, 1876-04-23
TIE COUNTY BOARD AND THE COURT
HOUSE,

Board of County Commissioners by the in
vestigation pending before the Grand Jury.
There is now fair prospect that, in select
ing Alr. STOREY as juryman, as sort of
joke on the IS old man," the official rascals
around the County Building have "caught
Tartar" He seems determined to take
it au sereuz, and, from al accounts,
will arrive more nearly at the I" true
inwardness Of the official iniquity that
has been going on than any of his
predecessors. In all this the Foreman may
confidently rely upon the active sympathy Of
the people Of Chicago and Cook County, and,
if he can succeed in making an exposure Of
official scoundrelism that will lead to its pun
ish1nent, he will do much to atone for some
of the reprehensible things which the public
has reason to 1ey up against him. Efficient
service as tho Foreman Of tho Grand Jury
will be permitted to offset some of his
shortcomings and offenses as an editor. In
his new role, Mr.. STOREY should receive the
support and assistance of every one who can
contribute to throw light upon the villninous
transactions connected with the administra-
ton of county affairs It is to be hoped that
there may be such evidence before the Grand
Jury as will warrant the finding Of true bills
against those who have been engaged in
bribe-taking and swindling the public; but,
in any event, it is expected that the Grand
Jury will mike such report Of the evidence
as will impress upon the people Of Cook
County the necessity for cleansingthe County
Board and its collateral departments.
It has been notorious for two or three
years that the County Board has been con-
trolled by corrupt influences. There have
been good many bad and reckless men IN
side the Board, but there have been good
many worse men outside, hanging on the
outskirts and using their professed influence
with the Board to facilitate their blackmailing
schemes. Among these hangers-o on the most
conspicuous and shameless is the man named
PER1o1Ar. He has made it his business
either to take for himself all the contracts
the Board had to dispose of, or to dictate
There seems to be evidence enough, and
there is certainly no doubt in the mind Of
any one who has watched the proceedings Of
the County Board for some years, that PEn1o-
Lat is tho evil genius who has done more to
suggest, encourage, and formulate the jobs
for seizing upon the public moneys than all
tho others combined. He appears to have
peculiar talent for jobbery, backed up by the
most sublime indifference to public opinion
aud utter imperviousness to criticism, and
his name has figured conspicuously in every
scheme Of public plunder in which corrupt
influences have been suspected. Nothing
has been too small for PER1o1AT's desires aud
nothing SO great as to para1yze his powers.
He has busted himself along tho whole
line Of contrncts from rotten beans to
the building Of the Courthouse. At times
he seems to hare been the County Board it.
self. He does not even appear to have been
bound by the old doctrine that there il honor
among rogues, for the evidence points to the
balief that he took money and notes of hand
from various people competing for the same
contract, acting under the policy that every
man enjoying official patronage must pay him
tribute. It would seem that he occupied the
same position relative to the County Board as
that of JoYoE to tho St. Louis Whiaky-Ring
or JAKE REIN to the Chicago Whisky ring
whipping in everybody and coercing official
iniquity in order to increase his share Of the
spoils. It will be as valuable to the county
to destroy this mans power as it will be to
the city to drive CoLvM out Of the Mayors
Office. # it can be done by indicting and
Furnishing him, it will also be salntarJ warn-
ing to future PER1o1ATs.
If the Grand Jury fails to procure sufficient
evidence to warrant the Indictment OF the
men who have been chiefly engaged in the
county jobs at the expense Of the people, We
have no doubt that its report will fully con-
firm the public suspicion Of the corruption,
and will lead tbs voters Of Cook County to
elect class Of men to the County Board who
will drive off the fellows like PEn1o1Ar. The
first opportunity for beginning the reform
will be at the election of the coming fall,
when five new members of the Board are to
be selected The introduction of five men Of
such conspicuous excellence in ability and
character as to command public confidence
will Of itself reform the Board. The cor
ruptionists who may be left over will not then
dare to commit themselves to such fragrant
violations Of their public trust, and the Ger
tainty Of exposure will deter them from at
least part of their swindles. This is the
true remedy, and the people must keep it
well in mind.
One Of the most Important measures taken
by the House Of Representatives. is the pas
sage Of the bill transferring the Indian Bu-
reau to tho War Department. It should re-
ceive the prompt acquiescencs Of the Senate
The bill provides that the Secretary Of War
ahall have the same supervisory power now