Chicago eagle., 1895-02-09
MAYOR HOPKINS WISE ACT.

once aGain has Mayor HOPKINS gwen
evidence OF the sterling stun of which |
he Is made and demonstrated In the
most practical manner the fact that |
his Is the best. cleanest and most gencr-
ally beneficial administration the ,ity |
Of Chicago has ever had.
Last Monday night In an able ana
nrgumcntative message Ia the City
Council the Mayor vetoed the blanket
troliey-wire ordinances and reiterated
with emphasis the doctrine that the
public Is entitled 10 remuneration for
valuable franchises conferred upon cor.
porations.
He succeeded through this message
In securing for the city the payment
into the treasury annually the sum Of
5000 for the whole length OF the III.
OF these ordinances. This In this case
will be twenty years. which In this ~.
gard alone means saving Ia the city
OF Chicago Of Sl0oOo. or nearly fifteen
times the amount of the Mayors own
salary.
Truly this l. case In which the
laborer Is worthy OF his hire.
The public. long mlsinformcd and
misled through a section Of the press.
is gradually beginning 10 awake 10 the
true value Of John +. Hopkins. and 10
the magnificent services which he has
rendered To them ~ the chief executive
of this city.
The old sayin; OF the sage p.iloso.
pher and patriot, You cannot fool all
the people all the time" Is beln: once
again illustrated In the case OF Mayor
Hopkins.
II Is only by contrast In the days 10
come. however, that the people VIII
learn the real worth Of this man and
regret his loss.
Just now they are beginning 10 see
the CLINT OF virtue through the fog VI
misrepre~entatlon and calumny. Later
on the sunshine OF truth will beam full
and fair upon the city administration
Of 1894. and the taxpayers will curse
the influences that deprived them If
such a servant Those who know John
T.. Hopkins well. who We're acquainted
with his career as man and a polid'
clan. knew when through sheer weigh,
and ability lie came 10 the front. be-
came a leader. and finally the choice
of his party for the high office II
Mayor. that his party and his frienls
would have rea son 10 be proud OF their
selection: but even they did not exI'ect
such splendid Justification.
Already the press. or section OF H.
long Interested for some reason or
other In vIlifying this man, j. begin
ming now almost at the clos. Of his ad-
ministration 10 pay 10 him, grudsingly'
let us admit some tribute Of praise.
our contemporary. the Record, which
has been, perhaps, the most severe Of
all the newspaper critics Of Mayor Hop
kins' administration, has this 10 say
In regard TO his last splendid service u
the public:
..At Monday nights session 1f thecity
council the aldermen 30 far oyercamt
an inherent and deep-seated tendehc!
of their natures as 10 accede 10 Mayor
Hopkins proposition 10 compel ths
Yerkes company 10 pay the city some
thing In return for the maghihceht gii'
Of trolley franchises.
.The compensation specified Il a pay
ment of 5000 a year into the city
treasury. This Is Of course ridiculous
ly inadequate pay for the enormously
valuable benefits given, and its ehec
upon the trolley company's earhing'
will be about as apparent as would b'
the removal Of a teasponful OF waite
from Lake Michigan
.But the fact that the principleof com
pensatiOn was recognized Is mora
victory for the people. That point ha
been gained even though the gaihini
of 1t does not bring an adequate none
tary return for the franchises.
Precisely. A moral victory has beel
won and great principle has been es
tablished. 1t was for the attainment o
that moral victory and the yindicatio'
of that principle that John i. Hopkin