, 1876-08-06

J. the case to the taxpayers and their represe
= atlves,-the Common Council of the City
II Chicago.
@ TIE COURTHOUSE RING.
= 1t is very evident, from the action so I
i taken in the County Board relative to t
e stone for the new Courthouse, that t
q ling is byno means dismayed by the Grimm
D indictments that have been brought again
some of the county thieves, but proposes
, 60 ahead, without regard to the public inte
ests, and reckless as to the amount of publ
money to be spent, to provide the greatest DO
slblities for thieving. Ever since the fire {
1871 the Courthouse building has bee
looked to as the richest field for plunder ths
would be presented to the tax-eaters Of th
present generation. The postponement o
the work from time to time has been mainl
owing to the inability of the voraciou
benefciaries to agree upon satisfactor.
division of the spoils. At one time basi
OF natlona1ities was adopted, and there wer,
to be three architects, representing, respect
lively, the Irish, German, and American ele
ments; but this was abandoned, evidently fol
the reason that the Americans are entitled tc
no share of the plunder. Finally, after
years Of pickering, beginning was
! actually made by letting the contract for
the foundation, choosing for that pur.
pose bid higher than another re-
sponsi bic bid for the same work. This
contract has been pursued far enough already
to enable the contractor Harms to present
modest bill Of $4,000 for "extras." This
Is the old story, but it is not even the BEGIN
ming of the enc, only tho beginning of the
beginning.
The next item for p1under comes up in the
letting Of the contract for stone The pre
hminary negotiations in this matter have
been long and costly. Several of the CON-
mlss1oners, partly to take their summer vaca-
hons at the expense of the public, and partly
to mlslead the people into the belief that
they were sincere in the pretense of making
thorough inspection Of aQ varieties of stone
before deciding upon any, have been junket-
ing about. But the first thing that was done
IN the Board was to pass resolution pro-
V1dlng that the selection of the stone be con-
1ned exclusively to limestone, which prac- /
1cally limits the Board to the Lemont and |
1elghboring quarries. The men who voted
or this resolution were CARROLL, C1EAnv.
;oS1E, LoSEReAS, McCAFTREY, Mu11oY.
labor, and JOHNSON. CLEARY, though his
'ame was mentioned in one of the Grand
ury reports in an unpleasant con-
ection, has been making loud professions
honesty, and it has certainly been
xpected that TABOR would not vote in The
lterest OF the Ring. But this was Ring
love. 1t was the starting point two years
90, when the Board proceeded under Mr.
IN AsHToN's administration to adopt q reso- =
ton that the Courthouse should she !.
Tilt and constructed Of Cook County lime !;
one" The force of public opinion subse-
'ent1y secured repeal of this rascally
opposition, the purport and intent of which t
ere apparent; but it has been revived as
very first step in the new march of the
ng. The outrage of this proceeding is Il
illustrated By the fact that the I
Is for furnishing the. stone from other =;
IN neighborhood quarrics ranged from te
zo, ,ooo to $52l, 900, while the bids from 4
Lemont and neighborhood quarries of g,
lestone range from $685., 900 to S959. .000 xe Ie
at ls, the lowest bid from the quarries to th
lch the Board have voted to limit them or
res is higher than the highest bid from th
outside quarries, while some Of the bids saii
n the Rings favorite quarries are double CO.
much as the outside bids. We under Co Co
i'd that AIr. EDWIN WALKER il to
favorite candidate of the Board for
contract, and his bid is $Gy5, 550 no
early S2oo, 200 more than the highest of me
outside bids. This, it must be remem- the
ID, is for only one-half the building so
county's portion,-and the city viii be ito
peued to take the same kind Of stone at Ign
IDLY higher rate for the other half. %
ow' the Ring members of the Board Ind YER YER
er go slow. The Chicago public is slow qat' aa,
rath, but their time and punishment will isia
y come If they pursue the game of plum eter ta "
Some of the scoundrels are already il
Indictment for past peculations. and fror
not dared to go to trial in the commu. ent;
which they have helped to rob, but have reez
ed delay and changs of venue bv the
7ng that the Judges of Cook County G.
preJudIced against them that thew nm shall
rot inStico which =; 49,. Mint
o % 1ot true. Their | what
JOS are the same as those of IwrFn and | respe
'ang, who had some Of their richest thsir ut IL.
lgs in the building of the New York TT
House. They will, sooner or later, be lish;,
ken, as TWEED and bis associates wero aaa,n
nave eontemptnously rejected propo- truth
~ ~ - eo'eAen' and RESPONSE expo
@ne entlre structure busir
I'll ao.4 - ea ~a suoseantla style, both
.a, 'Aoo'ooo, and determined the +,
eeea on plan of their own, the lowest for -
ted cost Of which is So, SOC, 900, with at len
e dome which will cost 81, ,ooo, 900, wlicI
probably a final cost which will not than
ort OF 50. .00o> >000.. OF mona t3han, df},,, =, ~