Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-24
.ALDERMANICFAITH
Involved in the Dispute Nov
Raging at Chicago.
ARE THE CITY RULERS FOR sALE7

A Question Raised by the Allegations OF =
Representative OF the Tobacco TRUST
Alleged Price OF the Worlds Fair City
Council Put at SEQ. O0O-Alderman Pow
ers Declares That . Covert OFFER to Bribe
Him Was Promptly Rejected.
CHICAGO, Dec. 24.-The story sent abroad
from this city last Saturday regarding the
alleged offer of member of the city coun-
Gil to sell the council out to the tobacco
trust for s25, 900 is of course the reiening
sensation here. Not that it should sur
prise any one much, rs 1t has been a COM
mon and almost universal remark Of the
Chicago press that the only certain way
to get anything through the council, good
or bad, was to pay the freight" This,
however, seems the first time that there
has been any proof of such state Of at
fairs; and it also seems that the alleged
facts published were dug up not by an
''argus-eyed' Chicago journalistic sleuth,
but by an Imported" man from-of all
the places In the world-New York.
Accusation Briefly stated.
The man who worked the scheme is said
to be George W. Turner, proprietor of the
New York Recorder, and the charges
made arc that Alderman Powers proposed
to sell the city council of the typical
American CITY," for the small sum of S25,
O0O-agreeing for that sum to kill bill
to license the sale of cigarettes. The offer
ms alleged was made TO Neil McCoull,
Chicago representative of the American
Tobacco company-tobacco ''trust"-and
IN the hearing of n concealed stenOgra-
phcr who took down every word said dur.
ing the interview. McCmll persists in
his charges and says that four other al
derman-two Democrats and two Repub-
licans-are implicated in the attempt to
secure the Doodle.
Alderman "AIinus' and MIR. "1slank."
McCaull calls one of the would-5e bride
takers Alderman Minus" and names an
actor in the play" Mr. Blank" and will
not give their names nor those of the
other aldermen. though he says the names
will be forthcoming in the event of legal
investigation. Alderman Minus and
three other alderman called upon Mr..
Blank Monday said McCoull, land
talked about securing a conference be.
tween Alderman Powers and myself
Mr.. Blank came to me, and I said
would meet Mr. Powers. Half an hour
later Mr.. Blank telephoned me that Al
dcrinan Powers would call on me Mt ]
o'clock. At that hour Alderman Minus
put in an appearance and said that Mr.
Powers could not come until 5 o'clock
He came at that hour, and the printed re
port of the conversation between him ant
myself is literally correct in every partic
lar. Alderman Minus is Republican
and n man whom few persons would sus
pcct.
Not Trying to Bride Anybody.
McCouli said the company was spending
no money to defeat the license ordinanc:
(which was introduced by Alderman
Coughlin) except in a legitimate way
I'VE sent out number of our employee.
to assist local dealers in circulating petit
tions in every ward against the ordinance
This was about two weeks ago. We
have not expended q dollar in any othe
way"
Are you acquainted with George W
Turner"
"Yes, he is an intimate friend of one o
the officers of our company whose namt
/ cannot now recall. did not see Mr.
Turner while he was in the city and do no
know what he was here for