, 1875-10-29

the court fecoftl9.
.A.....N..-.-..--.e
THE TRIBUNE AND THE ELECTION.
Readers of TnE Tn1prSK outside this coun-
ty mny think that more space is devoted in
tho pnpcr Just now to the local election thnn
is Of interest to the general render. Tho
election Will, however, tako place on Tuesday
next, md The columns now devoted to elcc-
tion natters will then bo otherwise employed
VIC make no apology, however, and believe
TINT our readers in tho "rlra1 districts upon
reflection will think none is needed. The
issue which now cngrosscH tho attention OF
tho hnlf-sniuion Of people Of this county is
ono in which tho whole people OF Illinois,
and Of all other cities in this and other States,
must feel deep interest 1t is the question
of good, honest local Government. Cook
County is the largest municipality in Illinois;
it is nearly equal to onc-si3th of tho whole
Ssato in population and property. What-
over affects this county materially affects the
whole Stotc. Honest elections in Cool.
County are essential to the honesty OF NIL
Slate elections. Dishonest elections in Cook
County 1nay defeat tho popular will Of the
whole State, change the majority in the
Legislature, md reverse the whole policy Of
the State Government
The grent evil of tho day is corruption in
Municipal Governments, and this corruption
is duo to the election frauis which nre CON-
mtted in nll tho largo cities, whereby the
criminal classcs seizo tho machinery of elec-
tions, resort to all manner Of frauds, obtain
control Of the local Governments, aud use
them to tho plunder Of tho goncrol public.
New York, Brooklyn, and PHILADELPHIA, with
their aggregate debts Of tllree hundred mill
ions Of dollars, attest the alarming conse-
unenccs Of this misrulo in tho largo cities.
Chicago has bean no exception to the gen.
cral rule of lnrgc cities, though, owing to the
protection Of the State Constitution, no nddi.
ton to the funded debt has been ponsiblo.
Nevertheless, there las been steady effort
running through many ycara on the part Of
tho non-produciny aud criminal class to s,so
tho local Governments for tho purpose OF the
most reckless expenditure. It was not, how
over, until quito recently that there was m
open and ayowed combination for this pur-
pose, md it was then only possib!s because
n man Of much natural ability, Of great force
and bo1dncss, Of ardent temperament,
and unlimited a,1daeity, suddenly abnn-
doncd all his previous personal and po-
Itical associations, and p1aced himself
ut tho head Of an open alliance Of persons of
foreign birth and Of tho entire criminal and
diareputablo population Of Chicago. Tho
conspiratora against honest Government hal
always existed, but it WIS not until 1874
that they found leador competent and pos
scssing the nulacity to make an open fight
md seize tho Municipal Government for pur-
pose Of plunder.
Tho public could not believe TINT this man
could 10 suddenly change tho associations
and policy Of n lifetime, md voluntarily placo
himself at tho head Of sucl, dangerous Or
ganization, aud IL WAS not until the whole
City Government bud passed under tho con-
trol Ut notorious criminals and scallawags,
that the public were fully aroused to whit
Ind been accomplished.
Tie next stop Of this Government thus
elected was, through tho agoucy Of the gaul-
blcrH, pickrockets, vagrnnts, md criminal
c!a'ss generally, to atu1 tho ba1los-bo1es anil
forgo election returns, md actually put in
| operation for tile government OF this city
chhrter which continued the existing Mayor
two yenrs in office beyond tho term for which
he WA elected, and the other officers for
other periods. Thus firmly installed, tho
combination considered itself permanent
y established in office, froo from iu.
reference by the public. At this mo.
mcnt this leader, who hm, through
Lii powerful influence antl bis daring cifront-
cry 1rrnyea tile criminal population of tho
, clty ~ compact, closely-orcnD;zea nolit;ea |