The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-12-16
CHICAGO EXCITED.
Over the Street Car Franchise PrOpO.
sitiOn.
They Charge Their City Council with
Being Corrupt, and Threaten Some
of Them with the Rope.

CHICAGO, Dec. u i asked prom
inent Democrat, of national reputa-
ton, the other day, how he sized
up the last election and what the
prospects are for 1900 II reply ran
something like this: There is a
good deal TO be learned from the
last election. Had the Democrats
made vigorous and aggressive fight |
on the financial question; shown
that the present system is cOntiscat-
ing the property of the people; all
the national leaders taken the field |
and spoken and acted as men do
when they feel that national exist
ence and self respect is at stake. the
Democratic party would have risen
in its majesty and polled very nearly
the vote of 1895, and would have
been victorious"
But" he continued, 1.-The leaders
were silent and it was an open secret
that campaign committees were do
ing little or nothing toward pushing
the issue of 1896. This begot distrust
among the silver Republicans and
Populists and sincere silver Demo-
Gratis, who are Democrats solely from
principle. The great victories OF
Jefferson and Jackson in the leader
ship of the Democratic party was by
firm adherence to principle AMI that
aggressiveness that won for them
the undying devotion OF the people.
When democratic leaders shirk
principle, let vital national questions
trail in the dust, and cOwardly dodge
by taking up local issues as "A substi-
tute for the broader and graver
questions, they have always lost
prestige with the people"
That is the lesson" he said, "we
should study as reflected in the last
election"
Some further information he gave
me is, according to his statement,
that gold Democrats were the prih-
cipal contributors 10 the state and
local campaign committees, and this
gave them a pull that dictated d
milk and water policy" The advice
this man gives is that the silver
Republicans and PUpulists should
come into the Democratic party anc
,, help to bold it true to principle.
', The three ring circus" he said
is not the practical thing in poll
tics. We need Towne, Teller, Allel
and other such characters, after thu
pattern Of Lincoln, in the next Dem
, Ocratic National Convention, TO as
sist in throwing the corporation at
tOrney and other agents Of Belize
. bub out Of the party"
80
5 met Hon. f. r, Ridgely as h
: went through here Oh his way I
j. Washington. Rdgely is the onl,
II Democratic or fusion congressma
g elected from Kansas. | asked hin
d how lie accounted for the loss in hi
k state, and he said it was due partl
to lack of cohesion between the tu
d sion parties, partly to "a want {
. aggressiveness and mainly to tn
is perfect organization of the othe
d side. Ridgely is thorough man {
rs the people, with a level head an
ir can be absolutely trusted.
1r ***
u Chicago is now all shaken up ov,
- the street car fight. An ordinanC
- is before the city council to eXter
o' for fifty years the charter OF tt
whole street car system of this eli.
- carrying with it, if passed, fly
80 cent fare and practically no cOnce
III sions to the city. A majority of tt
. council is said to be corrupt, and I
y a monied consideration are with Il
~ street car companies. The princip
10 stockholder in the traction compa
2" les is man by the name of 1erkt
!, whose wife recently bought a 500
u bedstead and fitted up bath roo
= in onyx at an expense of seven
ne eight thousand dollars more.
IL This fight over the extension
vi the street car franchises began
We wear ago, when the ALLEN bill' W
5s- before the legislature that conferr
III the authority on the city coun
oy that is now about to be exercise
II 1t was at that time that Herl
az bought the Inter Ocean, one of
la leading daily papers, and has US
III it to bolster up his cause. All
- other papers are against 1.-THE stea
10. and are bitter against the prOpO
'el ton to extend the franchises
up fifty years as is proposed by the
ol dinance. The fight is now at VIII
heat, and maSS-meetlngs are De
ier held all over the city depounc
loI Yerkes and corruption in the c
lnu council. In fact little else Is tall
ule or thought Of, and everywhere ,
hears the question: "Will the co
leu Gil dare to pass the ordnance"
as And yet little do these excl
nus people know that they are be
robbed annually, by decline in va
of their property and services,
die more than Yerkes will rob the n
Sew ten years if he gets all he asks
re-" They cannot understand the Ell
its of a law that silently oonhscl
pain their homes and transfers the
nale to the money dealers, but they
ateI understand that street car fl
LIZA liza have not declined with everytt
bis else, and they propose to b
". Yerkes and few councilmen