, 1876-01-27

WHAT HHALL BE DONE?
Tho City Of Chicago is agnin tho victim Of
credulity in public justice. This timo our
misfortune comes to US iu tho shape OF di-
vision OF opinion between six Ut the gentle.
men who constitute tho Supreme Court Of
tho State Of Illinois.
A sick mau, whose life depends upon i'm
mediate relief, is left to grow sickor or pe.isi,
lecauso the six physicians in attendance are
divided in opinion. The man to whose
tlroat the robber holds the knife appeals to
tho SIX policemen standing near, but, these
being divided in opinion. tho robbery goes
on 10 completion. Chicago, cursed. over
whelnsoa, plundored, aud disgraced by City
Government so dishonest and DEPRIVED tllat
their prices eau he quoted, looked forward to
the tmo when ovon by the terms Of ths fraud-
uent charter tlere could bo delivernnce.
But tho City Government, rs part OF its pol.
icy, proposes 10 perpetuate its existence, aud
tho Mayor who was elected in 1873 for tfro
years insists that io il authorized by law to
hold Office until April, 1877. 1t is aail TINT
ono Of tho carpet-bag ofice-holdcrs in South
Carolinn, when urged by his friends Mt home
10 resign, NJ tho State was bankrupt, an-
swcrcd TINT ho had looked over tho condition
of things closely, mud found that tt,cre WIN
ut least QUO moro year Of profitable stealing,
md ho would not resign until TINT was tx
haustcd Our readers 1nny make the applica-
tion; there in no danger OF their being equal
" divided in opinion.
Tho City of Chicago ia placed ii IN e1-
traordiuary position. We havs all average
Of i've millions Of dollars Of "aoating" In
dc,tedness, which cnnnot be called indebted
ness, because as indebtedness it would bo
illegal aud void. This five millions Of dollars
Of outstanding paper bearing interest repro
sents money expended and corresponding
atnount Of taxes not collected. This stun is
annually increasing. Whilo tho Whole vol
ums Of this paper llas the odor Of Irregular
ity around it, no citizen Inns lind the ilea Of
rep'diating it. It is nevertheless aubstan-
tially pnyallo on cnll, aud can only DO paid
by tho collection Of taxes. And Just hero
comes tlls difficulty. The payment Of taxes
to this City Government has been partially
suspended and will, We feur, be practically
Htoppel hereafter. The want OF public con-
idenco in the honesty of tho City Govern
lnent, largely duo to the fact That ii foRted thu
present ehartcr upon tho people by fraud a..d
aallot-box stnillng, las been hitherto offset
10 SOME extent by confdsncs in tho Supreme
Court. Tho respect and faith Of our people in
tic judiciary has never waveretl They have
patiently endured aud submitted, relying On
tho courts, that when the proper time came
| tho legal tribunals would interposs their au-
thority and compel the bullot-bo1 suffers,
robbers, mud Llsckmai!cra who govern the
City Ut Chicago to permit tho people to hold
MI election for q new Government. Under
that hope, for over ysar tho people Of this
unfortunate city have az law-abiding citizens
submitted to tile rule OF a gang Of selt.ap-
pointed otilcess md Legislators. The appeal
to tho Court has been tnRde, and tlln Court
WAS divided! Tho usurpatiou, therefore,
continues, and ol1lcial crime kita lefiantly
iu its places, aud demands obcdience
to tho decisionA Of ,he suprene
Court. What il left tu tho peopte
Of this city when they arc abantloned by
the courts md betrayed by their officcrs !
What III left to any people when they are re-
duced 10 tax robbery7 When tbs law DO.
comes snare, when governments become ol,.
pressors, when courts are ''slivideI," and
when tie rolber holds his victim by tb.
throat, the right Of selt.defense aud tht
right Of revolution remain. Have tie people
Of Chicago any other means OF retsess2 III.
municipal credit Of the City Of Chicago IL 1t
peril. Az we have said, four or five millions
Of dollars Of city notes are outstanding, prao
tically Oh call. The City Government. in ths
absence Of money, is iasuug more Of shia pa,
per every day. The City Government there
fose exists upon the credit given to that class
Of paper. The city scip is Issued. money
borrowed, and tho Court Housc crowd flourish
| nr la t1a1asr Il Aho