The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-14
Two Governors.

The recent action of Governor Tan
ner of Illinois in signing a sweeping
street railway bill which virtually
gives the streets of Chicago in fee
simple to the Yerkes Traction syndi-
cate for fifty years, has elected anoth-
er characteristic bugle blast of alarm
from Governor Pingree of Michigan.
The executive of the Wolverine state
wastes no fraternal courtesy; he pro-
nounces his fellow-executive's act "one
of the most disgraceful in the history
of our American government" and
continues:
Now, whom shall we blame for such
dlsgraceful legislation? l tell you it is as
Alderman Harman says, 1--WE ought to
Place the responsibility for the boodlfng
of legislatures right where 1t belongs, on
what we call the leading citizens" He
calls them professional citizens" 1t is
certainly a lamentable condition Of things
when notorious boodlers are taken INTO
what is called the best society and are
lioniZed by what are known as the re-
spectacle element-the element whose
brains and money ought to be used to ac-
complish better ends than inducing cor
rupt legislatures to sell the rights of the
pee PIE II tnlS were a IldllST VI dDotlaSl
discussion IL would be Of little conse-
quence but in the city of Chicago thou
sands of people are suffering for the or
binary necessities of life, while those who
are supposed to protect their interests are
selling them out as heartlessly as though
human liberty and life were mere COM
modify. 1 tell you that it won't do to sit
down and try to gloss over these things.
Campaign speeches and Fourth OF July
orations will never replace the millions
that corrupt legislatures take from the
pockets of the people and hand over 10
corporate highwaymen. Today we need
something more than talk We. need
plain, vigorous action. ! know that men
are called anarchists for pointing out
these conditions; but let me say this to
you the best patriots are not the men
who are blind to abuses such as those
practiced by the Illinois governor and
legislature. The men who Rave the
country's interest at heart are those who
see these abuses, and, seeing them, try
to apply the proper remedy. I believe
that IL all the patriotic citizens would dc
this, such disgraceful legislation as that
recently enacted in Illinois would be
outside the range of possibilities.
1t must be admitted that in this diff
erence of executive opinions Governor
Pingree has the popular side. Nor is HI
a man whose words stand unsupported
There is, however, another side to th'
equation. The boodling of councils anC
legislatures by corporations has not al
ways been undertaken from choice
| Sometimes it has been presented t.
corporation managements as the onl!
alternative against legislative spolia
| ton We cannot think so i'll of tn
Yerkeses of the county as to imagin
that they would not welcome a stat
of public morals which would reliev
them of the necessity for maintaining
subsidizing departments. The onl,
way to clean the evil out is to go at /
vigorously all along the line. The pub
lie can have honest government when
ever it will, in vigilance, toll and con
certed action, pay the price.
The Hon. John Leisenring, Of Lu