Year: 1875

| Judgment upon the important qnesuone


which he regarded in so strange light.


| -


oUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT. i.
| Intimately connected with any reform in
our system of taxation in this city is deliv-
| erance from the township organization This
county is in peculiar condition so far IS its
government is concerned Prior to 1870,
Cook County had adopted the township Or
ganization. The old Constitution had gen
erM law for the government of counties
under township organization, and gen.
eral law for the government OF all other
counties The Constitution of 1870 provides
for the government Of these some two
classes of counties, and contains pro-
visions authorizing any county, by pop
ular vote, to change from one class
to the other. That Constitution, however,
also provides that stthe county Hdairs of
Cook County shall be managed by Board of
Commissioners Of fifteen persons" This is
inconsistent with the government provided
for the two classes of counties In the coun-
ties having township organization, the gov
ernment is lodged in Board Of Supervisors; !;
in the other counties the government is
lodged in Board of three County Comnis-
sioners, md the Sheriff is ex-offcio collector
Of taxes. Now to which of these classes Of
counties does Cook County belong? Thus
far, We have gone on under the assunp-
ton that We are still under township Or


ganization, except that, instead Of Board
Of Supervisors, VIC have Board Of
fifteen Commissioners. If we assume
that to be trre, and by popular Toto shall de-
eide to abolish township organization, where
do We go then? The Constitution provides
that, in case of such vote, township Or
ganization shall cease in said county and all
laws in force in relation to counties not hnv-
ing township organization shall Immediately
take effect and be in force in such county"
Now what becomes of Cook County in such O
case7 Do We exchange the Board Of fifteen
Commissioners for Bonrd Of three Commits
gioners? In giving up one form Of govern
ment do We not take the other provided by
the Constitution? The Constitution 1ccog-
nizes but two classes Of counties, and the
governments in each class must be uniform.


Now, is it not altogether mistake to as
sumo that We are under township orgnniza-
ton at alp Did not the Constitution of 1870
erect Cook County into special class, who'll
1y distinct md separate from those under
and those not under township organization?
Was not every other form Of government for
this county abolished, mud the complete
management and government Of the aifairs Of
this county placed in the hands of Board
unknown to the previous laws, and unknown
to the governments provided for nn the other
counties Of the State? It strikes US that
this is the only rational view to take
of the question. We ara by the
Constitution taken out Of the township
organization system, and VIC arc net
placed in tho system provided for the other
counties, but We are given peculiar and dis
tinct County Government, which is Of itself
inbarmonious with either Of the other forms,
and to which the laws intended for them are,
and must be, inapplcable. On this subject,
We think A1r. J. r. RooT, late County Attor-
ney, clearly and :::,e1retely defined the politi-
cal position Of 81; :.:tnty. If this view be
the correct one, and Cook County has form
Of government peculiar to itself, then
the Legislature is fully authorized to
legislate for our deliveranes from the horde
of ofice-holders who still cling to the public
treasury under the pretonse that township
organization is in full force in this county.
The Legislature has authority to enact codo
Of laws appropriate to our peculiar form Of
government, just AS it hos to enact general
laws for those counties under township or
ganization, and for those not under township
organization Such legislation would be
wise and mcrciful dispensation to this county,
and especially to this city, and would disem-
barrass all our local legislation Of the many
complications by which it is surrounded;