The San Francisco call., 1898-12-15
HARRISON AND
 kLTGELD ARE
 NOW AT OUTS Side Issues in the Chicago Scandal. BRIBERY CHARGES RENEWED YERKES AND THE Ex-GoVERN- OR MAKE STATEMENTS. Meanwhile the Aldermen Are Pre- pairing New Ordinances to Help
 Out the Traction Com
 panies.
YERKES AND THE GOVERN
 OR MAKE STATEMENTS.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


 CHICAGO, Dec. H-The franchise fight has been dragged into politics and public attention is being attracted from the efforts of the alleged bribers and boodlers among the street car magnates and Aldermen to loot the city to the contest for supremacy in the councils of Illinois Democracy, now being waged by the followers of Mayor Harrison and ex-Governor Alt geld.
 In a speech last night Altgeld said undoubtedly there was much truth in Yerkes' charge that the so-called trust newspapers had their price. He had it from good authority that the amounts demanded for the support of the fifty-year franchises were as fol- lows: Tribune, s150,000; Record, $100,000; Times -Herald $100, 900; Post, News and Journal, $50,000 each. The speech has created sensation. All the afternoon papers took up the matter and in inter- views Altgeld insisted the statement was true.
 T know the statement to be abso- lutely false," said Mayor Harrison, re- ferring to Altgelds remarks concern ing the newspapers. But, assuming it Is true, the traction companies can- not take up the proposition too quickly. It's dead cheap. If the street car com- panies can secure the support of the newspapers it is cheap at any price. They can then get any kind of an or dinance they want. Except for the as- sistance of the press the opposition to the Allen bill would be hopeless and the issue between the city and corporations would have been settled in favor of the 1N% I- IL of the publishers in this city to enter tain for moment the implication con- tained in the rumor repeated by Alt geld last night. I fought them for a long time, and I will say I would rather have them with me than against me. If the corporations think the news papers have prices they should hasten to close a deal"
 Joseph Medill, editor of the Tribune, would not discuss Altgeld's charge, ex- cept to say he was surprised that a man of AItgelds ability and standing would make so serious a charge on mere rumor. MessrS. Kohlsaat of the Times Herald and Post and Lawson of the Record and News refused to dis cuSS the matter at all.
 In a statement to the press tonight Yerkes reiterates the charges of black mail against the publishers of papers, and says further that those Aldermen who run all-night dives, policy shops, bedrooms and gambling-rooms-an there are several in the Council-were promised protection for their games if they voted against the traction ordi- nanceS.
 Mass meetings continue to be held in opposition to the franchise extension, but owing to the ltgeld-Harrison split the public is losing interest in the main question at issue. In the meantime the Council committees are at work fram- ing new ordinances to be introduced Monday night, and it would not be sur- prising if as a result of the diversion furnished by the politicians the trac- tion companies will slip through a measure giving all they hope for and probably all originally asked for.