, 1876-05-23

CHAR1K8 HEpPEn, brother-ln-laW OF Won
Hon1EN, tho defaulting and fugitive City
Collector, has explained (porhapa unwilling
ly) tho real secret Of the lattorfs corruption.
VoN Ho1IEx's downfall is attributable, from
tho evidence Of those most fntimnto with his
caroor, to his connection with tho so-cn1led
"Pooplo's Party," Which was organized two
and half years ago oatensiby to :" liberal.
lzo'" tho liquor and Sunday ordinances, but
really for public p1undor. VoN 1Iot1Es WAS
a h,lornbly decent fellow when first elected
to Office. His habits were good, md his in
clinationB seemed to be honest, During the
tlrs!t two years Of his service there was prob
ably no time when he could not havo made
gootl his aecounts. Tho testimony of BngN-
NAN, his first cashier, is to this eTect, and it
il worthy Of credence But when ho iden-
tiind himself with tho hummer clement and
bos:amo their candidato for reelection, he
gnse himsoH up freely to tho now associa-
tons ho was forced To cultivate. From that
time ho began to stay out late at night and
neg1ect his homo md family. Flo Ind
Utmost constant business with "Mr. Nc
GAaRY" or .'S1r. Fo1Ex." uo became M
habituo Of the saloons He took to drinking
muro or less. lie joined tho Bean Club and
tho Cosmopa. He was contaminated by tho
crowd ho was training with, and when ho
got to gambling thero was soon m end Of
him. His habits and tho condition Of hia
accounts would have attracted attention
long before it tho City Government and
Council had boon in tho hands Of q different
clnss Of men, and largo pnrt Of his defal-
cation might have boon saved by q prompt
c1posuro of his real condition. But the
clnEs In control were accustomed to drink
ing, spreoing. md gambling, and part Of
tham wsra deriving too much personal profit
from plucking him to assist in stopping his
System of pl,tndor. So he WINS permitted to
run the length Of his ropo, aud It was not
till ho became satisfied that the Into city I'D
ministrntion could hold on no longer that ho
confessed his crime by flight to o foreign
country,
Howover sorrowful tho personal Aspecta OF
such caroor arc, 4 much more important
consideration Is the public interest, and Won
Ho1IKN's corruption should bring forcibly to
mind that public trusts cannot bo confidod to
the class that las beon running this city for
two years aud a half without serious CONGO
quonceB, Of which vow HoL1EN'a defslcation
is specimen Whether Or not lis plumber
ing is the only caso TINT will bo exposed, tine
alono can establish. But tho people Of Chi
cago have had narrow escapo. They per-
mitted tho control Of municipal afEairs to
pass into the hands Of loafers, gamblers, and
saloon-keepers Of tho hummer class. Some of
these follows n1e now before the community
| as confessed thieves and blackmnilors Tho re-
action last fall did not come ono moment too
soon, mud II is fortunate that the defeat OF
HEa1No WIS followed up this spring by tho
election Of Reform Council and tho over
throw Of the usurping Mayor whom HEs1No
and REnn sot up. But tho people must be
vigilnnt in their own bahnlf. Thoro is
reason to apprehend that tho hummer lend
err are so confident in tho dolnornlization Of
thie community, brought about by contain
nation such as Won Ho11EN suffered, TINT
they believe thoy will DO permitted to ro-
sumo their former influence. There is no
doubt TINT they viii be mako desperate
fight to that ond. Tho pooplo must not
weary in tha new political interest they have
developed, and tho noxt point Of attack
should be the County Board.