Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-21
More Proof OF Yates Machine Assess

More Proof OF Yates Machine Assess
ment.
More evidence of the Yates repub-
lican machine tactics is disclosed by
the Chicago Tribune of this morning
as follows:
Convincing proof as to the way
political assessments have been lev
led on state employees was produced
yesterday. 1t showed absolutely that
not only was per cent levied on sal
aries, but that in the Joliet peniten-
tiary at least the money was taken
out of the pay envelope before the
employee got it. The levy was styled
as contribution but there was no
pretense it was voluntary
About the same time these facts
came out Warden Murphy, of this
penitentiary, was at republican head
quarters assuring all newspaper re-
porters that no assessments of any
kind, voluntary or otherwise, ever
had been levied in his. institution
Herewith is reproduced a photo
graph of the pay envelope received
by y. w. Boyden, an employee of the
penitentiary, for the month of Sep
TENDER, 1901. Boyden's salary. as
shown by the envelope is SIS a
month, of which per cent is 1918
The Endorsement on the envelope
reads:
Pay roll $1,000
Less tickets .................. 3.75
Amount inclOsed ..........-..$ 7I.25
along with it is shown repro
duction of the ticket 1t is inclos-
ed in the envelope along with the
SLIPS which remained after the 1913
was deducted, and reads:
\. W. BOyden.
September contribution, 81
1878.
"On the face of the ticket is a
paid stamp showing that the CON
tribution' was collected Oct. = when
Boyden received his envelope for the
previous months work.
"As to the manner in which these
contributions were secured a letter
was received in Chicago yesterday
from II. T. McDill. of Savanna, ILL.,, a
former state employee, who, among
other things, writes:
1.-The deputy warden was sent
around with a little book. The tip
went out that it was either sign or
go up to the Office and get your
money. This assessment was started
the first month Mr.. Yates was in the
governors chair =
mfr. McDill inclosed couple of his
tickets They had the same paid
mark on them that was on the Boyd
| en- one. and~read as follows:
| r. T. McDill.
| March contribution,
S2.75.
The other was the same except
that it was marked:
July contribution,
I'm the same connection there is
available a receipt given W. l.. Phil
lips, who was employed in the Elgin
lasylum. Here the assessments were
collected every two months. and this
one reads:
Due from w. L. Phillips $500. $3.50
Second payment on 1913 subscription
of March 20. 1900.
''Thirty-five dollars is per cent of
5000, which was the amount of Phil
lips yearly salary, and the $3.50 was
two months instalIment of it.
Senator Mason, after this evil
dence had been submitted to him,
said:
eff that does not prove that these
assessments are forced and not vol
untary, as is now being claimed, L
would like to know what it does
prove.
THAT the employees must pay or
get out was morally proved by the
story in the Tribune this morning of
how Warden Mack Tanner, of the
Chester penitentiary, paid back the
money taken from Thomas Cantrell,
the eX-guard, the moment he was
Threatened with a suit. Had the con-
tribution been voluntary Tanner
would have told him to whistle for
his money.
Here, however, is documentary
lproof that the money has been taken
from the pay envelopes before the
employes received them, and testi-
mcny that the employee who objected
could expect to lose his place
ut was reported in Kankakee last
might that at least thirty suits would
be instituted against the trustees of
the insane hospital by former en-
Iployes to recover sums eXacted by
the per cent assessments. The plain
tiffs expect Senator Mason to- aid
them in their contemplated proceed
ling. The senator will probably go to
Kankakee next week, and the impress
sion prevails that he will take up the
assessment question"
/