Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-11-04

An address has been issued for wide |
in this State, giving views
of the citizens committee which
fought the Allen bill and the gas bills
before the Fortieth General Assembly
mt 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 os
follows:
To the voters of Illinois:
Two VIGOROUSLY bad laws passed by
the Fortieth General Assembly of ILL
nois at the regular session stand out In
glaring relief. They were not party
measures. The members who hocked
20 their support were not induced to do
SO by any fealty which they owed. nor
by any pledges which they had given.
None such. ut 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 were given by the Leg
islature solely in response to the de-
mands Of corporate greed and rapacity.
The influences which induced the men,
bers to forget their duty to their con.
stituents and to the State must have
been most potent and persuasive.
These bills were not passed without
sufficient opportunity TO know their
character. The public press had rung
for months with warnings and expos
tulations. Committee after committee
Of public-spirited citizens, with no mo-
tive save to protect the public from
plumber and the State from disgrace.
by public meetings, by printed pam
phlets and by arguments to the men,
bers themselves ut Springfield and ut
home, had exposed the revolutionary
and destructive character Of the street
railway and gas bills. Nay. more than
that, when the street railway bills
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 Gov.
er. Those who voted for these meas
ures ON their final passage sinned
against great light, and they have no
cloak for their sin.
The iniquitous 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 mt the dictatlon OF the gas
trust. 1t definitely abrogated all provi
sions which had been made to secure
competition and protect the rights OF
the people.
The most solemn pledges given b!
the different gas companies for thes'
purposes, and without which the!
could never have obtained the privil
eyes accorded them, have been impu
IDENTIFY broken by them under the shell
ter OF this wicked and corrupt law
The settled and uniform policy of I'LL
nois to prevent and punish combina
tons against public interest was thu
reversed and betrayed by recrean
members Of the Legislature. Let tn
people not forget by their fruits shat
We know them"
1t may we'll be that some OF thos
whose names follow We're guiltless
corrupt motive in the votes they cas-
but they are found in the very wOrs
company and In extremely suspicion
circumstances. Possibly some OF theI
were even not aware OF the influence
ut work to secure support for thes
bills. These guileless innocents, IL an
such there be, ought to be kept q
home O. nights by their friends ft
their own safety.
The Senators whose names, posto
fees and districts are given belo
voted for the Allen bill upon its TIM
passage. Those whose terms have e.
PRED are given in the first list OF Sem
tors. The names of those whose tern
expire In 1900 are given farther on:
1-P. V. Fitzpatrick, r., Chicag
Cook.
&c. II. Crawford, r., Chicago, Coo
John Humphrey, r., Orlapd, Coo
Own. j. O'Brien, D., Chicago, Coo
1l-Fred Lundin, r., Chicago, Cook.
Isl. ]. Morrison, r., Chicago, Coo
awkward J. Dwyer, r., Chicag
Cook.
&c. NJ. Netterstrom, r., Chicae
Cook.
23-Dan ID. Hunt, r., Dekalb, Dekal
Sd. Il. Littler, r., Springfield, Sa
CANON.
AR. l.. McKinlay, D., Paris, Edgf
45-H. Il. Kingsbury, r., Olney, Ric
land.
AID. II. Sparks, r., Alton, MadlsO
40. A. Willoughby, r., Bellevllle,
Clair.
5l-P. Il. Chapman, r., Vienna, job
son.
These Senators all voted for the g
bill except Messrs. Kingsbury, W!
Oughby and Chapman. Sparks vot
for the frontage and against the &C
sOlldatIon features Of that measure.
The following Senators, whose teri
expire in 1900, voted for the infamo
gas bills:
4-DanielF. Curley, D., Chicago, CO..
G-Wm. sullivan, H., Chicago, Cook
S-Flavel X. Granger, r., McHen
McHenry.
10-Delos W. Baxter, r., Roche