, 1876-01-23

officer in the manner provided by the law
Beyond this the Legislature could not 60. L
could not extend Mr. Co1v1S's term to 1877
nor could it declare him Mayor of Chicago
for the first term under the new charter.
We do not propose, however, to argue thu
question from Legal standpoint VI
| simply wish to call attention to the psei
which hangs over the city and is involved il
the decision of the Supreme Court w
have Government, elected in 1873, Which
has exceeded the worst apprehensicns o.
even the most despairing It is Govern
ment That has virtually declared itself p erma-
nent- Corruption stalks through the Council
Chamber without disguise. The price of
| legislation is marked in plain fgur es, and
the Aldermen ara ''runners" intently hunting
up trade. Everything is for sale,. from a
contract to a franchise. If q man4owo the
city money, he Gun have the sum atatod upon
paying half the abatement to the Aldermen.
II man hare claim against Che city, he
must, to get paid, include from SEQ, 900 to
$4,000 to divide among the Aldermen. Il a
contractor ask payment for work done, he
must pay to have his bill audited. There is
not an ordinance passed without being bought
and paid for. Offices are created that they
may be sold to the highest bidder, and never
even in tho history OF New York, was there 8
Government so rotten, criminal, and corrupt
as that which has fastened itself on
Chicago, and which expects to be perpctu-
1..4 II. IL
Court
The decision Of this case is of great mo-
ment~ It is the last hope of dehverance On
the part of the people Though there is
constitutional prohibition of any increase of
dsbt, the people have lost all confdance in
the City Government, ap1 refuse to pay taxes.
From four to six millions of dollars Of taxes
aze unpaid, the public refusing to pay money
into the City Treasury. These unpaid taxes
are represented by outstanding certificates
bearing interest Though legally they are
certificates Of unpaid taxes, practically they
are mammoth public debt, to.which millions
ars annually added Should the Supreme
Court affirm the right Of alr. *Co1r1x to con-
tinue Mayor until 1T7, then the quiet revo-
luton of non-paymeat OF taxas already prac-
ticed BY portion of the people will become
general. Not a dollar will be- paid until the
present rotten, corrupt, and shameless City
Government ara starved intp an abandon
ment Of the Offices they have used to
disgrace and plunder the community.
We admit that such a condition Of
things will be aeplorable. But there is no
other remedy. All appeals to the Courts
are rejected, and, MI legal and moral means
of delirerance being exhausted, that of revo-
luton is alone left. We repeat that. if this
appeal to the Supreme Court is denied, then
we are confident that the ta1-gntherer may
close his books, for not another dollar Of ta1
for city purposes will be paid until the
oticia} fraud styled City Government be
starved out. The Comptroller and q few
other members Of the Government have
struggled for honesty, but without avail
They are observation-disclosures actually held in
chains by their official associates. Clinging
to the hope that the people would be per-
mitted to elect new officers, they have bravely |
fought the battle on the side Of the public
Should the Court now adjudge that the City,
Government is to hold over, then further sf
;ort on their part will bs uGolaa, and tho,
ihould resign
Upon the decision by tho Supreme Coz 1T
1angs the issue Of the destruction of the
'redit, the suspension o,i payments; the
reputation OF the debt, the non
collection of taxes, of t]Ils great metropolis
! fearful calamity, i is true, but the only
vallable means le1e to the people Through
Thlch to obtain 'delyerance from gang Of
ordid, rufhanly official robbers