Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-01-07
The Wide.Open Bribery Which Attended
the Passage of the Gas Consoli.
datiOn Bill,
The Wide.0pen Fine Work Which Attended
the Passage Of the Elevator
Trust Bill
Are the Two Crimes Which Will Lead to the
Warmest Results for
Chicagoans

wheat, and thus depress or raise the
market ut pleasure, which would not
be SO IL there were many owners. The
case was appealed to the Supreme
Court, and that court sustained Judge
Tuley, and, In long and able opinion,
expressly held that 1t would be against
public morals and against public pol.
Icy to permit the public warehouse men
Of this State to carry on grain bust.
ness In the same warehouse In which
they keep their customers grain.
But In the meantime the warehouse
men secured the passage of law
which permits them to do the very
things which the courts had held to be
against public morals and against pub.
lie policy. The elevator people stand
together. They have an agreement not
to Interfere with each others business.
The moment bushcl of wheat goes
into their warehouses they are entitled
to two cents storage. When an outside
buyer offers 20 cents bushel 1t will
cost him 72 cents. The warehouse men.
by giving up little of their storage
charge. can offer II cents, and thus
drive the outside buyers out Of the
market. This done. the market Is ut
the mercy Of the warehouse men. The
effect Of this legislation. therefore. is to
create monopoly and place all that
section Of country which In grain mat.
ters Is tributary to this city Mt the mer.
cy Of a combination Of elevator owners
In Chicago. This combination can eas.
lily combine with others elsewhere, so
that this legislation lays the founda.
tion for grain trust that will draw
blood from every farmer In America.
The question now Is. members of the
Illinois Legislature, "Does It meet yOur
approval? VIII you vote to sustain 1t,
or will you vote for Its repeal?"
Springfield will be warm town In
January right after the organization Of
| the lower house. The resolution for an
investigation as to how, and why, the
Warehouse and Gas Trust legislation
was placed on our statute books will
make things hum for while at least.
\ prominent member of the Legis!a-
ture said Wednesday: "This resolution
for an investigation, coming as 1t does
now, when the atmosphere Is surcharg-
cd with the rumors of bribery ana boo
die. will carry some Of the boys back
| to the days OF the session Of the Thirty
ninth General Assembly, as then 1t was
that brave Jonathan Merriam rose up
like the stalwart oak OF the forest and
introduced like resolution for an in
vestigatIOn. Certain members (fOr rea-
sons possibly best known to them
selves quailed In their seats, Others
lodged the resolution Ike rats leaving
a sinking ship. and well they might.
for Jonathan Merriam stood his ground
like the Spartans of o!den time. He
never fllnched, and no man lived who
could swcrve him one hairs breadth
| from what he considered was his duty.
He demanded n roli-call and got It. The
resolution was defeated this time, but
he called II up again two weeks later.
when IL nearly passed. being defeated
| by only eight votes, The best descrip-
ton OF the fellows who lodged Merr-
ans resolution was given in the re-
markable page article in the Times
Herald, from the able pen of Mr.. +. T..
Dunno, after he had spent but One-half
day in the lower house ut Springfield.
| This article caused CONSERVATION In the
ranks of certain legislators, and also
proved that Mr.. Dunno was remark.
able Judge of human nature, as his de-
scriptiOn OF the characteristics and
ways of certain members could not
have been more accurately portrayed
had he been among the members for
six months instead OF hut one-half day.
Yes, let the resolution for an investiga-
ton come. II will also be well to define
what bribery means to certain people;
also the penalties attached"
~eA
4 well-known member from the cen
ter of the State writes 10 The Eagle
that he will move for the appointment
of committee 10 ascertain all the facts
attendant on the purchased passage OF
the Infamous warehouse bill last SEES
sion.
<SA
Most of the new members of the Leg
lslature who have been talked with by
| The Eagle are brimful of antitrust
| legislation.
| \ searching inquiry Is 10 be made as
| 10 why the antitrust legislation now
| on the statute books Is not enforced.
The act of 1891 provides that any,
thing bought of trust, whether air,
water, or other material, does not have