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

VIII the officers of the Chicago Gas
Trust kindly state whether they know
anything about the raising of fund
from which number of the members
of the last Senate were paid each
$1,000 for services rendered. The
Eagle Is in q position to state on the
very best of authority that such fund
was raised to take care of 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 were glad to be rec.
oynized 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
that follows this statement. Names.
dates and other particulars are at
hand. II the Gas Trust folks decline
ia talk now, they may be more willing
to tell what they know about this In
luuitous transaction later. and before
different tribunal than that Of public
opinion.
In order to start this chapter Of the
history of the infamous FOrty.first
General Assembly properly. 1t may be
stated at the outset that outside the
members of the Senatorial syndicate
aud the select cOterie In the House, the
Forty.first General Assembly was q
cheap skate" Legislature. The great
illinois corporations SO regarded 1t
Che members of the little clique which
controlled both houses came high, to DC
sure, but the combine" was exceed
inSly small in numbers. So small was
IL that though the veteran lawyer and
corporation lobbyist who shelled out
the coin had to divide up small for
tune among the members Of the select
coterie. yet he was exceedingly pleased
with the outcome, inasmuch Us the cor
porations were protected for les'
money. and the interests Of the pubic
were sold for q smaller price than evel
before in the history of this state.
This was due to the fact that so wei
did the syndicate and Its auxiliary IL
the lower house map out Its plans thai
seven .eighths Of the members OF tho
House got nothing at all during the en-
,ire session beyond the $1,000 allowed
10y law as their remuneration and theil
allowance for mileage and stationery
The select clique. led by a prOminen
member of the House, got everything
4 few persistent ones did break IN
,hrre and there, and had to be taker
care Of, but generally speaking tn
clique "hogged" everything In sight
In the Senate things were nearly bu
not quite so bad. The Senatorial syn
dlcate made an agreement at the outse
with the veteran lawyer and corpora
lion lobbyist to kill every bill that II
any way lnterfered with the privileges
,.nioluments and monopolies Of the cor
poratlons. The agreement actually con
t,iined the basis OF payment upon whicl
this work was to be done.
lt was found, however, that thi
could not be done without some cooper
alton from the outside. The six Sena
tors composing the syndicate foun'
that they would have to get few o
the outsiders at a cheap figure to al
them In delivering the goods 10 IN
corporations. And so number OF on
or Senators were taken into camp d
the syndicate, and bargain struck.
THIS BARGAIN WAS THAT TIL
OUTSIDERS WERE TO BE PAll
FOURTHOUSAND DOLLARS EACi
FOR VOTING WITH THE MEN
BEERS OF THE SYNDICATE CPO.
ALL BILLS AFFECTING THE col
pORATIONs OF THE STATE o
ILLINOIS.
This agreement was made betwee
the members of the outer circle and tn
inner circle. The former We're neve
allowed to come In contact with I'll
representative of the corporation
they did business with their colleague
who composed the inner circle, ana u
latter did business at the Great Nortl
rrI Hotel with the shrewd old lawyt
who represented all the corporation
The outer circle co.operated loyail
with the inner circle, and the syndica'
kept its word. Five days after u
Legislature adjourned the members
the outer circle OF the Senate gar
were paid OFF In Chicago. Each WI
given exactly $500 In cash. One hui
dred dollars was deducted from eat
mans pay to cover certain incident
expenses, including some costly pre-
ents that were dlshed out to certal
well-known persons and officials. Thr'
thousand nine hundred dollars apie'
was the sum total OF the "graft mac
by the majority OF the members OF II
senate In the late Legislature. 1t wi
the cheapest Senate the corporation
ever had to deal with In this State.
The Eagle 10 In possession OF the d