Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-11-02
HOPKINS Dorm PROTEST 100 MvcH


Ex-Mayor John =. Hopkins Is talking
quite a good deal through the columns
of the press and otherwise these days.
He had much better keep his mouth
shut, and reserve his philosophy for
himself and the members of his kitchen
cabinet.
Speaking Of the well-tlefined report
that he (Mr Hopkins) was instrumental
in getting Eastern Democrats to work
for the downfall Of Il. Il. Burke and
through him Of Carter II. Harrison as
factor i'm Western Democratic poll.
tics. Mr.. Hopkins the other day first
protested his innocence. and then under.
took to be facetiOus.
In the first place. IL Is the opinion Of
most people that the ex.Mayor is ''pro-
testing too much" these days.
In the second place. his lcvity Is Ill.
timed and Ill becomes him In more ways
than one. Witness the following. for
instance:
THAT IL only half the report heard"
said he. 81 understand that II was
Grover Cleveland himself who set the
wheels Of justice moving after Burke.
and that Cleveland acted at the behest
Of his political friend. King Edward
VII. who desired to take fall out Of
Edward NJ. Lahiff. Lahlff wants to free
ireland. and the King does not take
kindly to the idea Of giving up any OF
his lands. There Il where the Burke
indictment started. and II any Of the
story IL to be printed let us have 1t all.
From this you will observe that l am
hut a minor figure In this gigantic con-
spiracy."
The sheer at the Irish question does
not sit well Oh the mobile cOuntenanct
Of Mr.. Hopkins. II our memory serves
us Alright there was time when John
Patrick Hopkins was also Interested IN
the freedom Of ireland, or ut least pre-
tended to be. He made good use OF
that pretense. too. ut a crucial perlOt
Of his meteoric career, and very smal
thanks did no render to the men wh'
took chances" for him on account o.
that pretended friendship for the caus'
OF Ireland. The way In which Mr.. Hop
kins used the Irish societies Of Chicag'
before his election as Mayor and afte
1t. Is a matter of history In this town
and the less therefore that the eX
Mayor has to say about the Irish ques
tlon the better.
When Mr.. Hopkins got down later 4
n serious discussion Of the question Of |
political conspiracy to destroy X. l.
Burke, he had this to say:
IN the first place, I have not seel
Mr.. Whitney since he left us In 1896
nor have communicated with him. Al
to the information furnished by tho
Standard OIL Company, It's officers did
hot state the facts to the Grand Jury
The receipts Of the OIL Inspectors Office
should amount to SlJO,OOO year and
they know 1t and their books will show
It, As to Joy Morton, l do not know
him, but I am informed that he was
one Of the jurors who stood out for no
Indictment until Comptroller Mccain
appeared in the juryrOOm with the
statement that Burke had turned over
the $4,000 to the city. Then the other
jurors had the laugh upon Morton and
he switched and voted to indict.
''These are the facts as ! know them
and Mr.. Burke or Mr.. Harrison cannot
change them. The whole story Is fab
ric of nonsense If it has the merit OF
genius. Nevertheless. it does not ex
cuse the City Oil Inspector or shield
the city administration. doubt II II
deceiyes anyone"
Some of the assertions contained In
Mr.. Hopkins statement are absurd, and
others are simply untrue. In the first
place he cannot deny that JOY Morton
was the foreman of the grand jury
; which indicted Mr.. Burke. and he must
. admit that this same Joy Morton Is til,
son of J. Sterling Morton, n rabld enc
my OF William Jennings Bryan, ana OF
all the latter's political friends ana sup
pOrters. He cannot deny that Mr.. j
! Sterling Morton has an old grudg,
against II. Il. Burke dating back from
the Democratic national convention
when Burke helped unseat the Morton
|
from Nebraska.
! Mr.. Hopkins wasn't in that conven
ton, being buslly employed elsewhere
but the real Democrats of Illinois ant
the West We're there and saw what hap
pened.
Mr., Hopkins makes no mention Of I'll,
! correspondence that took place between
a certain Chicago banker and political
wire puller on the one side and j. Stcr
ling Morton, Of Nebraska, on the Other
Just about the time Of the impaneline
Of the last grand jury He makes NJ
reference to it whatever, although il
took place, and he ought to know about
II.
There Is good foundation for the
statement that Mr. Morton, Of Nebras