Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-08-26

~S
AT an early stage In the Forty-iirst
General Assembly the Hon. John +.
McGoorty. Of Cook. Introduced a bill
providing for municipal ownership of
public utilities In Chicago. This bill
was so framed that, should It pass and
become 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 If the bill became law the
streets would he lighted by the city
electrical plant from one end to the
other. There would be nothing left for
private contract lighting but few
very remote and outlying districts on
the western and southern outskirts Of
the city.
The bill and the accompanying state.
ment fell like bombshell In the camp
of the corporation conspirators.
It produced CONSERVATION in the
clique which had for It's paramount OBJ
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 It's 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.. McGo0rty and his large Demo-
cratic following In the House were the
acknowledged representatives Of the
Harrison administration In the I.egisla.
ture The Introduction Of the bill
showed that Mayor Harrison was
practical worker In the field of munici.
pal ownership. 1t was emlnently calcu.
lated not only to take the wind out Of
the sails Of the Republican stalking
horse--Altgeld-but 1t was measure
SO popular with the general public that
the Republican Legislature ut Spring.
field dare not go on record rs being op.
posed to IT,
A representative Of the Gas Trust. a
man delegated by the corporation lob
bylst. who worked the wires ut the
Chicago end, promptly made his ap-
pearance ut the State Capitol.
lie became exceedingly busy. consult.
Ing hourly with tho members Of the
Senate syndicate.
1t was agreed on all sides that It
would never do for the Speaker to kill
this measure with the gavel. Neither
would II do to try to shelve II or choke
II OF In committee. for AtcGOOrty was
not the man to stand that sort Of non.
sense.
1t was this measure and these consld.
eratlOns that first created the necessity
|, for the hiring Of the outer circle In the
Senate. The ''cheap skate" Senators,
, as the members OF the outer circle were
called, devoutly thanked their stars for
the Introduction Of the McGOOrty bill,
as they regarded It as the first meas.
ure that dlsarranged the plans Of the
. |
der outside assistance necessary. The
$500 apiece for the cheap skates
might never have been Forthcoming
were II not for this formidable meas
ure; mt least that was the belief then
and II continues to be SO In the minds
Of most OF the outsiders up to date.
After much cogltatiOn and many con-
ferences and consultations, It was de-
, clded that the exigencles of the Chi
, cago election demanded the passage OF
, the bill through the House. The plar
after that was to kin the bill In thu
Senate us soon rs the election was over
=. This program was adhered to almOs,
' to the letter.
McGoorty forced the bill through thu
House. The Republican clique In thai
chamber did not offer much opposition
y They dared not; so 1t was passed by
the lower chamber. But when II go
over to the Senate It was relegated Il
the Committee on Municipal Corpora
}. tlODs. In that body II was quietly ant
: effectually smothered.
1t was sent back with the recOMmen
= dalton that 1t lie on the table, ana i
) 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
y duccd In an Illinois Legislature. !
: would have saved the taxpayers of Chi
;, cagO thousands upon thousands Of dol
" lars; 1t would have served to provide
70 fund whereby the streets could hav'
. been cleaned, the pavements kept II
!. good order, and the sidewalks put II
= decent condition.
, The trouble was, however, that
~ would have diverted hundreds of thou
n sands Of dollars annually from the COT
a. fers of the greedy Chicago Gas Trust.
n For that reason 1t was doomed t
a. death. For that reason 1t was done t
death by the Infamous Senatorial syn
dictate, which got fabulous sum o
" money for protecting the trusts an
. mOnopolles of Illinois, and the QUITE
=, circle Of Senators who got $4,000 eac
!" for betraying the rights of the peOpl
- y. and crawling on their bellies before tn
;" corporations of this State.
W Recently The Eagle detailed hO'
4 and when these latter got their wage
10 of infamy. Later 1t will tell WHERl
re- the money was paid, and mt the prOpe
A.