The broad ax., 1896-05-06
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
VOICE OF OUR PRESS ON THE
ISSUES OF TO-DAY.
ospas,ieaa Corruption Rampant In the
Chicago City coancfi ~ Wei - ta
the National ceagrsss-rwin Evns-
License and Tariff.

The common council Of Chicago !
stil republican, 40 to -. There Ii n
great promise Of reform In such atua
ton, for Il il under republican auspice
0 that the council has become degenerate
a. has the board Of county commission
ers. Every one Of the towns In Chi
cago a republican. There Ia ne grea
promise Of reform In that fact, for near
~ every one OF these towns has beer
scandalously mismanaged. Notorious
ly assessments have been made uneven
What reform IL there in electing one
Of the worst aldermen assessor In the
richest town? In there potency OF re-
form in such proceeding! True, the
sentiment among electors which sent
to the council such men as GUNNER
and Fitch reduced Hepburn's plurality
until Il was practically notice to quit,
bit Mr.. Hepburn will have his ereden-
tials and there will be no reform In
the assessment OF the south town. There
win be no reform in the assessment OF
any Of the towns.
A commission appointed by the
mayor, whose sole idea has been to Sc
cure spending money for the people
at the city hall, il engaged now In
making a report Of the actual values OF
the property in the south town north
Of Twelfth street. Its report will soon
be ready. Is there anybody 30 obtuse
as to think that Alderman, now to be
Assessor, Hepburn will be guided by
a statement Of values which emanates
from 50 honest and capable an assessor
as Mr.. Joseph DonHersberger7
The truth appears TO be that reform
is not desired by persons who are Of
great potency in the electorate. The
rich do not want change In the meth
DDS Of assessment. They know how to
control them to their advantage now.
They want a pliable man in the as
sessorship. They do not want an hon.
est council. They want a council that
will respond to their demands when
they choose to make them for gas COM
panies. street railways or any Of the
many privileges that have conferred
fortunes upon the benefciaries. Bribed
aldermen have not laid up great for
tunes. The money that comes in over
the devils back goes out under the
devils belly. That easily had and I'M
earned is quickly spent. But while the
Doodle alderman has not made q great
fortune for himself, though he had such
purpose In view, yet he has been the
means Of making at the expense Of the
city enormous fortunes for other men. |
There IL very little substantial cause
for congratulation On the outcome of |
the local election. The machine that |
has robbed the towns is in full pos |
session of the Offices, ready to rob them |
anew. The council is not materially |
changed. A well-meaning but Adde'S
cent reforfner shouts exultatien at the |
selection Of some nondescript of the |
Harlan character, "A majority SUM- |
GENTLY strong te uphold the mayor in |
his vetoes Of corrupt ordinances is as
sured." This Is doubly a mistake, first,
in the assurance that there is such |
number OF aldermen, and, next, that |
the mayor, who was an alderman once
upon a time himself, has any purpose
Of vetoing corrupt ordinances IL they
are also ordinances in which he or his
friends have an interest.
Mayor Swift is and has been more
culpable in the matter Of granting priyi-
leges to corporations without adequate
to the city than a whole
roll call Of corrupt aldermen. He signed
the ordinance for the elevated loon in
the south division. When Il was urged
upon him that he ought to insist at
least upon the incorporation Of clause
Tor compensation he refused. When at
tention was drawn to the insuficiency
of the consents he declined to consider
The matter. asserting that his man Fri
lay in the public works department
had acted and that was SUFFICIENT. He
permitted the Chicago City Railway
Company to carry trolley to the heart
'f the city and thought that for this
'atal innovation, the entering wedge
Tor trolleys upon every street of the
downtown district, few thousand DOL
airs was adequate compensation. The
mayor did veto the General Electric
'at the text Of that veto demonstrated
hat In the other matters he had sinned
Igainst Light, for every reason for veto
le should have advanced in the urevi-
'us cases. he set forth in his veto of l
he General Electric. He was. there /
ore, not ignorant Of the substantial | {
rounds on which the previous grants
ught to have been withheld. l.
An election in which Mr.. Hepburn
asses from the council to the assessor
hip OF the south town is not triumph {
or reform But it is a matter Of con-
that in the common conner, I
re TO be found such men as Mr.. Gum
her. Mr. Fitch. Mr.. Gazzolo. Mr.. NAV
ole. Mr.. kioibassa. Mr.. OMalley anal
II. Walker. some Of whom owe their
uccess to republican votes. for tbere