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

panies.
1t was doubly dlreful 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 Legisla.
ture. The introduction Of the bill
showed that Mayor Harrison was q
practical worker In the field Of munich
pal ownership. It was eminently calcu.
lated not only to take the wind out Of
the sails Of the Republican stalking
CONGRATULATIONS It was a measure
SO popular with the general public that
the Republican Legislature at Spring.
field dare not 20 on record rs being op.
posed to II.
A representative Of the Gas Trust. a
man delegated by the corporation lob
byist, who worked the wires at the
Chicago end, promptly made his up.
pearance at the State Capitol.
He became exceedingly busy. consult.
Ing hourly with the 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 1t do to try to shelve It or choke
II on In committee, for McGoorty was
not the man to stand that sort Of non.
sense.
| It was this measure and these consid.
erations 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 disarranged the plans Of the
syndicate to such IN extent rs to rem.
der outside assistance necessary. The
5000 apiece for the cheap skates
might never have been forthcoming
were It not for this formidable meas.
ure; ut least that was the belief then,
and 1t continues to be 50 In the minds
Of most OF the outsiders Up to date.
After much cogltatlon and many con-
ferences and consultations, 1t was de-
clded that the exigencies of the Chi.
cagO election demanded the passage of
the bill through the House. The plan
after that was to kill the bill In the
Senate 10 soon a. the election was over.
This program was adhered to almost
to the letter.
McGoorty forced the bill through the
House. The Republican clique In that
chamber did not offer much opposition,
They dared not; 90 1t was passed by
the lower chamber. But when 1t got
over to the Senate II was relegated to
the Committee on Municipal Corpora.
lions. In that body 1t was quietly aud
cfrectually sm0thered.
1t was sent back with the recOmmen'
dalton that 1t lie on the table, and II
was laid on the table, and II lies there
yet.
This bill would have been, II passed,
one of the most useful measures for the
citizens Of Chicago that was ever intro
duced In an Illinois Legislature. II
would have saved the taxpayers Of Chi
cagO thousands upon thousands of dol
lars; 1t would have served to provide a
fund whereby the streets could have
been cleaned, the pavements kept In
good order, and the sidewalks put IN
decent condition.
The trouble was. however. that Il
would have diverted hundreds of thOu'
sands of dollars annually from the cot
fcrs of the greedy Chicago Gas Trust.
For that reason It was doomed to
death. For that reason 1t was done t.
death by the Infamous Senatorial syn
dictate. which got fabulous sum OF
money for protecting the trusts and
mOnopolies of Illinois. and the outer
circle of Senators who got $1,000 eacl
for beiraying the rights of the people
and cniwling on their bellies before til,
corporations Of this State.
Recently The Eagle detailed how
ana when these latter got their wages
OF infamy. Later 1t will tell WHERE
the money was paid, ana Mt the prOpe
| Time uuu W tuc piolEE o'HCut ~ WA
tel BY WHOM 1t was paid.
1t is In n position to trace the cOrrup
ton fund from the very Golfers of tn
corporations to the hands Of the vet
eran member OF the Senate who dishe'
out most Of It to his cOparceners.
The Eagle can also designate the vet
elan member OF the House who handet
ont the coin to the select clique In tina
chamber. This man Is an adept In tn
work, but he has not been careful II
covering up his tracks of late.
IN his old days he has become greed.
and avarlclOus. He held out on tn
boys last time, and there Is hue AM
cry against him all over the State. Tn
Eagle has the statements Of half [
dozen Cook County members VIII,