Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-09-16

clique wnlcn n0O IOr ltS paramount OD-
ject the safeguarding of the interests
Of the Gas Trust, the meat combine,
and the railroad and sleeping car com.
panies.
1t was doubly direful In its effects
from the fact that there was just then
n red.hot municipal campaign In prog.
ress In Chicago, and municipal owner.
ship was one Of the burning questions
in that campaign.
Mr.. McGoorty and his large Demo-
cratic following in the House were the
acknowledged representatives Of the
Harrison administration in the Legisla.
ture. The introduction Of the bill
showed that Mayor Harrison was
practical worker In the field Of munici.
pal ownership. 1t was eminently calcu.
lated not only to take the wind out Of
the sails Of the Republican stalking
horse-Altgeld-but 1t was a measure
SO popular with the general public that
the Republican Legislature ut Spring.
field dare not 60 on record us being op-
posed to 1t.
A representative Of the Gas Trust,
man delegated by the corporation lob.
byist, who worked the wires ut the
Chicago end, promptly made his mp
pearancc at the State Capitol.
He became exceedingly busy, consult.
Ing hourly with tho members Of the
Senate syndicate.
1t was agreed on all sides that II
would never do for the Speaker to kill
this measure with the gavel. Neither
would It do to try to shelve It or choke
It OF In committee, for McGoOrty was
not the man to stand that sort Of non.
sense.
1t was this measure and these cOnsld'
crations that first created the necessity
for the hiring Of the outer circle In the
Senate. The "cheap skate" Senators
as the members Of the outer circle were
called, devoutly thanked their stars fol-
the Introduction Of the McGoorty bill
as they regarded 1t as the first meas
urc that dlsarranged the plans Of the
syndicate to such an extent as to rem
der outside assistance necessary. The
s. 900 apiece for the cheap skates
might never have been Forthcoming
were 1t not for this formidable meas
ure; ut least that was the belief then
and 1t continues to be so In the minds
Of most of the outsiders up to date.
After much cogitation and many con
ferences and consultations, 1t was de
clded that the exigencies Of the Chi
cagO election demanded the passage OF
the bill through the House. The plar
after that was to kill the bill In thu
Senate as soon rs the election was over
This program was adhered to almost
to the letter.
McGOorty forced the bill through thu
House. The Republican clique In thai
chamber did not offer much opposition
They dared not; SO 1t was passed by
the lower chamber. But when 1t 60
over to the Senate It was relegated Il
the Committee on Municipal Corpora
lions. In that body i was quietly ant
effectually smothered.
1t was sent back with the recOmmen
dalton that 1t lie on the table, and Il
was laid on the table, and It lies there
yet.
This bill would have been, II passed
one of the most useful measures for thu
citizens of Chicago that was ever intro
duced In an Illinois Legislature. i
would have saved the taxpayers Of Chi
cagO thousands upon thousands Of dol
lars; 1t would have served to provide
fund whereby the streets could hav'
been cleaned, the pavements kept II
good order. ana the sidewalks put II
decent condition.
The trouble was, however, that l
would have diverted hundreds Of thou
sands cf dollars annually from the cot
fcrs of the greedy Chicago Gas Trust.
For that reason 1t was doomed t
death, For that reason 1t was done t
death by the infamous Senatorial syn
dictate, which got fabulous sum O
money for protecting the trusts ant
monopolies of Illinois, and the Quite
circle of Senators who got $4,000 eacl
for betrayng the rights of the peOpl
and crawling on their bellies before tn
corporations Of this State.
Recently The Eagle detailed no,
and when these latter got their wage
of infamy. Later 1t will tell WHERl
the money was paid, and Mt the prope
time and to the proper official 1t will
tell BY WHOM 1t was paid.
1t is in a position to trace the corrur
ton fund from the very Golfers of tn
corporations to the hands of the vet
eran member Of the Senate who dishe'
out most Of It to his coparceners.
The Eagle can also designate the vel
cran member Of the House who handle,
out the coin to the select clique In tina
chamber. This man Is an adept In tn
work, but he has not been careful II
covering up his tracks Of late.
In his old days he has become greed
and avarlclOus. He held out on tn
boys last time, and there Is hue an
cry against him all over the State. Tn
Eagle has the statements of half
dozen Cook County members VIII