The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-12
THE MOST DANGEROUS ENEMIES.

The chicago mes-Herald. in a recent is
sue, quotes the remark of Mr.. Yerl1es, the
leader in the conspiracy to obtain street.
railway franchises for fifty years for moth
ing. to the effect that in Europe that city
is stigmatized as 1.-The hotbed of Anarchy
and the home of lawlessness," and not only
makes an indignant denial, but goes on to
say:
The Anarchists of to-day are the men
VINO corrupt Legislatures and purchase al
oermen; Their attack upon our business,
political and social life is infinitely more to
be dreaded than the mouthings of Spies
Parsons and Lingg. 1t is an insidious SER
pent that wraps its coils about the cupidity
or men and deadens their consciences to the
prickings of honor and honesty. 1t be-
smears all public spirit with the slime of
selfishness and personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
There is a deal of truth in the foregoing,
but it is infinitely more evil that a sort of
sentiment pervades the masses that the
corruption of legislatures and city councils
is much moro general than it is. AS a mat
ter of fact, it is confined very largely to the
governments of the larger cities. There is
reason to believe that few of them arc en-
tirely exempt from such crimes against the
public welfare and the public morals. Not
the least of the demoralizing features of
the practice of bribery and corruption is
that the bribers are men who assume to
have standing in the community The Re
publican mayor of large city said that
many of the men behind the schemes to
obtain franchises in cities from aldermen
by bribery were those who are respected
in the community. In the present contest
in Chicago the man who is alleged to be
the leader j. ~"rTupting the last Legisla-
ture of Illinois 10 se,ilTe the passage OF the
Allen law. and who is row the head Of the
conspiracy to purchase rorty-six aldermen
has attached his name to a magnificent gift
to a STATE university rnder the cloak of
the highest rcspectabiity the leaders in the
Chicago 'st:eet-railway conspiracy have as
sailed the public conscience and made rep
resentative an. alderman in Chicago a
synonym for bribe-taker and thief Twccd
of New York, who stole millions. did not
pretend to be Il model citizen, and the cor
ruption he practiced was limited consc-
quently the influence of his offense upon
the public was limited. But in the Chicago
case it is different. The leader not only
poses as an exemplary and public-spirited
citizen but he is praised by educators of
Joung men With such an example it is no
wonder that many people sneer at public
morality and others find an excuse to be
dishonest in private as well as pubic mat
tiers. The example is as vicious and per-
nicious as it can be.
Briefly stated, the offense of the street.
railway magnates in Chicago is this: They
hold franchises which expire in from five
to fourteen years. Their properties are
two-thirds fictitious, but they propose to
force the people to make them bear full
value. They go to the Legislature with
bill authorizing the City Council to grant
franchises for fifty years. Early in the ses-
sion the measure would have been defeated,
but toward the last of a long session their
measure was carried against the protest of
the people by unparliamentary methods
Then these magnates, knowing that the
people as a whole opposed, went to
work to debauch two-thirds of a Board of
Aldermen made up largely of men of bad
repute, to the end that a franchise may be
obtained which will rob the people of Chi
cago of tens of millions of dollars in half
century. 1t has been ascertained that more
than a million of dollars has been put up
to bride forty-six aldermen to betray the
interests of the people of Chicago An in
dignant population has risen en- masse to
prevent this outrage. 1t is probable that a
few of those who have a fear of public in
dignation and of the infamy which an
aroused public will fix upon bribe-takers
and betrayers may refuse to be bought:
nevertheless, it is fact that a majority of
the sixty-nine aldermen are on record as
favoring the granting of the franchise.
In view of these facts it is not too much
to say that the men in this conspiracy to
debauch and rob are more dangerous to
good government and public and private
integrity than the Anarchists of Haymar-
ket square