The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-15
Oispenses With the Treasurer,
AND CESAR AND HIS
CLERK RUN THE MA
CHINE.
They Are Brought Up Standing. by Al
derman Lundy, With q Round
Turn.


the city business independent of party die
tation. The newly elected mayor intimated
in reply that ''he shouldn't have any
trouble-he could manage the aldermen"
and he proceeded to start the machine
on his narrow gauge, without reference to
the ideas of anybody outside of the But
Ter, Gest, Parks & Co. ring. He has not
found very smooth sailing and has been
compelled to get down from his high horse
on several occasions, and has learned that
there are other people to consult, besides
his ring.
Among other objects he longed to &C
complish, was the removal of the city bus
mess from the Peoples National Bank to
Mitchell & Lynde's bank He was as
toun1ed to find that only Carse and Davis
voted with him on that subject, the other
eight aldermen voting to keep the business
where it has been transacted for the past
year-at the Peoples National Bank.
Defeated in the attempt to move the
business to Mitchell & Lynde's, he direct
ed the clerk not to make deposits at the
Peoples National, but to hold the money
and pay it out as he should direct. This
would practically abolish the Office of
treasurer, and he could then run the ma
chine his own way. 1t was matter of
surprise that the Union, having been so
vigorously opposed to the lone man pow
er" should have permitted this matter to
pass unnoticed. There was very general
complaint at the manner in which Butler
and Cooke were transacting the public bus
mess, and at their utter disregard of the
law; and at the meeting of the council,
Monday evening, Alderman Lundy intro
duced the following resolutions:
ResOlUed, That it is the opinion of the
council of the city of Rock Island, that
Samuel +. Cooke, clerk of said city, has,
knowingly and willfully, violated his oath
of Office by not conforming to the provis-
ions thereof, set forth in section 2 of an or
dinance passed April 7th, 1873, relating to
the paying over, by all parties collecting
city revenue, to the city treasurer, all
moneys in their possession on Saturday of
each week, taking the receipt of the said
| treasurer; therefor,
ReSolued, That it is the opinion of the
city council of the city of Rock Island, that
S. f. Cooke, clerk of said city, has retained
in his possession funds belonging to the
treasurer of said city, (by virtue of his Of
fcel and without proper authority he has
paid the same out to divers persons on ac-
count of orders issued by himself thereby
jsopardizing the interests of the city by not
allowing its finances to flow through their
proper channel.
ReS0lued, That future failure on the
part Of 5. +. Cooke, city clerk, to conform
strictly to the provisions of ordinances re-
latiBg to the payment of city funds, at the
times set forth in said ordinances, to the
city treasurer, will be deemed by the city
council a just and sufficient cause why
said S. T. Cooke should be removed from
Office.
Had the roof of Star Block been lifted
from over their heads the Butter rims
would not have been more startled than tt
hear these resolutions, and hear Alderman
! Mosenfelder move their adoption
The mayor pleaded ignorance of tn,
J law; said that he never before was awar,
} that such an ordinance existed, and thai
: all blame should attach to him, as it wa
, by his direction that the clerk had, for tn,
) past few weeks, retained tie moneys re
ceived by him. As a reason for such or
} ders the mayor stated that the city treas
D urer had been favoring the Peoples Ma
J tionai Bank and ignoring holders of small
city orders, and he believed it for the hes
D interest of the city to devise some mean
< for paying the small orders. 1t was no
done through any ill-feeling against tn,
j treasurer, but that he was greatly annoyed
on account of the small orders which wer
: not paid.
! Alderman Carse thought it was best t
let this bitter feeling drop,
Alderman Lundy stated that there wa
no man in the city council who NOR
ardently wished to see harmony and goot
feeling prevail in the council than himself
The mayor again said he did not know
that there was an orr finance of the kind i
existence or he should have acted differ
emily.
Alderman Huber said, inasmuch as tn
mayor has acknowledged that he wa
wrong, he thought it would be best (
, drop the matter and withdraw the resolu
, lions.
! Alderman Lundy said the resolution
9 were not aimed at the mayor, but intende,
for the city clerk, but as the mayor ha
, taken the blame off the clerks shoulder
and admitted that he was not aware of tb
q existence of the ordinance cited in the res
Q olutions he would withdraw them.
4 The mayor said he did not acknowledg
g that ne was wholly in the wrong.
AID. Lundy, calling his attention to th
9 ordinance, asked him if he would do tn
q same thing over again
The mayor said: "Yes-in a certai
measure | would.
AID. Lundy. Then | call for the yea
4 and nays on the resolutions.
n After some further discussion of paci
;. flying nature Aid Lundy withdrew the res
! olutions Tor the present.
It QUoTT MATCH OPEN TO THE WORLD. =
g Easter Monday is a holiday throughou
q England, Ireland and Scotland, and da
celebrated above all others by the people c