county pays him and them
for their time, and they are expected to devote
all their time-at least during business hours
to the work of the people OF the county
placed in their charge, and to account for all
moneys received by them while so employed.
Do they do ts Permit US to ask, how much
of the time of the Recorder and his clerks Is
emplayed in making abstracts of titles OF real
cstatey These abstracts are made for any
body that wants them, and they are not
few; and the certificate and seal of the lie
corder are attached to show that they are
correct, and a nice round little sum is charg.
ed for the work. Does the Recorder account
to the county for the money thus received
The sum total amounts TO good many hun
dreds in year. What becomes OF 1t? II
goes down into the plethoric pockets OF Mr.
Bernhard. Trr FIE ss
Il ,rnrn rhore is tho Cvuusy CIerK. A more
Jolly, bigfooted and bighearted fellow never
lived than Col McCaleb, but are you quite
sure that he, too, don't take a little extra toll
His salary and that of his clerks IS also fixed
by law, and all their time and office fees
and earnings are supposed to belong to TIT
county. Yet 1t is well known that much o.
the time of one or two clerks of this office II
occupied IN making Administrators and Elk
ecutors reports for which from 81 to s. eaci
and sometimes more) are charged. Where
does this money 60 TOP The records do no
show that a dollar Is ever received in the of
fee IN this way, and not n dollar is therefore
ever accounted for by Mr.. McCaleb. Mr.
McCaleb's time and that of his clerks be
longs TO the county, for the county pays then
q fixed salary. A little explanation of thi
= matter by Mr.. McCaleb, before charging S
i w. Raymond with dishonesty would seem t.
= be IN order. yEt.|.. at,tt|# X
And how about the Circuit Clerks Office
Here also we ind the salaries of the clerk ant
; his assistants fixed by the county, and beinl
employed by the county, the county is, o
course, entitled to their time. Again 1t !
well known that much of the time of boil
!. Mr.. Hook and his assistant is employed ii
making copies of DEGREES in divorce cases
partition suits, and other chancery matters
and they always charge enough for the work
= All of these copies are certified by the Circuit
, Clerk as such clerk, and upon all the clerl
afflxes the seal Of the county. Where doe
y the money for this labor go toy Down Int
Charley's pocket. The records show nothin
of its reception, and so there itrests.
1t may be all right, The law on the sui
: Ject Of fees and salaries may have overlooke'
:. these little loop holes, and no law may be vic
lated, though the law says pretty sharpl
that these officers shall receive so much "da
no more AT all events, it would strike mos
: people that il don't look exactly pretty yo
know, to see these gentlemen standing on tn
court house steps charging Mr.. Raymon
with SALARY grabbing" when their ownpoci
cts are distended with perquisites wholly III
dreamed of in Mr.. Raymond's Office.
------
q The Board Of Railroad and Warehouse Com
.missioners Of Illinois met at Springfield on Wee
nesday and elected Fred T. Dubois, son OF oil