Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-05-22

doubt that the buslncss OF the city OF
Chicago IL extremely dull at the pres
cnt time. We have more men out Of
employment than we have ever had at
, this seasOn Of the year.
"rliere have been bills before this
Legislature for the Improvement Of the
conditions Of The street car cOilppani
which have been treated In a most JR.
| cullar manner. to shy the least. The
amount Of ignorance that has been dis.
played In speaking of those bills has
been really remarkable. have been In
communication with great many peO-
pie since those bills were introduced
into che Legislature. and I can safely
| say that there has not been u single
man. even Ut my own people. who fully
understood those bills and also the re-.
lations Of the street railroads to them.
Now that seems like a very singular
d remark coming fiVin me in rcgarl to
some of my colleagues. but It appears
THAT the street rTlltOnd business and
he legislation required In regard TO It
is almost beyond peoples understand.
ing. II that II the case. how foolish Il
Is for people In authority to undertake
to crlticise where they know nothing
about the subject that they are criti.
cislng.
1.-THE amount of animosity that has
been cngendere,l since the Introduction
Of these bills II nlsO remarkable, but Il
has been done by people who have IN.
denvorsl the hest they could to preju.
dice peoples minds against them. The
reason why that hns been done do not
choose TO enter into n discussion ". hut
we all know that II has been done.
I'VE know we have had scenes on
the floor Of this Legislature that we
have never seen enacted before. We
have had people come down here ami
threaten members Of the Legislature
with all kinds Of dire vengeance In
case they voted for those bills. We
have had people come on the floor Of
the House and there threaten members
with what would happen In case they
voted for those bills. Now. when you
get u community in that condition you
need not expect prosperity. you need
not expect common sense to rule. You
need not expect any good results to
come from the actions Of people who
behave In that manner.
IN ClIlcngo. fortunately. there II I've.
ginning 20 In u considerable rev,lslOn
Of feeling. The people who have bccr,
d'iped arr beginning to see the manner
In which they have been du,,cd. and I
Know some gentlemen who voted
against the striking out Of the enact.
Ing clause Of these bills have been
taken by the hantl. strange ~ Il may
seem. and congratulated to think TINT
they would staiSl up nnd fight for their
convictions and not be driven by PEG.
pie who have always been against this
thing from motives best known to
themselves.
NOW we have come to u time when
think something should be done. AZ
far ~ tho killing Of the Humphrey bills
IL concerned. I how In humble submits.
sion to the decree Of the Legislature.
ami did not Intend 10 ,lO another
thing or TO Mt any hand. hut I was
prevailed upon by people connected Will,
N,,r railroad companies. connected with,
tho large institutions Of our State, to
come down here AMI make another Of.
fort. and that n the reason I am here.
II have nlsO been talked to with ~.
gard to modified bills. ana while I do
not lNlleve in modifying anything la
these Humphrey bills. sO.t1,llssl. yet I
nm willing to accept some inNlifcr,.
lions. At the same tlne I believe Il II
u mistake to modify them In any man.
nor.
ut ans been suggested that nifty
years was too long for the extension Of
tho grant Of the franchise. II hns MlsO
been suggested that the amount Of the
consideration was not sufficient: also
that the length OF time that the railroad
companies werr to get Scent fare
was excessive. Now. let us sce where
those things carry III.
IN tho .Oltlen days. when we had
nOthlng hut horse cur lines. u twenty.
year franchise was considered fair. In
those days long leases were Tor twenty
years. You could not find. ut the brenk.
Ing out Of the war. bond that extend.
ed over twenty years. remember well
that the 1910 bonds were issued by
the Government, AMI II was asked.
How eau yOu make a bond az big ~
tllnt. with seventy-elght coupons Oh II?
The bond was made. and It was about
~ b!g az tho side III u newspaper. hut
II went. After while things began to
get more stable. More money was In.
vested. II was found necessary to
make bonds for longer time. until
now bonds are made for 100 years. and
very properly M.
Everything In this country II get
ting 10 bc more permanent. Years ago
our steam railroads were satisfied with
wooden bridges. Then they wanted
Iron. Now they want stone. ana those
stone bridges will last for centuries.
We lind In Italy to-day stone bridges
that are 1000 years old. The railroads
In this country are to-day building
bridges that will lust for centuries and
centuries. ana the time when wooden
bridges were built will be looked down
upon as u Wild sort Of IN age. and they
will wonder how 1t was that We ever
got along with anything else.
Charters ought to be made perma-
ncnt. What would he the use OF steam
| railroads building stone bridges if It
was not thought they would have their
charters In perpetuIty! suppose they
| Ind them for fifty ypnrs ar 100 ven IL ?