Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-11-09

L
based upon political rancor and backed
up by other equally unworthy motives.
then what Is it,
Is 1t a course of action adopted for
the sake of public policy!
The Eagle holds that 1t is not.
What are the grounds Of alleged pub
| lie policy upon which Mr.. Burke mas
been indicted this time!
| Is 1t done In order to punish Mr..
Burke for doing an illegal act or com.
hitting n felony!
| Assuredly not. Conspiracy TO com
nit an ofrcnsc is the basis of the In.
dlctment this time.
The offense which Mr. Burke is |
charged with conspiring to commit is
the collection and retention of part of |
the fees of the office.
| Now the decision Of three of the most |
able jurists on the Cook County bench |
4 in the case Of a similar indictment
found by the Grand Jury which pre-
coded the last one was that Mr.. Burke
was entitled to all the fees of his office
under the statute creating the same.
and was not compelled or obliged by
law to turn over to the city any portion
Of such fees.
How any body Of sclf-rcspecting. rca-
soning men could arrive at the conclu-
sion of finding an indictment against u
citizen on such grounds and In view
of such decision by the court Is some
thing that the public cannot under
stand.
Nay more. II Is amazing.
Il 1t is doubly so in view of the fact that
the Grand Jury is body that acts un-
der the sanctity and the obligation OF
an oath.
IL must he said for the last Grand
Jury that ten of It's twenty-threc men,
hers seemed to he impressed with the
obligation of that oath. but the other
thirteen. who finally had their way.
seemed TO be affected by no such qualm
Of conscience.
There may yet be devised a means for
reaching members Of Grand Jury who
act entirely without regard to the obli-
cation Of the solemn oath under which
they undertake their duties.
II such condition Of afYairs should
arise out Of the scandalOus conduct Of
the last two Grand Juries, then their
astonishing performances may not he
an unmixed evil
As for the general attack on the fee
system 1t does seem strange that the
office Of oil inspector, Of which well.
known Democratic leader was the
head. should be the only one invcsti.
gated and attacked.
To be sure. the profound and eminent
Grand Jurors declared with Owlish wis.,
dom. and after having labored through
no less than 10 pages Of typewriter
matter that:
"The investigation Of the conduct OF
City OIL Inspector has revealed to this
Grand Jury condition Of affairs In the
conduct of fee offices that leads us
strongly to recommend that immediate
steps be taken looking TO the abolish
nlent OF that system Of cOmpensating
public officers In city, county and State.
as In almost every case It yields com.
pensatiOn much In excess Of the value
Of the service rendered ana cOntfuces tn
evasion, omission and classification Of
the proper returns from such Offices
Now It would be interesting to know
which are the other fee Offices In city
county and State referred to In the re-
port.
IL would also be interesting TO know
why the Grand Jury did not 'investi
gate" these offices.
Il Also. II the system prevailing In sucl
Offices leads to ''evasiOn. omission ans
classification" Of the reports and return
Of such offices, why the sapient Crane
Jury did not see lit In Its wisdom L
indict the incumbents.
1t Is to be presumed that the Gram
Jury was not talking through Its hat,
but knew whereof 1t was dlscoursin
when It asserted that the practices 1
vogue In such places caused these viola
tons OF law known as Omissions an
"falsificatiOns' OF the returns.
Why, then, II the Grand Jury wa
Burke and his chief clerk the only one
singled out for indictment.
Was It because they We're Democrats
There must have been some such rei
son.
Mr.. Burke had already been practica
~ cxOncratcd by three Judges Of tn
Circuit Court, sitting On banc. who lia
declared he was not obliged to max
any reports or returns and had acte
I. within the provisions OF the law In til
conduct Of his Office.
= 1t could not have been for the pun
pose Of frightening Mr. Burke into cor
verting into the public treasury the fee
of his Office whether the statute Oblige
nv him to do so or not, because he had a
nd ready done that
No. ON the other hand, some OF tn
st incumbents of the county fee office
nd referred to enjoy enormous cmol'
A. ments, and are not protected by law
NC as the city Oil Inspector Is In keepin
mt his.
mt The Eagle could name several
Of these, but will content itself with OF
of Just for illustration.
There Is the office Of the Count
A. Treasurer, for instance.
ist. 1t Is claimed that the County Urea
ma. urcr retains hundreds OF thousands
10. dollars yearly Of interest upon publ