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

McGoorty, of Cook, introduced a bill
providing for municipal ownership Of
public utilities In Chicago. This bill
was so framed that, should II 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 II the bill became q law the
streets would be lighted by the city
electrical plant from one end TO the
other. There would be nothing left for
private contract lighting but n few
very remote and outlying districts on
the western and southern outskirts of
the city.
The bill and the accompanying state
ment fell like a bombshell in the camp
of the corporation consplrators.
clique which had for Its 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 its effects
from the fact that there was just then
n 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 Leglsln-
ture. The Introduction of the bill
showed that Mayor Harrison was n
practical worker In the field Of municl.
pal ownership. 1t was emlnently cnlcu-
lated not only to take the wind out Of
the sails Of the Republican stalking
Observation-Disclosures It was a measure
80 popular with the general public that
the Republican Legislature mt Spring.
field dare not 60 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 mt the
Chicago end, promptly made his up
pearance mt the State Capitol.
He became exceedingly busy. consult.
Ing hourly with the members of the
Senate syndicate.
| 1t was agreed on all sides that II
would never do for the Speaker to kill
this measure with the gavel. Neither
would It do to try to shelve II or choke
1t of In committee. for McGoOrty was
not the man to stand that sort Of non.
sense.
1t was this measure and these cOnsld.
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 1t as the first meas.
ure that dlsarranged the plans Of the
syndicate to such an extent rs to rem
der outside assistance necessary. The
$500 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 SO IN the minds
of most of the outsiders up to date.
After much cogitatiOn and many con.
ferences and consultations, 1t was de.
cided that the eXigencies of the Chi
| oil Ins m nd aI hn NO nj
the bill through the House. The plan
after that was to kill the bill In the
Senate us soon us 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; so 1t was passed by
the lower chamber. But when II got
over to the Senate II was relegated to
the Committee on Municipal Corpora
tiOps. In that body It was quietly and
effectually smothered.
1t was sent back with the rccommen.
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, ana ting sidewalks put In
decent condition.
The trouble was, however, that l,
would have diverted hundreds of thou
sands of dollars annually from the cot
fers Of the greedy Chicago Gas Trust.
For that reason 1t was doomed tC
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 betraying the rights of the people
and crawling on their bellies before thu
corporations Of this State.
Recently The Eagle detailed how
and when these latter got their wages
of infamy. Later 1t will tell WHERE
the money was paid, and at the proper
time and to the proper official 1t vii
tell BY WHOM 1t was paid.
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