, 1874-12-23
TIE WADA8H AVENUE RAILROAD.

Tho passage Of tho ordinance granting
franchise to tho present City Railway Com
Eany to lay iorse-railroad traclz on Wabash
arenuo from Madison to Twenty-secoud was,
hoth in tho manner Of its passage md in the
results it provides, TN outrage upon the pco-
plo Of Chicago. Tho suspicious circum-
stances attendant upon tho passage Of The Or
diuauoe give additional credit to the r.,mors
TINT money was freely used to secure Alder
mems votes, aud donand TINT tho public aud
the proper o1licials shall subject the action 10
4 close scrutiny. 10 assist III tho proper un-
Outstanding Of tho case VIC will rccapitulato
some Of tho foatures which tend to confirm
this view Of tho caso:
I. 1t was universally conceded that Tho
privilege Of constructing q 1lorso-railway on
Wabash ayonuo was valuable franchise. If
it coull be granted at all, it was the property
Of tho city. If it hna value, that valuo appcr-
tanned to the city i'll its corporato capacity,
aud it should not have becn decided away
without some consideration. The value Of
tho Wabash ayeuuo franchise WIS increased by
tho fact TINT it was the only remaining thor
oughfare in the South Division upon which
the people would consent TO hayo q horse
railway. The TRIBUNE has frequently point
cd out tho worth Of this franchise, aud de-
mended that tho city SHOULD receive soMo
consideration therefor, recommending cspc-
cally TINT tho company acquiring tho right
should keep tho street in repair. The Coun-
oil deliberately disrogardod tlis value of tho
franchise, aud gavo it away without any con-
sideration whatever.
II. Failing to demand como consideration
for this valuable franchise, The Council
ought at loast to lGvo reserved somo rights
for the people, to havo afforded some pro-
toction against tho abuses Of tho absolute mo-
nopoly which they hayo thus cteatcd. But
thoy likewise failed to do t]1is; and
Tho present City Railway Company, having
now disposed of every prospect Of oppoaI-
ton, hold tho people Of The South Division
at their mercy, aud may with impunity turn
q doaf cor to all public demands for fairor
treatment.
III. Tho Council cannot urge TINT nobody
WINS willing to pay for tho franchise. There
wero tllroo propositions before them: One
offered 10 construct and keep in order tho
entiro street; another offered to pay / per
cent OIL its gross receipts into tho City Treas.
ury and one-half Of per cent to tho Public
Library; tho third offered nothing. Tho
Council, coolly ignoring the other offers,
passed m ordinance giving the right to tho
present City Railway Company,-tho party
which offered absolutely nothing.
w.. Tho ordinance passed places a perfect
- I,
HALLWAY Company, without oven requiring
tholn to construct and operate railroad OH
Wabash avenue. For The orilinauce simply
provides that traok shall ba laid from Mad
ison street to Congress street within six
months, which may bo done with old iron ut
n sidieulously low price. After this, nothing
need bo done untH after ks s2'ropcrty-oloners
Of tho street shall Aare repaired it IN its entire
length. Moanwlilo, Tho ordinance simply
scryes as permanent injunction upon nil
other parties constructing n street railway
who would have been willing to repsyo
tho street themselves, and keep 1t IN orilor
permanently, in confederation & tho fran
ehiso.
Y, The old contract botwoon tho city and
the preacnt City Railway Company, proyld-
iug TINT no rnilway should be laia on the
stroot for twenty yeara from 1863, cuts no
figure in tho caao. If good, tho only way in
which tho spirit Of the contract could bo
carried out WIS by rofusiug to permit tho
track to bo hid by any percon or corporation.
Il, on thu other hand tho contract was IN.
valid (us IL gQnazal1y believed to he ths caae)