Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-01-14
And the Men Who Handled the Money
to Pass the Infamous Gas
Legislation
viii BE Shown Up Properly at Springfield
During the Session About
to Open.
Many Leading Lights Will Be Brought to
Book in Most Unenviable
Way.

resolution for an investigation nj
Springfield this session will develop
some startling sensations. A commit
tee armed with the proper authority
will call prominent Chicago lawyers
and solid business men before the bar
of the House to tell what they know
concerning the efforts and means which
were employed to secure the passage
of gus, railroad consolidation, and
warehouse bills.
II call your attention to this matter
now because bribery Of public officials
Is putting the knife mt the throat Of the
very nation ITSELF" continued Judge
| Waterman. "This Is a government Of
the people. for the people and by the
such government can long or ought
long to exist II the bribery Of public
officials elected by the people to serve
the people il permitted to go unpun.
ishcd."
| The remarks of his honor caused .
sensation In the court room. Judge
Waterman occasionally read from the
statutes defining bribery and It's pun.
ishment.
The following from the courts charge
Il regarded ms significant:
"YOu have heard read a portion OF
the statute concerning bribery. Bri.
berry Is frequently, when committed,
the result Of combination Of two or
more persons to bribe, or to bring about
bribery. Whenever two or more per.
sons by concerted action combine to
accomplish a criminal and unlawful
purpose. or some purpose not In itself
criminal. by criminal or unlawful
means, such net Ia what Is known no
conspiracy; and SO I say to YOU that II
1t Il the case that la this county any
two or more persons have combined or
cOnfederated together to bride any Of.
fetal. legislative. executive or mimic.
terial. whether the bribery IL effected
or not, the very combination and conf
bning to bride any official and to pro-
cure official action by means Of bribery
IL Itself an Offense denomlnated by the
, law as conspiracy and il punishable By
} Imprisonment In the penitentiary.
Moreover, 1t may be the case that
bribery by those who are to receive or
, who expect to receive the profits Of
] such criminal action Is to Ike accom-.
plished through agents; that the par.
, ties who expect to profit by such I'M
lawful means will not themselves actu-
/ ally hand over the corrupt reward: hut
| II they act through agents, however in
directly. they are equally guilty with
, those who hand over the vile stipend for
which the legal action is to he done.
, accessories"
Most Of the new members Of the Leg
islature who have been talked with by
The Eagle are brimful of antitrust
legislation.
A searching inquiry Is to be made as
to why the antitrust legislation now
: on the statute books Is not enforced.
The act of 1901 provides that any.
thing bought of trust, whether air,
, water or other material. does not have
to be paid for by the purchaser.
The Secretary of State recently sent
copies of this act broadcast and II has
stirred up the new members prodig'
lously.
The trusts viii suffer ut Springfield
] this winter.
The following act now on the statute
books. became II law and went into eff
feet June II. 1891:
POOLS, TRUSTS AND COMBINES
. PROHIBITED.
An act to pro ride for the punishment
of persons, cO-partnerships or corpOr.
, atoms forming pools, trusts and com
, blncs, and mode of procedure and
2 rules of evidence In such eases.
! Section /. BE it enacted by the
people of the State of Illinois, repre-
scented In the General Assembly: II
, any corporation organized under the
! laws of this or any other State or cOun-
! try, for transacting or conducting any
kind of business In this State, or any
partnership or individual or other as
ISOLATION of persons whatsoever, shall
create, enter into, become u member of
ment, co'.,Snatlon, confederation or
understanding with any other corpora
ton, partnership, individual. or any
other person or association OF persons
10 regulate or fix the price OF any arti-
Gle OF merchandise or commodity, or
shall enter into, become member OF
or a party to any pool, agreement, con-
tract, combination or confederation TO
fix or limit the amount or quantity of