Rock Island Argus., 1896-10-02
ACTS.
Board Of Supervisors Usurp
Other Authority.
IT'S AWARD OF BALLOT PRIHTme.

Gives t 10 No0-RapPeoeneottvo Papofs as
Matter Of FAv0risism astrsliaa Ba,-
let Law Absolutely Disssgsrdsa by sAs
Self Constitatsd Jadgea.
The board OF supervis ,rs yester-
day afternoon awarded the pablica-
tion Of the official ballot Of the No.
vember election to the Weekly Rock
Islander, Of this city, and the kepub-
|lican-Journal, of Moline. Super
visor K'nner moved that TIE Rock
ISLAND ARGUS and Moline Dispatch
be awarded the contract, but Super
visor Woodburn moved an amend
ment that the Rock Islander and
Republican-Journal be the papers 90
designated. The board, as it has
done in its acts relating to the
court house. where the individual
members were anxious to conceal
their acts, proceeded to q secret bal
lot, and the amendment carried IL
to z, and then the contract was
awarded to the Rock Islander at IS
cents per running i"ch and the Re-
publican-Journal at SIS for the lob.
The board had previously invited
bids for the publication, and while
the law specifies strictly that the
duty Of awarding the printing be-
longs to the judges, yet the board
has usurped its autht rity and as the
judges have so far not asserted their
rights the papers of Rock Island and
Moline submitted bids. But the
provision OF the law that dele
gates the authority spoken of to
the judges also sets forth the
nature of the papers that shall pub
lish the ballot the section referred
to under chapter 2, relating to the
duties Of Judges and clerks, says the
judges "shall cause to be published
prior to the day of election in at least
two newspapers, il there are so many
published in each county, represent
ing the political parties which cast
at the preceding election the largest
and next largest number Of votes"
q list Of all the nominations. etc. So
that while it is very clearly the
duty Of the judges to have the pub
lication made, the fact that this pro-
vision is disregarded by these self
constituted autocrats and interpre-
ters OF state law is no more q mis-
apprehension OF duty than the fact
that the papers designated were
chosen. The Republican Jouroal is
not democratic paper. Thers is
no newspaper directory in the coun-
try that quotes 1t otherwise than an
Independents paper. and this informa-
tion carried mp to date in Rowell's
OF this year comes from its own
Proprietors. The partisan Rock
Islander on the other hand
is not repre- entstive paper of any
sort. 1t is sheet OF limited
circulation and IL will no
doubt be obliged to publish q spe-
cial edition Of 1000 copies to give
the official ballot any circulation ut
all. and this opportunity will like
ly be seized upon by the irrepres-
sible Gen. Graft to work the ad-
vertisers for another worthless drag.
Under the principle that the Rock
Islander was favored BY the board, a
hand bill with but one issue could be
authorized by 'he board 70 publish
the official ballot. But il 10 the
same unlawful procedure that per-
mitted the furniture contract for the
court house to 60 to q firm which
had stockholders in the board. The
Rock Islander publisher is q SUPER
visor. and the board is partial to its
own members, whether the Law for
bids it or not. As to the Republi.
can-Journal, it was obliged to have
the chairman Of the democratic
county committee give it a certifi.
cate of character, and this with aft E.
davits vi icl the publisher thought
no more Q, bis personal re, utation
for truth and veracity to furnish
were used to foist on the board a
pap that has no standing as o Do
litical journal. but hangs out q flag
to its masthead to catch the breezes
thai msy come.
Argus b Satisfied.
As far as The ARGUS is concerned
it has the qualification of knowing
that the board has not selected it In
conjunction with either OF the fav-
ored papers. There is a heap Of sat
isfaction in being judged BY the COM
pauy one keeps aud in knowing that
people Who have their own peculiar
ideas CT merit, show no inconsistency
in their selections.