The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-05-29
PROUD MOLINE.
Tribulations Of a Tax Col
lector.
How he Escaped Being a De-
fauIter,
And Contributed to the Relief OF a
widow and Orphans.

Moline has loug sustained reputation |
for solidity 10 business circles which has,
to some extent, been the envy of sister
cities. Her merchants and manufacturers
have always pointed with pride to their
immense institutions, while the reputation
of Moline industries has become world
wide. A commendable feature among the
citizens of Moline is the fact that they have
always stood by each other in matters of
business and trade, while a certain code of
honor among business men has, so to
speak, governed the mercantile communi-
ty. 1t requires no great amount of learn
ing to steal, nor is it necessary to haye a
finished education to become proficient in
lying, but when self-styled exemplary
man deliberately wrongs one who has al
ways been steadfast friend; when he
refuses to fulfil an obligation in bust
ness by which he is bound by
his word of honor, that man has attained
a depravity of the principles of manhood
which requires a sordidness Of thought, a
mean, low, mercenary and INSCRIPTIONS
disposition that places him so far below
the standard of honor as to be unfit to be
classed among men, and ranks him as an
outcast from ali that is honorable or up
right in business. 1t calls for the unqual-
fled condemnation of all honorable men, so
thai these whited sepulchres, fortified with
wealth and seeking to faunt their self-styled
virtues in the faces of those less favored by
fortune but prominently purer- minded,
may be forced to throw aside the
tiimsy mask of deceit and appear in their
true light. For some time certain facts
have been in our possession which we
cannot longer withhold from the public,
Ever since certain set of so-called honor
able men, and would-be aristocrats cheated
the Rock Island board of trade out of the
trihing sum of $3.50, by deliberate lying,
THE ARGUS las watched for devia-
tons from the boasted code Of honor among
| Molineites.
! The circumstances which we are about
to relate add no particularly bright lustre
to the names Of the officers of Deere &
Co.'S great pillow works. AS one of these
men once remarked, we cannot treat all pa
pers alike, THE ARGUS has this t. say: 1t
treats all species of dishonesty, meanness
and lying alike. While it would spare the
feelings, as it certainly respects the name
, of John Deere. it has duty,to perform to
the citizens of Moline in exposing a certain
transaction which seems to rest upon one
5. h. Viele and G. H. Deere which has nc
parallel for meanness of conception and
constituencies execution. Following arc
| the facts as cleaned from those supposed
to know, and which will bear close perusa
1t has been the custom with tax collector
for Moline township to make out bills O
tax receipts unsigned for all the manufac
y turing establishments, including therein
sometimes, bills for employees. Th
practice has been in force almost uninter
. ton to the heavier firms who, 10 tht
J. spring OF the yea, are generally short 0
ready cash. La accordance with the usua
Il custom, L. +. Hemenway, the collecto
9 for the township. shortly after he took -th
d office, last winter, handed the unsigned
|. receip pts ID the various firms. including
> among the number Deere & Co., who
- among the rest, promised TO pay before h
turned in his books but asked for the long
est time that could be given, whic
was promised. Mr.. Hemeuway had. i
y addition to the promise of the firm, tn
u personal word of honor of Mr. Charles Il
's Deere and s. H. Viele that tn
Is amount would be forthcoming d
:; the appointed time Employed q
II an assistant to facilitate collection
. among the Swedish element was Gustc
d Swenssen. one of the proprietors of tn
8 Scandal and since elected justice of tn
t. peace, Mr.. Hemenway went on with bi
= collections, paying no heed 20 Deere a. c.
IL or the heavier firms until within a fe,
II days of the time allotted tor his books
q be returned. He then visited the yariou
, firms IN relation to their bills at Deer
Il Cos, he was put off with some trihin
excuse or other, by Mr. Velie, who Away
l. plead want Of time TO examine the bills
> although he had said that the bills wer
right. but that Mr. Deere was til
C man to see. Mr. Chas. Ii. Deere absc
luteiy refused 70 pay his taxes
is Mr.. Swenssen, deputy collector, also yisite
oi Mr.. Velie and was told by him that tn
D taxes were all correct. Mr.. Hemenwa
al again called on Mr.. Deere, who referre
t. him to Velie, who, in turn, referred him
ie a clerk in the office, but nothing satisfat
re tory could be cleaned. In the meartim
1T the other firms had paid their taxes an
D. the time had almost expired FINAL
ID MIR, Hemenway cornered Velie in b
ID office aud was told by him that the take
would be paid. As an additional accommc
lg dation the collector offered to take Oh
he firm check for amount OF taxes at 10 day
at from April lst, which Mr.. Deer
4 and Mr.. -Viele said would be all RICH
n Surprising the matter settled Mr.. Hemel
ar way made out his report and handed i
ID his books, including the taxes of Deer
rs Il Co., as paid. He then went to tb
office of the company Tor his check an
meeting Mr.. Velie that individual agai
: referred him to the Office clerk. NJ