, 1879-03-23
THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE ELEC-
TON

TON.
4 week from tomorrow there will be m
election in this city for Mayor, other city Of
fcers, for members of the City Council,
and for township officers 1t is needless to
remind the readers Of HE TRIBUNE that it is
Of the utmost Importance to every citizen
that that election shall result in The protec-
ton Of the public interests by the election
Of conservative, prudent, and interested cit
liens. Let the readers OF THE TRIBUNE re-
cali the experiences Of this city during the
last few years.
In November, 1873, under the mad excite
ment and extraordinary coalition Of that date,
CoLvN and his associates were elected to
Office. In April, 1876, by ballot-box
stufing fraud which would have done
credit to the WORST regulators OF Louis
lana, city charter was declared adopt
ed, under which A1r. Co1y1s held over
beyond the term for which he was elected.
In April, 1876, the party which was then in
control of all branches Of the local Govern
ment perpetrated the most astounding rascal
tiles at the 'stown" elections. These frauds
were SO enormous, aud were SO boldly and
defantly committed, that the sober-minded
and honest citizens were aroused to the ne
cessitY of rescuing the city from the control
Of the criminal classes. 4 few weeks
later the voters with extraordinary unanimi-
ty elected an almost entirely new Board of
Aldermen, the members being generally
selected because Of their personal fitness and
high character, and at the same time elected
Mr.. THOMAS HorSE Mayor. The election of
HOME was, two months later, set inside
upon quibbling technicality, and GOWN
held on; but new election was ordered in
July, 1876. at which MONROE HEATH was
chosen Mayor.
At that time the condition of the city was
most deplorable. The Treasury was empty.
The credit Of the city was destroyed. There
was floating debt of $4,000, 900, all bearing
high rates Of interest, and all of which was
evidenced by issues of illegal paper Not a
dollar could be borrowed; there was no
legal authority to borrow money. The pre-
vious City Council Ind persisted in making
assessments aud tax-levies in defiance of law.
y
dollars. There was no power to collect taxes
thus levied Illegally The paper Of the city was
under protest in every banking Office in ths
country. Interest on the debt was unpaid,
Chicago was utterly helpless,-stricken
to the ground by the hummer spoliation of
those who had ruled it at the ballo.-box and
in the Municipal Government We recall
these items of history, hardly three years
old, to remind the people Of this city Of the
consequences of their action in the cleo
tons for city officers. They had permitted
the criminal and hummer classes to obtain
supreme authority and power, and in April,
1876, the City Government was not only
bankrupt in means and in credit, but was
borne down by an enormous fonting debt,
every dollar of which, as the Court decreed,
was stamped with illegality. The Council,
with the aid of Mr. HossE during his brief
term, and subsequently with Mayor HEATH,
at once entered on the work of rebuilding
and re-estnblishing the municipal character
and credit of the city.
One Of the first things done was the aboli-
lion of long list of Offices, which, though
useless, had been created from
lime to time to support gangs Of parasites.
This involved the dismissal of whole platoons |
If men whose only business was to draw |
heir salaries. In the very first year, the new
was able to reduce the e1pendi- |
lures one million Of dollars, and the Mayor |