Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-11-11

abundant proof of the truth of this
proposition.
This municipality, suddenly and
in a most tragic manner deprived of
its chief executive, without pro-
vision in the laws or charter for i'm
mediate succession to the vacancy
thus caused, was left in a condition
bordering upon anarchy.
1t is little wonder that the laxity
of the law, or rather absence of all
law. governing or making provision
for such an unfortunate contingency,
brought about condition of anarchy
or something very nearly akin to it
in the City Council the only arm Of
municipal government left after the
executive had been destroyed by the
hand of an assassin.
The executive head of the city of
Chicago-Carter H. Harrison-was a
Democrat, elected as such by free
ballot Of the citizens of Chicago and
by an overwhelming majority against
great and almost unparalleled diff
culties and opposition. At the same
time, by peculiar combination of
circumstances, the coordinate branch
of the city government-the City
COuncil-was elected and organized
with Republican majority.
When Mayor Harrison's life was
cut short by the murderer's bullet,
the law, as nearly as it could be in
terpreted, rested in the Council
power to elect a successor for limit
ed space of time, sufficient to allow of
new election by the people. The
Democratic minority, feeling that by
right and as matter of justice the
succession, even pro tempore, should
fall to one of their party, was in
hopes that some of the members of
the Republican majority might, as a
matter of justice and courtesy, vote
with them in the choice by the Coun-
Gil, and thus aid in the election of an
acting or temporary Mayor by the
Democratic party. On the other
hand, the Republicans, beaten, dis
pirited and disorganized, saw hopes
of regaining some of their lost |
ground, and resolved by any and all |
means to keep its members in line.
Naturally they cracked the party
lash, and insisted on an open ballot |
so that deserters might be seen
and marked. The Democrats |
called this intimidation, and |
declaring such a course to
be illegal, illegally seized the
chair for the purpose of enforcing the
law. The Republicans, in the name |
of law and order, protested against
this illegality, so that they might |
have opportunity to perpetrate an
Illegally themselves.
The result was anarchy Munich
pal legislators, gentlemen Of good .
standing and high education, city
officials armed with police powers,
clashed in a terrible and apparently +
inextricable conflict Physical vo- T
lence occurred in the Council cham /
Der. The police officials, not being
lawyers were unable to Judge which .
were in the right, and therefore could |
not tell which to attack and quell I
as the aggreSsors. There was
no head to the municipal gov
ernment no authority representing
the will and power of the people, and /
the police force of Chicago for once
was powerless. It's great head and |
front, the man who did so much to /
found and mature it to its present I
state of efficiency, was no more.
-.
The struggle was a fierce one, a
struggle to maintain a fairly won SUI
premacy on the one side, and on the
other to win a point of vantage for
future conquest.
1t was waged with great nerve,
courage, and skill upon both sides.
1t resulted, as might be expected, in
cession and compromise on both Sides
but with no very great amount Of cred.
it to either. The scenes attendant
unOn the struggle for Sunremacy I'm I