, 1865-02-12
SENATOR EASTM ANS SPEECA ON
THK E10R4E RAILWAY BILL.

THE H0R4E RAILWAF BILL.
We copy from the State Journal the follow
inc extract from the speech Of Mr., F. 4. East
man in the State Senate, on the Chicago
ucsse Railway bill. We publish 1t - ~ Mmatter
ofcuriosity:
81 have alluded to public meetings. How
are these punlic meetings got up! have
to-day-that public meeting would be called
requesting me to resign my seat. Do they
believe Wonld resign! They ought to I'M
derssand that Will luke all The responsibility
ct my votes and my acts, and suhlllt myself
un1eservedly and confidently to the people OF
my district. This Is one way Of getting up
meetings in my city: Somebody eau So .
In a morning paper, that m outrage has been
committed, Or That some benevolent lnstisu-
lion is in want OF funds Then they engarc
Bryan Hall at fifty deltars night, and pay
the gas bill; then they charter baud and
mount It behind the big team Of Wright q
Carrier. and upon 1heir mammoth wagon. It's
sides PASTED all oveE with startling letters
describing the' objects Of tho meeting and
then they go drumming and fling through
the streets all the day long, and ut night they
placr the band In ffunt Ut the hall, and drum
and flte in those that pass by the entrance.
Then some man designated beforehand
for eT 'h' viz e. ST epdP daP'n aad aae p!at pea
the meeting to order. Cut and dried are q
series Of resolutions; the mover Is fixed
upon md told By all means do not you fait to
be in . certain chair at certain hour, and
warnfd thatif he is not there somebody else
will spring trap upon them. They bring
some Of the stuartcst lawyers in the city to
spea6, ard number .; them have been down
here who do not carea straw for the subject
under 1onsideratiou-men who will speak
one night fer nfsy dollars on one side, and the
next night for fifty dollars on the other side.
And then there Is n cry from some outsider
for Wentworth, Wentworth: Long John,
Long John; Ward, Ward; Eastman. East
nan but ii the crowd on the platform do
not want Wentworth, or Ward, or Eastman,
they rule him ont, because the platform is
the meeting md those IN the hall are not tho
meetipg-thcy are simply unintezested and
curious spectators.
Now week ago last Saturday night the en-
emies OF this measure called meetlngin Me-
tropo1i1au hall notice was published in all
tie papers Of tie city daud bits were struck
of and posted On bal bera' poles, on the col
unans OF tho hotels, on the rocks Of the side
walks-they were posted anywhere-and this
same chariot ran through the town with u
band Of music playing and banners flyfag :;
and yet the Insignificant and pusifianiEnons
result ofal1 that effort Was, ninety four men
assembled in Metropolitan Hall, nud before
cali for division on the question. Tncn,
stung by their failcre then fearing that the
apples If gold they had hoped TO pluck by
means Of some future rnilroad charter, were
turned to Dead Sea ashes, last Saturday night
they arranged for another meeting. and all
the muslc was there, and all the banners, and
there we're the tame men on the platform,
and some OF the men were In the body Of the
hall. But one Of the Senators from Coax
happened to come into the hall; an-
other Senator from Cook had been
there and spoken; I had friends
platform, md when came there comraenc-
ed to talk, md the meeting led me and I lid
the melting merry dance. So irrtsistDly, 10
mcn;t<Mlu tras that e7otrd 1rita their speaker,
tcho advocated tbs n,easu7e, that TIC offers Of
TIE rae<tanq iu.rfd their backs to kts eTo,rd and
Meir. faces 10 The tcaus a,id declared the nsetinq
adjourned. leaping the speaker faee to face 1cith
the crosrd. What do such public meetings
amount to?
In my district, suppose within the city
limits Of Chicago, are 1s0, 600 souls, besides
which there are five popn1ous and wealthy
towns. Now, once for all, while am sorry,
very sory, to differ vi th some men who now
occupy the lobby--while am grieyed to tho
hea1t that I must take isauc with any re-
nil, and before the entTe population Of the
State Of Illinois, deny the competency Of q
meeting Of 1900 men in the city Of Chicago
to instruct me how to vote or demand that
resign.
Tie argument made by my colleague here
was TINT this Was one corporatton-an fm-
mense, wealthy and powerful corporation.
Now the assertion made mistakenly BY tho
Governor, is falsely made by my colleague
There are three corporntions !: The South
Side corporation, the North Side corporation,
ii respect to fares, but upon all other policies
they are in direct completion, and each Is
check upon the other.
The only point in this bill in which there ia
really any argument is that Of the extension
Of the franchise. If the time were approach
ing for the termination Of that franchise the
value Of the stock would decline, no matter
whether tie Revenues Of the company In
c1eased or not. We have, as We all know, an
immense city, Il dense working population;
in the very heart of our town there are Bplen-
do not take the street railroad cars. but ride
IN their magnificent and costly carriages, at
tended by llyefied servants, and roll along in
all the pride aed pomp ofwealth to their lux
urfous mansions. That clas3 OF our popnla-
ton lives within Elk blocks of the fremont
House, and this wealthy class Of our town
have built or want to build tenement houses
FOR the poorer classes. This kid glove aris-
tocracy. generally, are disposed to this bill;
bns lt'sdtTtake to soy, from perso1el knowledge
AID reTsoaaI eaat2ss, that ss6ta 3oa get out Of
The city 9sr Nocks on any side, Hre-sir{hs Of nc
pecFhe are for his bal and for horse railroad e.
ftsasion. There arc men here who say aul
deceived. Well, am not airafi to 20 before
that people and take the consequences.