, 1876-08-13
THE COURTHOUSE RING.

| Since TIE TRIBUNE pointed out that edi
torials printed in the Chicago Times were
! written in the interest of the Ring and the
WALLER contract, no more such articles have
! appeared in that journal, and it is to be
! hoped the editor Of the paper has gathered
! his wits about him, and refused to permit it
to be made one Of the agencies for swindling
the people of this city and county out of at
least half million dollars, aud perhaps more.
There is little doubt that the brazen conduct
Of the Ring Committee which resolved to re-
port favorably on WAKER's bid, though there
Was another bid fully complying with all the
terms which would make saving Of $327,-
600, was encouraged by those articles, and
counted on the support of one newspaper to
sustain the robbery. Mr. flaming, in
an interview with q reporter Of one
of the city papers, charges direct
" that money has been paid to
somebody connected With the Tines, and
says he can prove it. Another stone man
says that he sent communication to that
paper several days ago making the same
charge, and that the communication has
never been printed, nor any answer made
to it,
The Ring show some signs Of weakening.
They have not yet dared to present the re-
port Of the Committee approving the WALK
ER bid. MIR. BuRp1cK could not draw it out,
because the Ringsters were afraid to meet
the protests which had been put in by
Messrs. flaming, ORLEANS, and others,
all lower bidders than WALKEn. But
this temporary forbearance on the part of
the Ring must not be construed to mean an
abandonment of their scheme. There is too
much money in it for that. They may pos
sibly decide to present it in some other
shape, though they may also be bold enough to
attempt carrying it ont with tile same brazen
impudence they exhibited in first accepting
WALKEn's bid in the Committee, and which
only indicted men would risk Meanwhile,
Mr.. flaming shows that his bid is 500, 600
lower than WAL1ER's for that part of the
work advertised for, and that the city and
county will save $48o,ooo in all by awarding
him the contract. He also agrees to comply
with Ill the conditions that were framed to
suit WALKERS case and exclude other bidders.
Other bidders have made similar showing.
In the meantime, PER1oLAr, who is still out
on bail, is running WALKERS bid and the
Ring. and it only remains to see just what
shape the deyiltry will assume.
There is one consideration not to be over
looked in this matter If this robbery is
consummated by the Ring, the Democratic
party Of Chicago and Cook County must
bear the responsibility for it. The large
majority Of the Commissioners-andw we be-
liere all the Ring-are Democrats, and were
elected to their present places by Democratic
votes. There are six Irish Democrats in the
Board, COMFY, CARROLL, McCEFRE1, Lon
ERGAs, CIEARr, and Mu1LoT,-three of whom
we believe have been indicted for swindling
the county and starving the paupers. Nc
CAFFREr, Comfy, and CARROLL are the recog-
nized engineers OF the WALKER job; CI.EARr
votes with them in the Committee, and Null [
1or will probably vote with them in the
Board, as he has done before; LosERGAS,
who has often voted with them in the past,
seems to have discovered the infa1ny, |
md refused to sanction the WALKER steal |
~ his vote. Thus, if the job is pushed !
through finally it will be mainly with the
7otes Of the Irish Democrats in the Board.
This fact should excite the decent Democrats
md respectable Irishmen Of Chicago and !
?ook County to Ese all their influence to de-