New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-02

CHICAGO, July 1.-Conyention people con.
unue 10 arrive La addition TO the Presidential sub,ecs
nos mas aotate convention tomorrow at Peoria when
carter Harrison win be nominated for Goyernor rb.
sanlenan Is the Mayor OF Chicago, and was taken "a
mn anu no ASKED me Into his Office. whore we sat nearly
snhour In genial Intercourse No interview was desgned
carter Harrison Is apparently nfty years old
native OF about Lexington KY and he somevba, ro.o,
oo' 'ne confederate General Lee who was OF tho ssms
oood' lie has gray, thin hair on the top but mora
pou' gray side locks and healthy, military face
uioat'e Oh good living, gray beard full worn Ike the
confederate generals IN the war; and a strong mouth
iuh OF clean white toeth perfect. He has blue
eyes, and while his address In general Is of.hand ana
cordia ne has lost none OF the Kentucky method OF
bringing his whole temper tho 'front.' and fancy he
ahttie sensitive and good deal oombatye. The figures
gave me took no note Of and shall probably get them
more or less wrong but will put them down at hap'
hazard as expressive OF the general. II not the
course OF talk As Chicago to be the OF interest
for the next two weeks It will be unnteresng for
| you to hear its Mayor describe It,
| HOW HE HAPPENED TO BE ELECTED.
Bald /: "This is your third term Mayort How
| came YOU, Democrat, to be so often Mayor in this
celebrated stronghold Of Republcanlsmi"
when was first nominated In 1879" said Mr.. Har
| rison, 81 was In Congress and did not want tbs
| nomination II did not look IL q Democrat
| could be elected, but there was split THAI
year and socialistc candidate who 70
L a
ocrot, and ran in by small plurality. Ny success
in this office and repeated elections to from APP
plying business principles to the finances Of the city and
getting II out OF the dgracefu condition II was In when
was paying It's officers scrip and always late in is
payments Besides with difficulty and slowly. gained
the confidence Of tho Germans here, who have finally
come TO support me- and at the last election had very
| ample majority II think he said l1,000l
Said /: care you related 10 Ben Harrison, Of In
| dianai"
| "Yes, dstsnuy. We depart from each other in the
| father Of Benjamin Harrison the sgner OF the Deo
| laration Of Independence. while the sgntr was Ia
Congress his brother married tho daughter OF
man known King Garter from the quantity
Ot land which he possessed In Yrginia-land which
suppose he obtained by enterprising locations OF
| It from point to point Ny comes from that union.
Like most OF our virginia families, We are contested with
the Jenersons, Lees. Brecknrdges Cibells and many
others Thomas JeiIersons mothers sister married
| TO one ot our lIarrisohs"
"sald |: "Mr Mayor do you know that you are de-
hcended from " the Puritan regclds, General Hart
son 4"
YES that ia so." said hc
"Whcn dd tOu come 10 Chlcisor
81 came to chicago In 1855 aud nuly settled hen
for good IN 1862
The Mayor represented to have become very rich ~
being interested in Of the railroads entering CHI
cago, In real estate, etc
KrNTUCKfANs GAVE CHICAGO ira RrAHr
1st to give hl, city lts big bOom Chicago took an carly
start after the canals opened aud had vast pedo'
lions made for H. Bu tho panic Of 1897 aid n out Hat
AMI until about isiD It had low friends Tho Rontuch
an', you rccoleo', weo celebrated Tor boths Aud
gambling. Hnd they cnmo NJ to Chicago between isip
and 1900 and began 10 play with Chicago lot, Improve
men, aad uoy were tho tta to give this cry porlon
Of tho character II sll maintains OF taking chances 10
IT. prosperity, Kcntuckana h,fo also gnho lar 10 TIE
north Of Chicago and made investments about Ashland
and othor points along Lake superior now coming into
notice Mr. llonofe whose daughters have married
Potter Palmer and Fred Grant, Is Of the Kenuckans
who came here from Louisville, However" said the
Mayor. Chicago thorough blending OF all kinds
OF people Little Vermont and Yrsaia ara equally seen
In its achievements The city and the people have bet
ter credit and are more Independent than ever In their
history"
Said |: ~ would like 10 hear something about your
financial operations here"
"a good many years ago." said the Mayor,
"a law passed in tho State Leg
slature forbidding any city TO have more debt than
five per cent of its total valuation. There had been
habit of putting the valuation very low to
subject Chicago to pay the State taxes SO
they got the city valuation on the State assessment down
to about eighty mOns whereas in its own assessments It
had been standing at hundred and eighty millions.
Five per cent OF eighty millions give you a very little
margin for debt. We suddenly found before my aces
sion Office that had exceeded the constitutional
limit But there are a set of people who constantly fight
the payment OF taxes, and the point was
made that we had passed the limit of debt
That point the courts pronounced well tlken and conse-
quently we could borrow nothiag whatever We had tins
greatest trouble colec back taxes The city was
reduced to the miserable expelent of issuing scrip aud
peddng that scrip based future REDEEM ltlOn In New
York and East. The scrip OF deprecated in
value ami there was a general Generalization arising
from the impossibilty Of putting out valid claims
HOW THE SCRIP WAS REDEEMED.
"In that extremity only chance To make liberal
appropriations for city purposes and save out of the APP
preparations enough to pay % this scrip When
l became MsyOr I made up my mind that
business would hdve to be applied 10 every depart
ment Beginning at ten per cent We finally saved almost
twenty-five per cent year ont VI thu appropriations
this money and began redeem the scrip. Little
by little retired It ALL and introduced fixed principles
into the City Government Il had been the habit to pay
everybody OF IN the middle of the month following the
service. | resolved to pay everybody on the day tho
months service closed and in gold. We have In Chicago
about six hundred police, and about five hundred ire
men aud other employees. The moment II became q
Gyed fact the city would promptly the trades
men opened their accounts with these employees aud
every month large amount OF money was set
loose then tried to do what could about rounding
the city debt. We were paying per cent Little ny
little we refunded low per cent, and then at 365
There was but other city in the United states which
had G5 nond, and that Washington city, and the
Cov,ruoat secured the bond This dimnut0n OF inter-
est greatly assisted We sold the bonds right here IN
Chicago. oar per cent bonds got premium on and
a premium OF about onc-half per cent even on
the 1853 bonds. As we paid OF tho distant
scrip creditors. our credit at homo and
abroad aud | should huvo negotiated the last
bonls " this city which re issue like the others
u older bonds ~ per cent but the ycsy day the bids
came I'm the Marine Bank OF Ncw-iOlk, failed Other
wise, should have got a premium"
"What Is your debt, Mr. Il1uisour
a. 4 10 cest han m ian
include the park debit which bad nothing to do with.
The parks controlled by commissions. Chicago TOT
only IN afrst.atc condition solvent municipality. bnt
her people own themselves and NcIy sma extent,