Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-09-23

Will the officers of the Chicago Gas
Trust kindly state whether they know
anything about the raising of a fund
from which n number of the members
of the last Senate were paid each
$4,000 for services rendered. The
Eagle is in a position to state on the
very best of authority that such fund
was raised to take care of a number
of the small.fry Senators. whose votes
were necessary to enable the Sena-
torial syndicate to fulfill their contract
with the trusts and corporations. Three
thousand nine hundred dollars was the
exact sum paid to these small-fry Sen.
ators. The six who formed the syndi.
cate got ten times that amount each.
They were the big toads In the puddle.
The little fellows We're glad to be rec
ogniZed even to the extent of thirty
nine hundred plunks. The details of the
whole business are at hand. The prin.
cipal features are given In the story
shat follows this statement. Names,
dates and other particulars are ut
hand. II the Gas Trust folks decline
TO talk now. they may be more willing
to tell what they know about this In.
iauitous transaction later. and before a
different tribunal than that of public
opinion.
In order 10 start this chapter of the
history OF the Infamous Forty-tirst
General Assembly properly. 1t may be
stated ut the outset that outside the
members of the Senatorial syndicate
aud the select cotcrie in the House, the
Forty.irst General Assembly was a
cheap skate" Legislature. The great
Illinois corporations so regarded 1t.
The members of the little clique which
controlled both houses came high, to be
sure. but the combine was exceed
ingly small In numbers. So small was
IL that though the veteran lawyer ana
CORPORATION lobbyist who shelled out
the coin had TO divide up small for.
tune among the members of the select
coteric. yet he was exceedingly pleased
with the outcome, innsmuch rs the cor
poratlons We're 'protectcd' for less
money. and the interests of the public
were sold for smaller price than ever
before in the history of this state
This was due To the fact that so well
did the syndicate and Its auxiliary In
the lower house map ont its plans that
scven.clghths of the members OF the
House got nothing nj all during the en-
tire session beyond the $1,000 allowed
by Law rs their remuneration and their
allowance for mileage and stationery,
The select clique, led by prominent
member of the House, got everything
a few persistent ones did break In
here and there, and had To be taken
care of. but generally speaking the
clique "hogged' everything In sight
In the Senate things We're nearly Dut
NOT quite So bad. The Senatorial syn
dictate made an agreement nj the outset
with the veteran lawyer and corpora
lion lobbyist to XIII every bill that In
any way lnterfcred with the privileges,
cmOlumcnts and mOnopolics OF the cor
pOratlons. The agreement actually con
tanned the basis of payment upon which
This work was 10 be done.
IL was found, however, that this
could not be done without some cooper
alton from the outside. The six Sena
tors composing the syndicate found
that they would have To get few oil
the outsiders at cheap figure To aio
thcm In delivering the goods To the
generations. And so number OF oth
OPP Senators We're taken into camp by
,he syndicate, and bargain struck
THIS BARGAIN WAS THAT TlIf
OUTSIDERS WERE TO BE PAll
FOURTHOUSAND DOLLARS EACH
FOR VOTING WITH THE MEM
BEERS OF THE SYNDICATE uPOH
ALL BILLS AFFECTING THE COR
PORATIONS OF THE STATE Oh
ILLINOIS.
This agreement was made betWeel
the members of the outer circle ana IN
inner circle. The former We're ncye
allowed TO come in contact with III
representative Of the corporations
They did business with their colleague
yrno COMPOSED the inner circle, ana IN
',rrcr aid business at the Great North
.rn Hotel with the shrcwd old iAwye
who represented all the corporation
The outer circle cO-opcratcd loyasl
with the inner circle, and the syniicat
kent It's word. Five days after u
Legislature adjourned the members q
the outer circle of the senate gan
we're paid of IN Chicago. Each wa
given exactly $500 In cash. one hun
drcd dollars was deducted from cac
mans pay 10 cover certain Incidents
expenses, iu.!UIiug some costly pre-