Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-11-22
THEY SERVED WELL
The Records of Retiring Con aty
Officers.
sheriff s'ivis ana Tres.arer neh ger
and an Unforsuuate Feature or. L.v
OF Succession In Their Case-Co,.rsy
Clerk Donaldson and supertn ten
dent southwen.

a week from next Monday there will
De general shaking up of officers ,.hout
tue county building and four new q i..ers
VIII assume their duties for forr ,,.ars.
Sheriff silsis will turn over the KEYS of
the county jail and the records and rison-
ers in hi, charge to G. D. Gordon. County
Treasurer Schafer will give Thomas
Campbell the combination Of bis sal ex-
plain TO him how the financial end ,f the
county is run. County Clerk Donaldson
Will bid his deputy, a. Kohler .step no in
to his chair. and County Supt. of 8 .hools
Southwell will be succeeded by G. B.
Marshall. All the circumstances which
Led up to this transfer of public TT ast are
known to the people of this county, and
probably no four gentlemen ever surren>
dered simultaneously official trusts that
had been held with more credit than
these. 1t is but proper in this
same connection to speak part calarly
OF the official careers OF the two
officers first mentioned. Inssmucb
as they have served the public for
a less period than the others owing TO
statuatory restrictions, and the reason
that tcey are not their own succ ,ssors ia
attributable wholly to the fact hat the
law does not admit OF the eligibility of
the sheriff or treasurer to be his own i'm.
mediate successor. The designers of this
law were. no doubt, actuated by the
bsst intentions. and it may lie in
great many instances a wise precau-
ton. but in others it is not. Tie forced
retirement of such men as Sheriff Sivis
and County Treasurer Schafer is q forci.
BILE illustration that the law is apt To work
misfortune to the people as il deprives
them of two officers whose espt ciel fit
ness for the duties devolved upon them
respectively is acknowledged by AL classes
OF citizens, irrespective of party and
among whom the regret is general that
the county is to be deprived of their val.
liable services. The assertion thai they
best the county has ever had in their re-
spe tive capacities. and that 1t is 10 be
regretted that they cannot continue
where they now are, does not necessarily
carry reflection upon the predecessors or
the succsssors-elect of either The AR
GUS IS merely stating facts as the public
knows them to be. and viii h public opin-
ion will amply sustain.
Not only has Mr.. Silvis proven splen
did sheriff officially, in the naGner in
which he has guarded and conluc.ed the
important office with quail fairness to all.
ia the care of the cords, the care of the
Jail and business. the care of thu urt
house, an; the court service. hut he has
by prompt action Ind his experience and
knowledge of the law and consideration
of the welfare OF the community, averted
| many Disturbances and crimes, to say
nothing of the speedy manner in which
he has brought criminals anil offenders
under the laws strong arm.
No man has ever left the Office Of
county treasurer with more credit to him.
| self than does Mr. John Scbsier, Jr. In
the four years that the moneys OF Rock
Island county have been in his Keeping,
there has not been q penny's varia-
ton in the checking up of his accoun
year by year. showing not only The con-
| scientious regard Mr.. Schafer hrd for his
duty. bnt the diligence and accuracy he
has employed in The discharge of it
He has devoted himself faithfully and
| constantly to his office. the interest of the
| county having been foremost in his mind
since he took charge of this important
trust
Well may the democracy he proud of
| Messrs. Silvis and Schsfer and their
| official records, upon the strength of
which both would have been given by the
| voters of the county another four years
| lease on their respective o Hoes were i,
| in accord with the laws of he state As
it is the people must look TO che future
to further reward in manner so well de-
served the merit and worth OF these gen.
tlemen.