Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-10-17
THE REASON CHfCAGO'S PROGRESS
IS OyE.SIDED.

taiued the following editorial on Mon.
day last:
"No nation. no community. no mn.
nicipaliy can achieve enduring great.
ness and prosperity through one-sld
ell development. he nation or the
city that can boast of progress In one
line only Is yet far from the goal for
which 1t should he striving.
The last twenty-five years In Chi
cago has been a period of unparalleled
commercial development. Rising from
the ashes of the great fire. the city
has grown and tlirivcd IN u business
way until 1t is to-day In that respect
the marvel of the world. Bu, how
Is II in other rcgardsI What improve
mcnt has there been In city govern.
ment over that of 1871 to correspond
In any degree with the tremendous in
crease of business prosperity IN the
same period! In fact. while men of
ability have been laDoring to build NJ
the city commercially has not the con-
duct of business affairs of this mn.
nicipality In some RESPECTS been grow
Ing worse! What has been done for
art aud literature. What has been
done to encourage Il love for learning
ar 10 stimulate desire for success In
any other line than that of buslncssf
Wha; great movements have been III
auguratcd for philanthropy ana r..
| form and the improvement, of the con.
lii.on OF those who toll!
THE last quarter of century will
be- known In Chicago rs Il period of
commercial and material advance.
mcnt. The Loas, must bc Of busincss
success. and little else. for there has
been In no other line progress conmcn-
suraic with the commercial develop
men, of the city. The men who have
made Chicago famous during this pc
Rod have been men known and adj
mircd for their ability ~ masters Of
commerce and industry. What names
has Chicago given to politics. for In.
stance. that would compare with tho
names of Marshall Field and Philip
Armour In the business worldy And
yet Chicago should develop not only
statesmen. bur leaders In other lines
n well. \ review of Chicago cover
ing the last twenty-five years mus,
show that It's progress has been one.
sided. All other considerations have
been made subordinate to the desire
for business supremacy. But great.
ness does not consist In uncXampled
progress In one line simply. Progress
Of the whole must bc retarded by slug.
| al I'm linz 4
ness prosperity must bc hampcrcd by
backwar,lncss In other respects. cspc.
cially by lnciiic.ency or corruption In
government.
There are hopeful signs that the
close of another quarter of u century
will lind Chicago rs noted for its ne.
tivitirs In other lines ms It Inns been In
business. Material prosperity In the
basis Of the higher activities. and In
tina, resp"c, Chicago II fitted for great
strides. Already the intellect aud On.
crgy Of ChicagO's citizens nre hcing
directed 10 the subject of municipal
reform ns never before, with the result
that evils are recedng before the at'
tack. The spells system has given plnc,
|
changes equally important seem like
~ to follow. In the parks of the city
there II manifested u love for the beau
tifui. The Art Institute presnges tn
growth of n love for art. The cree
ton of u magnificent public library
paid for by taxation ana the cndOw
ment Of libraries by private munili
cence mark the beginning Of II new
eiT In the intellectual life of the city
M does also the growth of universities
and schools. The Field Columbian
Museum, the Armour Institute and til,
Lewis Institute are evidences that til,
wealthy men of the present are paw
ing the way for the higher life of tn
city In the future. The Indications ar,
many thar change IL coming over til,
spirit of the people of Chicago, an,
that the next quarter of century vii
see rapid development along lines tina
have been more or less neglected dur
ing the last twenty-five years, In whicl
the desire for business success ha
been allowed to dominate to the TX
clusiOn of other things"
| ne fcuSoIi WHY tIeTe " IN MiTSNui
Field or Phil Armour In Chicago poll
ties, Mr.. Record. Is that they are dom;
pretty well In their own branch of tn
commercial world.
II they could make more money II
politics they would be In politics, move
fear.
American politics Is hut brancn %
commercial life.
Men enter the City Council to get rlc'
hot on So u session, but on the bribe
they can obtain.
1t Is the same thing with the Stat
Legislature.
There Is some patriotism anon;
American voters, but none nioa,
American Aldermen or Legislators.
When men can make n good thin,
ont of legitimate commerce. they hest
tate about taking any chances In poll;
ical commerce.
One Of the reasons why Chicago ha
not progressed rs n municipality. Il
because Mr.. Marshall Field Is payin:
taxes on the same amount of persona
property in 1896 that he paid taxes ol
in 1871.