Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-03-09
8RAvO, MAYOR HOPKINS !

Mayor Hopkins has crowned n mag.
nificent career as municipal chief of
Chicago and put Il fitting climax to one
Of the best. II not the very best. admin.
istrTtions this city has ever enjoyed by
an act as brave. courageous ana manly
as II was honest, wise ana far.seeing.
In his message to the City Council
last Monday night anent the Cosmopol.
itnn electric and the Ogden gus
ordinances John +. Hopkins has
demonstrated that he Is of that sterling
stun from which heroes are nodded.
He has shown that honesty Of purpose
and II simple determination TO do the
right and stand by II. can dare to face
and win against the allied forces Of
hypocrisy, fraud, religion run mad and
out Of Joint, the pulpit out Of place AMI
the public rostrum dominated by hum.
buggery. the right of free speech pros.
tituted to the ends of public pilferers,
ana the public press switched from its
Legitimate track by the powerful lever
Of pecuniary consideration.
In his famous message the Mayor of
Chicago has enunciated some whole.
some truths that may form the subject
Of serious thought, II not for future
sermons, for some Of the nieddlesome
pulpiteers who neglected their duties
and their fOcks last Sunday to de.
nOunce, defame and besmirch the char.
acters OF men they knew not and dis.
c,iss public measures and public acts
of which they had no knowledge he.
yOnd what they read In the columns Of
what the great old leader Carter Hnrri.
son not very long ago designated a
corrupt and vennl press"
Mr.. Hopkins fayed alive the cantipy
hypocrites who to-day pose as reform.
crs Of public institutions and dcnoun...
ers Of public venality and tomorrow
sneak around In the dark and dodge
their duty to the community by pro.
ducing the conditions Of vcnality' they
had the previous day denounced. When
he alluded In pointed terms to the pro.
motors Of the Universal gus ordinance
linen Of the upper strata Of society and
Mailing from the sanctum sanctorum
of the temple Of refOrm--who. having
procured the passage Of the measure,
sold It to the gas trust. he hit the target
Of hypocrisy fairly In the center.
II was a message full of patriotism. as
well Us Of honest ana manly resentment
against the methods of the false pro.
phets of reform, who would debnse the
goddess to their own foul ends au,l
upon the pedestal from which they had
~, NJ hav s,ss,ct fnw tI,ot,. ,,,n,..l,t,,
en- Gulf Of mammOn In the shape OF q
gigantic trust.
Against that grinding and double
headed monster Of monopoly. the Ed.
son electric ana the gas trust, Mayor
Hopkins couched his lance last Mon.
day night. Full and fair he struck
II. and the keen logic with which II was
tipped pierced through the buckler with
which 1t was protected and inflicted a
mortal wound.
When the clouds Of calumny and mis-.
representation. caused by base aud
mercenary motives. added to In density
by the vapOrings Of fools and by ignor-
ant hut self-secking knaves. which now
screen from the public gaze the true
merit ana value Of this act OF Mayor
Hopkins shall have passed away. the
people will recognize what he hns done
ana sacrificed In their behalf, they will
curse the base betrayers Of the public
confidence, the false leaders who lei
them astray. the false teachers who
taught them but the lesson OF submis.
sion to their taskmasters ana the aban.
Hon l,al.. Ill,
iiaps some day In the time to come may
welcome back with acclaim to public
life the man who was strong and brave
enough to defy them all ana do his
duty.