New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-06
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY rwENrYFoUR

fed tone, simply saying that whatever ne na +.
became a public official had been in fI'nlmen u
Of the obligations he had assumed a "a in ~ u,iti
the city, and expressing complete satiSiac,o Ill, by
the action of the bank in his case me T., Sanato
the wy, is supposed TO ba controllet Nv -, in
Mcmillan, and Senator Mcmillan is ueeP'SJ W,
trrcstei in the street rn,lroai. wnirn ti rr n,
had been fighting so vigorously. Inc ST.
this contest Is not without features OF i0
interest. .,,,. n,
It may be said TO have begun at tie TN" The he
the strike thu part Of the employees u, MOI
spring of 1891 At that time the men cof mi wa,
of the long hours they had to work. pi' 4imo
introduced In the Legislature limiting t'cr "a,
Of work TO ten hours day, and provIuins tIan
they should not he required to WORK NOR, NOR this
six DAYS in seven. The company iougnb ,r,'
measure, and undertook 10 discharge eli'tI'' ;ts
who were particularly active III aSsls'Ih. ~ . ~,
passage This company by the way, was anoor,
name for the Mossrs IIcndrir the weli-KhoMT, >
canadian CAPITALISTS who have been prlcticalN
thc entire owners of the city railroads Tor oNe'
thirty years.
IN TIE ROLE OF \ PEACEMAKER
The drivers and conductors resented t'
discharge of their fellow employees, and
ccnoral strike ensned-a strike that had not Only
the anproval of all the bolie, Of organized l'pof
in the city. but the sympathy Of citizens gen
orally. The City Railway Company had been
unpopular for years, in consequence of their re-
fusal 70 comply with the demands for better
service. and also because of their tyrannrai
methods toward those in their employ. lhc
nolicc however. were controlled by the corpora
tions and they made desperate effort TO run tire
cars The strikers were reinforced ny III" out
side public who chccrfully agreed to walk 10
assist the men. Tho police failed utterly 10 nfean
tbe strike and the Mayor was requested 10 can
ont the militia. The attorney OF one corpora'i11h
thought he had to turn the fire hose on the
strikers. ,..., r,,.,
IN the outside pnbic He was still an exp rlmeht
AZ public official All the influence OF the cor
noroton was brought to bear upon MN. ~,
issued n proclamation warning the rioters am
nuotinr the law for the suppression OF iots
and dsordcrlv lsscmblag's NJ the snth' llli'
he addressed letter 20 the railway cphP'in
urging that the differences t,w en- n ' arbitratian
Tho effect Of the letter waS magical, anu
levcd the city from terrific STRAIN the
men knew that if the Mayer had "allnd DIV , sr
militia a bloody riot would have" ensud, lNt
the men were determined. and pubic sch'nh'n.
was with them The results would rive pS'h
most dcplorablc The company rell." u .hn
danger and they were as gla1 7" arlI'ran| a. otnI
men The proposition was "cccr"d ann ~ "
unon at once cars We're started on Az oi "
lines and the mon went 70 work i|'h"ns I'LL
result Of the arbitration. when prov ~, Ia,
satisfactory TO them Inc Mayor ""' WV
The Civ Railway Company was in"orpor;a,"u
in 1852. II was given most valuaple un,,iH
year franchise In 1879, without any ro ~ franl
70 tha public il secured an extension OF ltS IRAN
cbisc 50 AZ 10 make it, life thirty years from
that date Considerable stir was rau,"' a, . H.
time bat the ordinanc" of 1879 Sihi 'hro"TI Wy
nnnon Council ~ oaSiIy a. Jacob >har'H -, ,''-
,v,v P1ilrr1d charter was passed 10y the New
Yorl, Aldermen IN 1889 the company oh'alp.'
further valuable rrivil 'g"s IN ~" way OF p.rn'
sion 20 lav tracks over several MUGS oi ne" S'I''
80 ~ H. shnt ont other companies ron "Dhp',i-
finn with it, In con>i loration of ths N'lA'p,'
rrivilcqn with hundr"iS Of thousahis oil '"'c
lar. thu. city received not one cent ~ IN" way 81
additional revenue" ON me 'a,r "tn .m,a rr'''
was approved a similar ordinanre WIS
arrrovrd for the Fort Wayne and Elmwood ON
rany and also IN" Grand RIVER ompahy' g IN
them some important track extensions. these
were also granted the privilege OF using
electricity in place of animal power. and the IVY
'ompany was granted the right 10 uS" cane
power on Woodwari-avc. On the iees oi 'niS
came demand for IN extension oil III" iIahc,ii"
for thirty years more. that Is from lS9E. wien
the ORIGINAL franchise expired. The matt re-
mainc1 i'm the Committee on Street and orhi-
nancoS until June -. when that body reported IN
favor Of orqnfinC fhns' rrdi 1nc"S I'"r" wa
,ot = word in any Of th"m about rclu"in' t'"-'.
pr about extending in" transfer system oi Il Gets
mr. about any payment to the city by increased
taxation or otherwise for the prin"cly donation
II privileges tina; was conferred Inc vote on
their final passage was % 10 y.
THE ALDERMEN COMPELLED TO DO THEIR Duty.
Such an outrag cons bcstowal Of franchises
worth millions. snch surrender 10 ono monopoly
IF many miles Of streets reused the public t' the
highest pitch \ public meeting WAS called at
he Detroit Rink. and it gave occasion for TN"
most stirring expressions of popular SENTIMENT
representative citizens OF both paric, denounced
h.. steal and the stronger their hnguagc the
more pronounced was the applause. Resolutions
we're adopted protesting ag,inst III" action of the
,ldcrmen, and committee of fifty citizens was
appointed TO present this protest 10 the Mayor
little doubt was entertained that the Mayor
would rise to the requirements OF the situation
Ic did. His message next day to ~" ''min2n
'ouncl has becom" cl.sic here IN DrtrJlt. lie
aid among other things: Private ownership uf
nonopo : in cit's Is necessarily I'll" cause OF
immense iinancial loss 20 The citizens. II Is a
.ad financial arrangement. lt - the chlet source
t corruption in city governments D"npncl ltIons
# particular PERSONS should In tempered by the
consideration that the system is largely to blame
20 grant what l. now asked ~ 70 Dlhh tnlS clA
and and foot for thirty years: that Is 10 say, LOT
mother generation. The. fact that sagacious Dusi-
rsS men stand ready 10 pay mlllio OF dollars
or such franchises shows what they ar" worth
o the city There is no good reason why Detroit
houd not follow the example of other cites
nd relieve the burdens OF the people
Incurred by constantly increasing rates
{ taxation by selling such valuable franchises
or the benefit of the city treasury After the
layers MESA 20 was read. but before acton was
aiken upon it, an adjournment 81 the tounci
'as declared by the president: \ sp'Flai h,f.l-
ne of the Council was called for thursday,
mly .. and then came the last struggle for
lille of the franchise grabbcrs. \ desperate
tempt was made to keen enough Of the members
way 70 leave the Council without a quorum. |
he effort was unavaling Twenty Aldermen !
" in their places. They had felt the fire Of
ublic indignation, and every one OF them voted
} sustain the veto.
thus ended the attempted seizure of the fran |
lisrs and thus began in earnest the work |
reform II is impossible 10 estimate closely |
10 amount of money these timely Netoes OF tie |
ayor have saved the people of Detroit. but |
,ne idea of the amount may he inferred from |
10 announccm, Mt BY responsible capitalists of
!cr willingness to buy a single line that OF
'oodward-aN, and pay $4,000 year IN taNa-
ON. or ten times what the city now receives.
+ course the street railroad companies didn't
lrrcndcr in consequence of this defeat They
q still fighting for their life hut as the courts
ave decided in favor of the Mayor, holding that
10 company's franchises have really lapscd, there
little doubt about the result. compromise