The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-11
Tribune Says AItgeld is a Bet
ter Man
Than Tanner, And Would Have
Lost His Hand, Rather
THAN SIGN ALLEN BILL
Legislature Was Bribed to Vote
for the Bill.
InsinuatfOn That Tanner is
Also Smirched.

Chicago, June 1.-THE entire press of
the city without exception denounces
Governor Tanner, the newly elected
Republican governor in fiery terms, for
signing the Allen bill which grants to
the Yerl1es monopoly the right of run
ming street cars in Chicago for so years
and charging cents per passenger.
The Tribune is particularly bitter. It
says editOrially:
Governor Tanner has done some
thing which, on his Inauguration day,
no one would have deemed possible. He
has made ChicagOanS deplOTe the defeat
even of Altgeld as a choice of evils.
Violent, revolutionary as he was, and
shady in his official actions as he was
he never would have signed the Allen
bill; he would rather have lost his right
hand. Any other man who ever held
the office of governor of Illinois would
have vetoed the Allen bill without hes
itatiOn. Altgeld two years ago vetoed
street railroad measures which We're
not One-tenth part as offensive as the
Allen bill which this legislature has
cOrruptly passed. He was not afraid
to give his reasons for doing so. Gov
ernor Tanner has signed the rascally
Allen bill in defiance of the protests of
the whole mass of the people of Chi
cagO, but has not Ventured as yet to
give his reasons for doing So If he has
any he dare exhibit to the light.
1.-The only approach to an excuse for
a reason is to be found in the COVER
on Tuesday. Said the latter: This bill
was passed by bribery. The governor
cannot fail to know it, Then the gov
ernor, seemingly indignant, replied as
follows:
Governor Tanner do not care,
Mr.. Harlan, to hear anything further
from you on this subject. L will not
permit you to finish. You charge that L
know that these bills We're passed by
bribery. Until you retract that you can
talk no further.
Il do not know it, Mr. Harlan
do not like to have you charge that here
I think the man that charges that the
bill was passed by bribery Should be
prepared to prove it.
Ibid the governor sign the Allen bill
simply and solely because he did not
know that 10 members were heavily
bribed to vote for it?
THE governor is no legislative ne
Ophite or unsOphiSticated spring chick
en-. He served in the senate for some
years. He learned there that members
do not vote for rich, grasping corpora
ton bills for the lone love of them or
because they wanted to harm the peo-
pie of a city, county or a section He
learned from observation that, while
memeb brs may be Influenced to vote
for good measures by party or other
motives the one which chiefly actuateS
them when they vote for bad bills is the
love of unlawful gain. In other words,
they succumb to bribery; they are
bought.
The governor knows in every sense OF
the word, if he is not an idiot, that the
Allen bill is swindle and robbery Of
the people of Chicago. He must be full
ly aware in his heart that it was passed
by boOdlers in the legislature SO as to
enable the street railroad companies
to traffic with boodlers in the city coun-
ell to cheat the citizens of Chicago out
of millions rightfuliy theirs for the use
of their streets. He can see them al
ready preparing to meet the bribers for
the aldermen if he chooses to look.
Governor Tanner stood at the part
ing of the ways. He could have taken
the right road, offended Yerkes and his
gang of stock gamblers, and made two
million people his friends for life. He
preferred to take the wrong road and
make Yerlzes his companion hereafter.
He has made his choice of friends
deliberately. Let him accept the cOnse-
quences uncomplainingIy. He can do
no more harm to Chicagoans than he
has done. Their turn will come. They
see in him the avowed enemy, whose
political extinction will be one of their
future aims. They will meet him. at
PhiIippi'
There will be no senatorial term for
him. There will be no gubernatoria1
reelection. His career will close when
he leaves an office he has disgraced to
step down among the people he has
o11fra pa6 -