Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-03-18
Altgeld Never Gave to Germau.American
an Office with Patronage
to It.
And the Poor Little Jobs that He Did
Give Them No One
Sought.

John T.. Altgcld. the anarchistic and
communistic chronic otfice.hunter. and
candidate for Mayor. resorted to the
last expedient of demagogue Feb.
ruary "a when he uncovered the nau.
seating head and viper.like makeup of
race hatred.
BY attempting to arouse the feelings
OF the Germans against the other IN.
tionalities which make up Chicagos
cosmopolitan population. Altgeld sim.
ply followed In the footsteps Of other
fallen tyrants.
Like them. he. too. will fail.
q The German. Americans of Chicago
are too broad. minded and too liberal
people 10 be swayed by such a con.
tcmptible thing as race hatred.
II that Is the only argument n man
can advance In order to get their bal.
sots. they want nothing to do with him.
But that is the sort of argument that
Altgeld made ut AIueller's Hall Febru.
AIRY ~.
The gathering was widely hernlded
as n great Gcrman.American mass
meeting"
There were only sixty-onc Germans
present by actual count.
1t was impossible to find one promi.
ncnt German who would act Us chair.
nan. so Mr.. T.. o. Brown. a very re-.
spectacle gentleman of unmixed
American descent. and a strong single
tax advocate. was induced to preside.
The inducement was all the easier as
Mr.. Brown was attorney for the Lin.
coin Park Board under Altgeld, who
could not find German to I'LL the
place.
The vice presidents, full list of
whom was published in Fridays Rec.
ord, included such Germans as j. &.
Elaherty, T.. b. Webster, J. J. Coughlin,
NJ. ]. Collins. J. NJ. Biddlson, of United
States Court fame: j. NJ. Reardon, A..
L.. Fowler. c. Oakley, 4. Kccgan, ]. 4,
Kennedy, ]. Seaman, II. Rogers, w. $.
Ellis and some others.
The absence of the German meri
cans made the Ex-Governor furious,
and lie broke out into furious TRADE
against the Irish. many of whom We're
the main standbys OF the meeting.
The Eagle does not desire TO go into
the details of all of Altgeld's uncalled
for attack upon the Irish. II simply
calls attention 10 the following sample
extract from the awfully excited office
hunters speech:
n would like 10 say few words to
you upon subject which you will all
readily understand. Most of you are
my untrymen-Germans. am in
formed that about 3Ila per cent. OF the
people OF Chicago are Germans, or
more than one-thlrd. Naturally, you
would think that II you We're 10 be
given share in the public patronage
you would be entitled to fully one-th!rd
OF the offices. But there you are some
what behind the times. out OF the
5000 offices Ia Chicago find that there
are but about 500 positions held by
Germans. do not know what test II
Hs that Mr.. Burke applies for fitness TO
Mold office, bur Il Is evidently too Sc
we're for many OF you 10 undergo.
understand thar there Is not n German
In Chicago who will knock down a
peaceable citizen upon election day.
am also told that there Is not a single
German who can do real neat job at
stufing a ballot box"
Without attempting at this time 10
do any moralizlng over Altgeld's al
tempt TO arouse race prejudice, let Us
look at the Mayors cabinet and see
what their natloRalitles are:
Comptroller-R. a. Waller (deceasedl
American.
Comptroller Edward \. Halsey
American.
Corporation Counsel-C. s. Thornton
American.
Commissioner of Health-A. r
Reynolds, American.
Chief Of Pol,ce-Joseph Ripley, Ger
man.
City Collector-F. y. Brandecker
German,
Superintendent House Of Correction
Adolf Sturm, German.
City Engineer-JOhn Ericsson, Scan
dlnaylan.
President Civil Service Board-R
Llndblom, Scandinavian.
City Sealer-Fred T.. Eldred, Amerl
can.
Fire MARSHALL. ]. Swenie, Scotch
Prosecuting Attorney-H. :. Taylor
American.
Commissioner Of Public Works--L
4. McGann, Irish.
City Clerk-Wlllian Loefiier,' B0he