Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-12-07

closing down of mills. work shops and
other scenes of business activity.
This would mean no work for the
army of labor, aud as u result 10000
heads of families thrown out of en-.
ployment.
Just think of it, Two hundred and
fifty thousand breadwinners thrown
out cf work in order that a notoriety-
seeking and self-advertising gang may
crafty their caprices and whims.
That this will eventually be the out
come OF the tax agitation none who
have given the subject and the situa.
tion any thought will deny.
For years the great corporations of
Illinois have been bled by professional
vampires who care not whether they
suck the very life out of our industries
so long as their own hungry maws are
well filled.
These corporations and industries
have been sandbagged and harassed
both in the Legislature and out of Ii,
and 1t has now remained for band of
hobbyriding school teachers. self.ad-
vcrtising. out-at-elbows lawyers. and
other notoriety hunters to place the
last straw upon the load which UP to
date has been so patiently borne.
Let us take the railroad companies
for instance.
Everybody knows that the railroads
have made Chicago what 1t is. 1t is
its great railway system which in the
space Of half century raised Chicago
from mere Indian trading post to the
proud condition of a great metropolis.
with a population numbered by the
millions.
The capitalists of the East and of the
West, OF the North and of the South.
who have invested their millions In
these railroads. employ hundreds of
thousands Of men all over the coun.
try. That capital gives work to thou
sands Of Chicagos bread winners. 1t
puts bread and butter into the months
of thousands Of families in this city.
Which IN II better. we ask. that the
teachers pay roll shall be increased or
that the working men of Chicago. their
wives and children. shall be fed and
clothed?
These railroad companies are now. it
seems to be harried and ground under
the weight Of unreasonable taxation,
forced upon them through crazy cru
sade carried on in the name of educa.
tion. and focused through an organ.
ization existing as an offshoot of The
Board of Education and tolerated by
that body.
And this. too. In view of the fact |
that the railroads centering in Chicago |
are ut the present moment engaged In |
u task so gigantic that the whole coun-
try stood aghast when 1t was first pro-
posed "A few years ago-namcly, the
elevation Of their tracks.
They are spending fifty million dol.
lars in this work and 1t may take dou-
BILE that amount before they get
through with II.
Ii Is an improvement of vital import.
ancc to Chicago. and the railroad com.
panies recognizing 1t as such have
cheerfully and unhesitatingly under
taken the entire enormous responsible.
ity and expense Of It.
The expenditure of this tremendous
sum Of money alone. and which Is out.
side that needed for the ordinary opera.
tlon Of the railroad systems, gives en-
ployment to an army Of working men 4
in this city.
In addition to the cost of the work,
the railroads will also be saddled with
the immense financial load Of land ana
property damages arising out Of the
prosecution Of 1t.
Now. In view Of all this 1t is pro.
posed to bankrupt these corporations,
for that Is what will be the inevitable
result II the present tax agitation is
going to accomplish its ends.
Again, take the street car companies.
Here we have universal chorus go.
ing up on oil sides for reduced fare,
four, three and even two cents being
named as the proper amounts payable
for intermural transportation. We
have an agitation for a universal sys-
TEN Of transfers, so that people can
ride all over Chicago for one of these
proposed reduced fares, enormous com.
pensation to the city for franchises, I'M
proved cars, the installation of under
ground electric motive power. short
terms OF franchise, running all the way
from ten years down to two, ana we
have these same street railway COM
panies manfully and earnestly endeav-
oring to meet all these demands.
Now, right on top of all this, We have
the school marms' agitation, backed up
by all the professional tax ticnd
theoriscrs and all the wild-eyed anar.
chlst 'reformers" Of this city, bowling
for a colossal increase of these com
panies taxes, and for an outrageous
and intOlerable demand for taxation
OF the very franchises, for the priv
ilege OF operating, which these com !
panies are already bleeding at every
pore.
This street car enterprise, 1t must not =,
be forgotten, also gives employment 10 >
thousands Of heads of families. II
they are TO be oyerburdened in the
outrageously unreasonable way de.
manded by the tax faddlsts, they will h
as a matter Of course be compelled to =
reduce expenses. The number of EN- 7
Dloyes will have to be reduced wherever I