Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-30
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES.

Assessor C. Hinrichs.
CIerk-Henry G. Grampp.
COnstahIes-A. 7. Nielsen, Her
man Sturm-
Pure democracy is a form OF
government in which the supreme
power is retained by the people
and exercised, as in the United
States, indirectly through a sys-
TEN OF representation and delegat-
ed authority, periodically renewed.
In order for such a form of gov
eminent to be a success, it must
truly represent the people.
In Rock Island county this form
of government is used, but in the
Republican majority which has
been in control of the board of
supervisors there has been an abb
sense of representation of many
of the trades and activities in
Rock Island county.
The office of supervisor is one
In which the remuneration is very
small and it is difficult to obtain
the services of capable men.
There are men, however, who take
suffi Gent interest in county affairs
to sacrifice their personal gain for
the general gain of the community.
Because of the small compensa-
ton paid to a member of the board
Of supervisors, the Office is some
times thought to be of little i'm
portance.
This board of supervisors, how
ever, is the organization which has
full charge of all county affairs.
Among the duties of the board Of
supervisors is the power to select
the grand jury by direct choice OF
its members. In order, therefore,
to have a grand jury that will care
fully and impartially investigate
every matter coming before it, it
is necessary that the grand jury
be properly selected. The people
have no voice in electing or nam
ing the grand jury, except indi-
rectly, by naming a supervisor
who will fulfill his duty in this re-
spect with impartiality. The petit
jurors are Indirectly selected by
the members Of the board of su-
pervisors, because it is through the
board that the names Of all petit
Jurors get into the jury box; then
these names are drawn out of the
box by the clerk of the court as
they are needed.
So it is plainly to be seen, that
our whole jury system is in the
control of the board of supervisors,
and surely it is important that the
men who control the jury should
be men whose interests are the in
terests OF all the people.
A supervisor is a town officer
as well as a county officer. AS a
town officer the supervisor re-
ceives and pays out all moneys
raised in the town for defraying
town charges. He must also make
a complete statement of the finan-
cial affairs of the town and pub
lish the same at the end of each
year. He is the chief officer of the
town, and many of the duties of
handling the affairs of the town
fall on his shoulders. 1t is i'm
pOrtant, therefore, that he be
man Of experience and one to be
trusted with the peoples affairs.
Besides his duties as a town Of
ficer, the supervisor shall attend
all of the meetings of the county
board, and as member of the
board he is a county officer.
In addition to the supervisor, in
towns with large population,
there are assistant supervisors
elected who are also members of
the county board, The assistant
supervisors have nothing to do
with the town affairs and are.
therefore, county officers only. As
sistant supervisors, then, have lust
as much to do with the affairs of
the county as the supervisor, all OF
them being members of the county
board and all having equal powers.
Added to The powers already
named, the county board exercises
all Of the powers of the county as
a body corporate. In other words.
it is the county government. e
has the power to handle ali the
county funds; it purchases all the
supplies for the county and all tho
several county Offices; il has
charge of all county buildings and
other property, The county board
has charge of the county jaiI and
the feeding and care ana EMPLOY
ment of the prisoners; it has
charge of the county farm, the on
Grafton of the same, and the feed
ing and care of the inmates there.
The county board has charge of
employing all of the county helm
except that which is provided by
the statute to be employed by the
several county officers. The conn
ty board has full charge of the
FUNDS OF the several county officers
and directs the expenditure of the
same. The county board audits the
accounts of all county officers. and
1t is only when the county board
to its duty honestly in this
that the people have a fair
audit of the affairs of the several
Ohces. The county boarI annually
ieVies and collects taxes for county
purposes and then expends the
same. The total amount Of money
by the county board an
nually is approximately $500. 600
The Democratic party OF tbe
town Of Rock Island offers for re-
election as supervisor, William
FrefZ. Mr.. Trefz needs no intro |
AUCTION to the people of Rock Is
land He has lived in the corr |
for years and established
as a business man of abi!- |
ty and integrity. He has likewise |
served the De0OIe IF Pol -, /