Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-03-09
PEcKSHiFES AND PECxSNiFF,ANS.

Notwithstanding the fact that the
public Pccksniffs. the holy gospel re-.
formers, and the mornlizing and phari.
saicnl publicists are just now manng.
Ing to fool most of the people most
Of the time" these are trying days for
the frauds and the humbugs Of the
public life Of Chicago. The time has
critics In the press ana the pulpit.
Judge not only of the wOrthincss Of
their motives, but Of their fitness to
critlcise. and to defend ana strike
back when the motive ana the critic
have been found unworthy AMI UNFIT.
In nearly MI such cases where the ut.
tackled wheels ana hits out, the ag.
gressOr has been found vulnerable.
ana when struck In the vital spot
squeals ana squirms greatly. Gov.
ernOr Altgeld Is just the man to deal
II reeling blow ut u false ami unfair
enemy when the time and opportunity
Is at hand, ana last Wednesday he let
out In good shape. The Governor
sent ON the day In question to the Leg.
islature a message In regard to the
piOus frauds who thunder morality,
and sometimes spite and venom. ut the
public. from sanctums established
upon public property, out Of which
the people have been ana are being
defrauded. We refer now to the ten.
ants on school property, some of whom
are the prOprietOrs Of esteemed con.
tempOraries, all of whom consider
themselves the anOinted vehicles Of all
the public morality there IL. In his
message Governor Altgeld, among 9TH
or things, says:
ut IL found that the owners Of four
great daily newspapers hold leases of
school lands. Three OF these papers
are actually published on school land.
ana 1t has happened that In the past
when certain men made a strong effort
to compel the payment Of fair rent
on this land they were made targets of
abuse by ut least one of these newspa-
pers.
''The southeast corner of Dearborn
and Madison streets IL leased to the
Chicago Tribune Company. The ground
IL 12x12O feet. and at present pays a
rental Of only $4,000 year, while on
the opposite corner, diagOnally across
Dearborn street, a piece of ground 3OX |
~ feet, having only 800 square feet, IL |
rented at an annual sum OF $4,000, In
addition to the taxes, which at present |
amount to $2,24O. bringing the annual |
cost OF the ground to over $4,000. |
Again. on the southwest corner of Dear |
born and Madison streets, a piece of |
ground, 5Ox02N, being but little more
than half rs large as the Tribune lot |
and just across the street from II, IL
rented mt an annual rental OF $4,000,
In addition to the taxes, which now
amount to over $1,000, making the an
nual cost of the ground alone $4,000.
In comparison with what other prop
erty In the same locality Is paying, 1t
IL clear that the Tribune lot IL worth
nearly three times the rent It now pays
and that the owners of the Tribune
ave for number of years been pocket
ing In the neighborhoOd of $4,000
'ear that should have gone to the school
'und.
AS these newspapers have much to
'ay about patriotism and higher
citizenship, they should set a better ex-
nipple. Waving the flag with one hand
md plundering the public with the
'thcr Is form of patriotism that IL
letting to he entirely too common and
) doing infinite harm to our country.
"Cnder the constitution new leglsla- |
lon does not take effect until July /, Ia
Mess II contains an emergency claase.
nd, AZ the next assessment OF property
or purposes Of taxation will be made @
efore that time. respectfully urge q
Immediate emergency legislation which C
I'LL wipe out all legislation under c