The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-14
He Saw spooks.


that he saw a trap in the resolution, Of
Supervisor Kerr, directing the finance
committee to do its duty, as required by
law, and publish the result. That COM
mittee is composed of Niles B. Wright
lchairmanI and Henry Dart and jeremiah
Chamberlin. 1t was the chairman's duty
to take measures to have that committee
personally and carefully examine the fnan-
cial condition Of the county. and make out,
at the last September meeting this is to
be done annually full and accurate state
mens of the receipts and expenditures of
the county for the preceding year, which
statement shall contain full and correct
description of each item, from whom and
on what account received. to whom paid.
and on what account expended, together
with an accurate statement of the finances
of the county at che end of the fiscal year,
including all debts and liabilities of every
description, and the assets and other
means to discharge the same; and within
| 80 days thereof to cause the same to be
posted up at the court house door, and at
two other places in the county, and pub
lished for one week in some newspaper
therein, if there is one, and if tho same
can be done without unreasonable expense
That is what the law requires. Why has
not Supervisor Wright, as chairman of the
finance committee, done his duty 10 this re.
spect? Is he incapable of making such a
report? Or did he, for some other reason
wilfully neglect his duty? r7.s..aex
The same law provides that, if any mem.
Der of the county board of any county in
this state shall wilfully neglect to perform
any of the duties which are, or shall be,
required of him by law, as a member OF
the county board, he shall, for every such
offense forfeit the sum of $780, to be re.
covered in an action of debt before any
Justice Of the peace Of the county. That's
the way the law reads.
| Of course it was the duty Of every mem
Der of the board to see that the report we
allude to was made at the September meet.
ing-but it was more especially the duty
of the finance committee, and particularly
and emphatically the duty of Supervise,
Wright, as chairman Of that committee, tc
attend to this duty. Again, we ask: Ii
Supervisor Wright incapable of performing
this duty? Or did he wilfully neglect it
He must take one or the other of the
horns of this dilemma.
i He did not make any move towards per
forming his Obligations under the law
, although his attention was frequentl,
called to the matter by the publication o
the law In THE ARGUS. He not only die
not do his duty, but when, in accordance
with the pertinent suggestions made pub
licly by Lewis Wilson, ESQ.,. of Rural. in
letter in THE ARGUS, Sup'r Kerr brough
the matter to the attention of the board
Sup'r Wright made the people more actua
expense (by taking up the time of tn
board in regard to the probable cost o
publishing such report) than it would
cost to publish the report in all the paper
in the county,-and still no report is mad
or published. Sup'r Wright processes
to think there might be trap in Sup
Kerrs resolution, which read-"and pub
! lish the same in the county papers for tn
information of the people"-and therefor
he took up the time of the whole board fo
= the best part of two days to get Sup
10 Kerr's resolution amended so as to read
published 10 one or more of the Roc
~ Island county papers if it can be dor
without unreasonable expense"
,fl The value of publication depends on tt
re number of people in this county who Ca
a. be furnished copy of the report by pub
e, cation. The committee could probab
y get their report (if they ever make on
ID published in the Port Byron paper for
of less sum than they could in THE ARGUS al
ne the Umion-but would that be satisfaction
III to the people?
The object of Mr.. Kerr seems to ha'
or been to get this information into the ham
av of all the people, and the cost of doing {
IN in all the papers of the county, if the col
nd is properly prepared, would be but
v. trife, anyway But Sup'r. Wright has
nv chronic hate for newspapers and SO
~ made the best effort he could to keep &
ss report, if one is ever made, out of prir
ke He thought he saw ''spook, when
or spook was there.
-f |