, 1875-10-03
THOUGHTS FOB TAXPAYERS.

There were formerly three or four offices In
Cook County the profits Of each Of which
Welded its occupant an annual revenue larger
thsn the salaries Of the President Of the
United States and Chief Justice Of the Su-
premo Court combined. The fees of the
County Clerk, Sheriff, and Recorder, be-
1onged to those individuals, and not to the
county. This system was abolished by the
Constitution for double purpose, viz: ~
To save to the people the large su1ns paid to
public servants, and (2) to deprive these
officials Of the means, contributed by the
public, of corrupting primaries and conyen-
ventions So far as Cook County is con-
cernod, this purpose has failed in both its
aspects Not only is the money formerly
made by the officials not saved to the county,
but the Offices themselves, while they were
formerly self sustaining, have become heavy
burden on the taxpayers = Venality in
politics hos not disappeared, but the
offices are, even more than they were
before, the means Of controlling nomina-
tions and elections Formerly the individual
profits enabled the ofhce-holders to run pri~
mnries and conventions in their own individ-
ual interests; now the Offices are infrmeries,
sustained at the public expense, for the bro
ken-down hacks and political bummes that
give direction to ward caucuses. It is worth
while for the taxpayers of Cook County to
look this matter squarely in the face,
To begin with the County Clerks Office, it
Is we'll known that its fees, years ago when
the population " as not one-quarter what it is
now and the business Of the County Court
and Clerks Office comparatively insignificant,
yielded fortunes to the occupants Of the Of
fee, from CHARLES B. FARvmI to JOE Pol
LAX. The fees have been somewhat reduced
since then, but not in proportion to the in
crease Of business There are probably 5000
marriage licenses issued in the course Of the
year at $3.50 each, which require scarcely
any clerical labor whatsoever, as the names
are simply inserted in printed blanks
which the county pays for. There
is mass Of judgments in the
County Courts for sidewalks, 1amp-posts,
and various kinds Of small special assessments
which swell the fees enormously. Webelieye
TINT Mr.. Po11AK, or any other business
and its necessary expenses, would be willing
TO 20 into court and swear that the Office
could be managed economically and on busi-
ness principles as private enterprise, so as
to pay all expenses and yield profit OF
$4,000 year. Instead Of this, the Office
will this year, in all probability, be an ex-
pense to the county Of $50, ,oo0,-a gross diff
ference Of $4,000.
The Office Of Recorder is quite as striking
an illustration Of the new order Of things.
A1r. NORMAN T. GAssErrE held this office
four years, when its fees belonged byKlaw to
the Recorder. It is currently beliaaVkasd,s and
We think not denied BY Mr GAssErrE, that his
profits in that time amounted to al
least S15o,0on It is not charged no1
supposed that A1r. GAssErrH made any
money out of the Office that, did
not legitmatdly belong to him: the SUN
we have namad was the legitiiMata profit
from his fees under an econornieaEand caro-
FIJI management Of tbs otaca. a.NdF, how.
sfee. that &hs fsz 20 70 The oo{f6EI lind toi