, 1876-11-26
OUR COUNTY LEGISLATURE.


| contains provision which was intended Il
accomplish one great reform in this county
but the aim and purpose of which have beer
largely defeated by the tricks md contriv
| ances Of petty politicians. Prior to 1870
this county was governed by local legisla
ture, known as the Board of Supervisors
and Of the forty-eight members Of that cody
| some fifteen or eighteen were elected by and
represented the city, and the others the
towns of the county lying outside the city
The powers aud functions of this Board
| were exclusive and comprehensive, and the
Board itself had become SO corrupt, dishon.
est, and shameless that, with the. unanimous
approval of the public, there was placed in
tile new Constitution the following provision:
The county affairs Of Cook County shall be man
aged By Board OF Commissioners OF fifteen per-
SONS, tcn Of whom hall be elected from the City
OF Chicago and five from towns outside OF said city
in such manner as may be provided by law.
The end sought by this provision was to
break up the election Of body of county
Legislators chosen in districts of one or two
hundred voters, and confer this choice upon
the whole community interested. It was in
tended that the Board should be composed
Of ten members residing in the city and five
residents in the outer towns; the whole
county to vote in the election of all. At
first this rule was adopted, but since then
artfu1 politicians have interposed, and these
county towns have been cut up into five
pocket districts, and from tue choice of the
Commissioners the 10000 voters Of the city
have been excluded. In the same way the
10000 voters of the county towns are de-
prived OF all voice in the election Of the ten
Commissioners resident in the city The
Board Of County Commissioners started off
as most respectable aud patriotic Board
Gradually, however, the old Ring began to
sap it's integri ty; one by one, members of
the old Board Of Supervisors and of the old
Common Council succeeded in getting elect
ed, and now, with few exceptions, the
Board is counterpart of the old
Board Of Supervisors, with the power lodged
in majority of fifteen persons in
stead of majority Of forty-eight.
The powers Of this Board are plen-
ary. The majority has power to levy
taxes, and expend. the money at their discre-
ton. From its action there is no appeal.
We need not recapitulate its powers, nor
illustrate how these powers are executed.
BY the law as it stands one-third Of this
Board are elected annually, and as one-third
of the whole Board are elected in single dis
tricts the means of reform are denied to the
general public, and q corrupt majority may
thus perpetuate itself in the government Of
the county.
The present condition Of the County Gov
is such as to demand, as public
reform. That reform is only
possible By return to the original law re-
quiring these Commissioners to be elected by
The whole people of the county. That was
Ehe intention of the Constitution. The con-
stitueucy of this Board is in the city. Of
he $4,000 voters who reside in the outer pre-
.incts, at least one-half have al their business
md all their business interests in the city. In
TACT, nearly all Of the populous towns in the !
county are mere outer precincts peopled By |
he merchants, workme,, aud others doing |
business in this city. Practically, Hyde Park,
AA~A&aN
:ity as are the Fourth, Twelfth, and Fifteenth
Wards, though politically they are outside |
he city limits. The voters of these towns
lave the right Of choice in the whole fifteen
Commissioners, and should exercise that
ight with the voters of the city.
Not only should this Board of Com
nissioners be elected by the whole people
f the county on the general ticket, but they
hould be all elected annually the com
unity should have within its hands the
means Of protection against corruption, and
. have this it must have the power of dis
Kissing the members whenever they prove
aith1ess to their trust. The plea of
be frequency Of elections does not apply.
ecause at present there are i've members to
G elected annually, and the whole fifteen
lay be elected as readily as five. It NAV
appen that with annual elections there viii
9 corrupt and dishonest men elected; bnt