Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-09-02


to buy up the Legislature and to Sc
cure the passage Of a measure killing
all opposition to It when 1t had no fran.
chise from Chicago to do business 1t.
self.
At an early stage In the Forty. first
General Assembly the Hon. John r.
McGoorty, Of Cook, introduced bill
providing for municipal ownership Of
public utilities in Chicago. This bill
was so framed that, should 1t pass and
become a law. Its immediate effect
would be the lighting Of the streets by
the city instead Of by the greedy and
grasping Gas Trust.
simultaneously with the introduction
of the bill, Mr.. McGoorty gave out an
interview for the press, In which he
pointed out that the electric plant Of the
city Of Chicago had been increased
fourfold since the advent Of the pres.
ent Democratic city administration,
and that II the bill became q law the
streets would be lighted by the city
electrical plant from one end to the
other. There would be nothing left for
private contract lighting hut few
very remote and outlying districts on
the western aud southern outskirts Of
the city.
The bill and the accompanying state.
ment fell like bOmbshell In the camp
Of the corporation conspirators.
1t produced CONSERVATION In the
clique which had for It's paramount oh.
ject the safeguarding Of the interests
of the Gas Trust, the meat combine,
and the railroad and sleeping car com.
panies.
1t was doubly direful in its effects
from the fact that there was just then
a red.hot municipal campaign in prog.
ress in Chicago, and municipal owner.
ship was one Of the burning questions
In that campaign.
Mr.. McGoorty and his large Demo.
cratic following In the House were the
acknowledged representatives Of the
Harrison administration In the Leglsla.
ture. The introduction Of the bill
showed that Mayor Harrison was q
practical worker In the field Of munich.
pal ownership. 1t was eminently calcu.
lated not only to take the wind out Of
the sails Of the Republican stalking
horse-Altgeld--bu 1t was a measure
so popular with the general public that
the Republican Legislature at Spring.
Geld dare not 60 on record rs being op.
posed to 1t.
A representative Of the Gas Trust, a
man delegated by the corporation lob
bylst, who worked the wires at the
Chicago end, promptly made his up
pearance ut the State Capitol.
He became exceedingly busy, consult
Ing hourly with tho members Of the
Senate syndicate.
It was agreed on all sides that II
would never do for the Speaker to Kill
this measure with the gavel. Neither
would It do to try to shelve It or choke
It OF In committee, for McGoorty wal
not the man to stand that sort Of non
sense.
It was this measure and these c0nsid
eratlons that first created the necessit!
for the hiring Of the outer circle In thu
Senate. The "cheap skate" Senators
as the members Of the outer circle were
called, devoutly thanked their stars fol
the introduction Of the McGoorty bill
us they regarded 1t as the first meas
ure that dlsarranged the plans Of thu
syndicate to such IN extent Us to rem
der outside. assistance necessary. TIT
5000 apiece for the cheap skates
might never have been Forthcoming
were 1t not for this formidable meas
ure; ut least that was the belief then
and 1t continues to be so In the mind
Of most of the outsiders up to date.
After much cogitation and many con
ferences and consultations, 1t was dc
clded that the exigencies Of the Chi
cago election demanded the passage o
the bill through the House. The plaI
after that was to kill the bill In til
Senate as soon as the election was over
This program was adhered to almos
to the letter. ,
McGoOrty forced the bill through tn
House. The Republican clique In tina
chamber did not offer much opposition
They dared not; SO It was passed b.
the lower chamber. But when It 60
over to the Senate It was relegated t
the Committee on Municipal Corpora
lions. In that body It was quietly nm
effectually smothered.
1t was sent back with the recommeu
dalton that 1t lie on the table, and
was laid on the table, and It lies ther
yet.
This bill would have been, II passed
one of the most useful measures for tn
citizens Of Chicago that was ever intro
duced In an Illinois Legislature.
would have saved the taxpayers Of Gu
cagO thousands upon thousands Of do
lars; 1t would have served to provide
fund whereby the streets could hav
been cleaned, the pavements kept l
: good order, and the sidewalks put !
: decent condition.
The trouble was, however, that
. would have diverted hundreds Of tho,
! sands of dollars annually from the col
!. fers of the greedy Chicago Gas Trust.
!, For that reason 1t was doomed I
death. For that reason 1t was done
death by the infamous Senatorial syl
dictate, which got fabulous sum
money for protecting the trusts an
mOnopolies Of Illinois, and the quite