Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-12-31
/61el0

The feeling of Indignation over the
matter ON the Board of Trade still
knows no bounds.
\ local detective agency. which has
been at work ON the matter. has se-
cured. evidence suiiiclen, to send three
men to the peniientiary sure. and prob
ably two others.
The Eagle has secured atiidavits
from several members of the Legisla.
ture directly involving well-known
Chicagoans who were In Springfield
and who bought up that body for the
elevator bill.
Twelve other ailidavits are in the
hands of responsible parties. and
things will soon be ripe for action.
\ big fund will be raised ON the
Board of Trade to prosecute the bood-
lers. and along about spring we will
lose few of our prominent citizens.
whose ability rs lobbyists has gotten
them into trouble.
Several copies of the report of the
Board of Trade Committee of 1897.
with reference to- the warehouse bill.
are eXtant. The report i scathing In
its tone and language and will prove
OF great value To a legislative investi-
gatiDg committee when appointed.
One of the big Chicago daily papers.
speaking of the matter after the Leg.
islature adjourned. In showing the
temper of the Board of Trade in rcla-
ton 10 the bill. said:
AT the weekly meeting of the III.
rcctors of the Board of Trade ycstcr.
day afternoon. the report of the legis.
lativc committee sent to Springfield to
aid In stopping the passage of the
warehouse bill. which was made u law
by the recent Legislature, was adopt.
cd. The report. which consisted Of
twenty iypewrlttcn pages. and took
nearly an hour to read. teens with
hard words about the legislators at
Springfield.
80 dlsgusted We're the representa-.
tlves of the Board of Trade that they
return. they say. Thoroughly con-
vinced that we are US nation per-
mltting and tolcratlng practices In our
legislative bodies that mean the end
Of all things American The Board
of Trade men do NOT hesitate to say
In their report, that the Legislature ut
Springfield IL disgrace to the State.
The report praises the few honest Rep.
resentatlves. but says the great ma.
jorlty is hoplessly and helplessly bound
by Individual Interests ana party
abuses
"'When your committee first reached
Springfield says the report. 1T found
the sentiment Of both houses strongly
opposed 10 the warehouse bill. An Of.
fort to bring up the bill April 20 result.
ed In 4 miserable failure. However,
May 3, lawyer, known 10 rep.
resent the Armour interests. appeared
on the ground. Sentiment changed
rapidly as the result OF snort inter.
views between this person and var.
i0us Senator's
While not openly accusing the mem.
bers Of the Legislature OF accepting
bribes. the report from beginning to
end hints and insinuates that such
was the case.
1t denounces strongly those members
who pose before the public as opposing
Yerkes. in the following words:
Another hypocrltlcal class which
deserves all the censure that an out
ragged community can bestOw upon
them are the popular set members OF
the Legislature, who pose as being op
posed 10 Acrkes and his street cal
lines" The reason fer this attack I,
found when the report says these mer
refused TO aid In defeating the ware
house bill. IL then tells the directors
that the Board OF Trade as an lnstlsu
ton is dsllked I. Springfield.
The report closes by saying, "and thi
Is free country"
\ fine certified copy of the report o
the Board of Trade Committee on tn
elevator bill j. In the hands Of q re
spOnsiblr party and j. easily acccssi
BILE. Several copies OF the report war
made and legislative inves,lgatin
committee can easily obtain one.
\ leading and prominent member o
the Fortleth General Assembly, VIII
made n good record, and Is known L
be an honest man, said recently: !
the next Legislature decides TO investi
sdlt lHe EUInoIS TeldlINe 10 lue tlt
vator bill, it Will probably summo
some of the following prominent Cit
Zens 10 tell what they know about tn
elevator b!ll, anyway. what II is, VIII
II was passed, and what was done I
secure Us passage:
Charles II. Crawford
Charles Counselman,
George +. Marcy,
J.. ID. Armour,
Armour Il Company,
Lloyd j. Smith,
Charles f.. Hin,
J.. .. Goddard.
Free l.. Morris,
Charles \. Allen,
James Branen,
J.. II. Weare,
W. H. Harper,
John T.. Thomas,
Louis T.. Perrottct,
George j. Brine,
Frank Murdoch,
DelOs W. Baxter,
Wm. II. Northcott,
David r. Littlcr,
Isaac B. Craig,
j.. T. Chapman,
Caleb &. Johnson,
l. T. Eumsey,