Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-10-21

An address has been issued for wide |
circulation in this State, giving views
of the citizens committee which |
fought the Allen bill and the gas bills
before the Fortieth General Assembly
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 rs
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 We're not party
measures. The members who focked
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. We're 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 publlc-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 mem.
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 slnned
against great light. and they have no
cloak for their sin.
The !nquitous 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 at the dictation 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 by
the different gas companies for these
purposes, and without which they
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 thus
reversed and betrayed by recreant
members OF the Legislature. Let the
people not forget by their fruits shall
We know them"
II may we'll be that some of those
whose names follow We're 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 then
were even not aware of the influences
at work to secure support for thest
bills. These guileless innocents, II any
such there be, ought to be kept a
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
PRED are given in the first list Of Sena
tors. The names Of those whose terms
expire In 1900 are given farther on:
1-P. V. Fitzpatrick, r., Chicago
Cook.
sc. II. Crawford, r., Chicago Cook
John Humphrey, r., Orland, Cook
Own. j. O'Brien, D., Chicago, Cook
Hired Lundln, r., Chicago, Cook.
III. J. Morrison, r., Chicago, Cook
l7-Edward j. Dwyer, r., Chicago
Cook.
&c. NJ. Netterstrom, r., Chicago
Cook.
23-Dan ID. Hunt, r., DcKalb, DeKalh
Sd. T, Litter, r., Springfield, San
canon. r.
AIR. l.. McKlnlay, D., Paris, Edgar
45-H. Il. K!ugsbury, H., Olney, Rich
land.
AID. X. Sparks, r., Alton, Madison
43-J. a. Willoughby. r., Belleyille, 81
Clair.
5l-P. T. Chapman, r., Vienna, John
son.
These Senator's all voted for the ga
bill except Messrs, Kingsbury, VIII
oughby and Chapman. Sparks vote
for the frontage and against the con
soldation features OF that measure.
The following Senators, whose term
expire in 1900, voted for the infamou
gas bills;
4-Danlcl +. Curley, D., Chicago, Cool
G-Wm. sullivan, r., Chicago, Cook.
s-Flavel X. Granger, r., McIIenr!
McHcnry.
l0-De!os W. Baxter, r., Rochell,
Ogle.