Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-12-16

An address has been issued Tor WIue :
circulation in this State. giving views
OF the citizens committee which
fought the Allen bill and the gas bills
before the Fortleth General Assembly I
at Springfield last year. 1t calls on the :
voters TO defeat the men who may seek
reelection to the Legislature in spite
OF their records on bad measures. The
address Is signed by the President and
Secretary of the committee, and is as
follows:
To the voters of Illinois:
Two VIGOROUSLY bad laws passed by
the Fortieth General Assembly of llli-
pois az the regular session stand out In
glaring relief. They were not party
measures. The members who fiocked
to their support were not induced to do
so by any fealty which they owed. nor
by any pledges which they had given.
None such. at least. were known to
their constituents. No party dared to
assume responsibility for these laws.
No public interest demanded them.
The extraordinary privileges which
they conferred We're given by the Leg
is,ature solely in response to the de-
mands of corporate greed and rapacity.
The influences which induced the men,
beers to forget their duty to their con-
sti,ueuts and to the State must have
been most potent and persuasive.
These bills We're not passed without |
sufficient opportunity to know their
character. The public press had rung
for months with warnings and expos
;u,ations. Committee after committee
OF public.spirlted citizens, with no mo.
tive save to protect the public from
piunder and the State from disgrace,
by public meetings. by printed pam
phlets and by arguments to the men,
beers themselves ut Springfield ana ut
home. had exposed the revolutionary
and destructive character of the street
railway and gas bills. Nay. more than
that. when the street railway dis
first came to the House Of Represen.
tatives the enacting clause was strick-
en- out by an overwhelming majority
and the enemies of the people were
routed and temporarily driven to COW
or. Those who voted for these meas
ures on their final passage sinned
against great light, and they have no
cloak for their sin.
The inluultous gas bill provided for
the wholesale consolidation OF the gas
companies and gas business In any
city in the State. This bill was with
out shadow of justification or excuse,
and none was even pretended. 1t was
passed solely ut the dlctation Of the gas
trust. 1t definitely abrogated all provl.
s!ons which had been made to secure
competition and protect the rights OF
the people.
The most solemn pledges given by
the different gas companies FOR these
purposes, and without which they
could never have obtained the prlvil-
eyes accorded them. have been impu-
dent.y broken by them under the shell
ter of this wicked and corrupt law.
The settled and uniform policy OF Hi
nois TO prevent and punish comblna-
tons against public interest was thus
reversed and betrayed by recreant
members Of the Legislature. Let the
people not forget by their fruits shall
ye know them"
1t may well be that some OF those
whose names follow were guiltless OF
corrupt motive In the votes they cast,
but they are found in the very worst
company and in extremely suspicious
circumstances. Possibly some OF them
we're even not aware Of the influences
ut work to secure support for these
bills. These guileless innocents, IL any
such there be. ought to be kept NJ
home o. nights by their friends fol
their own safety.
The Senators whose names, postOf
fees and districts are given below
voted for the Allen bill upon Its tina
passage. Those whose terms have ex
plred are given in the first list OF Sena
tors. The names OF those whose terms
expire in 1900 are given farther on:
l-P. V. Fitzpatrick, r., Chicago
Cook.
SC. II. Crawford, r.. Chicago, Cook
7-John Humphrey, r., Orland, Cook
OWN. j. O'Brlen, D., Chicago, Cook
ll-Fred Lundin, r., Chicago, Cook.
15-J. J. Morrison, r., Chicago, Cook
1T-Edward J. Dwyer, r., Chicago
Cook.
&c. NJ. Netterstrom, r., Chicago
Cook.
29-Dan ID. Hunt, r., DeKalb, DeKalh
SD. I. Litter, r., Springfield, San
Canon.
Abr. l.. McKlnlay, D., Paris, Edgar
45-H. Il. Klngsbury, r., Olney, Rich
land.
47-D. II. Sparks, r., Alton, Madison
al. A. WillOughby, r., Bellev!lle, 81
Clair.
5l-P. T. Chapman, r., Vienna, John
son.
These Senators all voted for the ga
bill except Messrs. Kingsbury, vii
oughby and Chapman. Sparks vote
for the frontage and against the col
solldation features Of that measure.
The following Senators, whose term
expire in 1900, voted for the infamou
gas bills:
4-Danlel +. Curley, D., Chicago, Cool
G-Wm. sullivan, r., Chicago, Cook.
s-Flayel X. Granger, r., McHenr.
McHenry.
l0-De.os w. Baxter, r., Rochell
Og.e.