New-York tribune., 1901-03-11
TOPICS IN CHICAGO.
a LIVELY MAYoRALTY CAMPAIGN BE
GINS-HONORE PALMER'S ALDER
MANIC AMBITIONS-THE CITH'S
BAD STREETS TOO MUCH
FOR AUTOMOBILES.
FOR AUTOMOBILES

Chicago. March 10 CspeciaD.-The mayoralty
campaign is on in earnest and for the first time
in years the local Republican party has agreed
pron single candidate. Judge Elbridge Haneey,
and Chicago now has better chance than ever
before Of having Republican municipal govern
ment Heretofore the party has been hopelessly
divided and two three or even four, candidates
have been i'm the fed Now that the candidate
is the unanimous choice Of the convention, Chi
cagoans who have chsfed under Democratic rule
are hopeful of better times. on the other hand.
Mayor Carter c Harrison the unanimous
selection of the Democratic convention, and local
Democrats prone TO discern in this fact no
only that "Chicagn's Man Of Destiny" is sure
OF reelection. but that he viii he the choice Of
the national Democracy for President in 1904.
The questions at issue IN the local campaign,
according TO the Republican speakers, who are
already holding forth in various parts Of the city
nightly have been made by the present Demo
cratic administration which is charged With
corruption immortality, non-enforcement of the
laws neglect Of the streets and many other dere-
lctions OF duty In reality the two most i'm
portant issues the question of the extension
OF franchises and the adjustment Of certain
blue laws" such as the midnight closing of
saloons-measures which have long adorned the
statutes, but which have long been dead let
tiers. over this last question the local public is
much wrought up and Mayor Harrison is the
avowed advocate Of the repeal or substantial
modification Of all such ordinances. But Of
decidedly more importance 10 the community at
large, and TO politicians also. is the question of
franchises. Nearly every important charter Of
a quasi-public character in Chicago will expire
within the next three years and while the
municipal administration is to be elected for
only two years. many important measures will
be acted upon by the men elected on April
next Hence the election is q nomentous one,
and il behooves the local advocates of honest
government TO agree upon some one candidate.
The Aldermanic campaign in the Twenty first
Ward of Honore Palmer son of Potter Palmer,
is going 10 be four ring circus. with the re-
doubtable James a Quinn chief ringmaster.
II will be a continuous performance Until April
2 Friends Of the young man, whose mother is
a leader Of Chioago's Four Hundred. and who
IS a Harvard graduate, clubman and social
luminary Of the first magnitude say he is sure
10 be elected. in spite of the fact that he is a
Democrat and lives in a strong Republican
ward. Mrs. Palmer has expressed herself as
being proud Of her sons ambition. and hopes he
viii be an Alderman. She says il is a plucky
thing for him TO DO in the face of such big odds.
Mr.. Palmer is a thorough aristocrat and wants
10 represent the silk stocking ward Of the town,
but his campaign is going TO be democratic in
spirit as Wen as IN name de Is going from
house TO house and from shop TO shop and tell
ing the plain people and the people who live in
brownstone mansions why he wants to be
Alderman. and what he intends to do for them
Sc he is elected. Mr. Palmers first speech Of the
- campaign VIII be made tomorrow night when
Ne will be nominated That he Will be nominated
Us foregone conclusion. as the wires have been
- laid by jimmy Quinn and Robert E. Burke
and the young mans candidacy has been
stamped with the emphatic Endorsement Of
Mayor Harrison.
In the Civil Service records hereafter meri-
torious acts Of Chicago policemen will be noted
10 counteract dement's. Each policeman on the
force VIII be credited with the number of arrests
he makes his acts in saving life and property
and displays Of courage Special books for this
purpose viii be sent to each Of the stations
When examinations for promotion are held
for the Police Department these daily ac-
counts viii form the basis for an efficiency
record. Commissioner Ella undertook 10 COM
plete the system, and in his report on the sub
9ect he says: The great trouble with promo
tional examinations. which the law says must
he by competitive examination among the mem
bers OF the next rank below in the Police De-
partment. has always been that there are almost
no records OF the trial board and the credit side
Of the account is missing"
Two years the Illinois Electric Vehicle
Company established its automobiles in Aichi-
gan-aVe. and proclaimed its intention Of ousting
the plain ole cab from the citv's streets Rut
the otY's streets have proved the stumbling
block OF autoCars, and last months heavy storms
were their Waterloo The usual Chicago pave
ment is bad enough but when heaped with snow
and slippery with ice il became impossible for
the electric vehicle. Since the storm the auto
mobiles have beeIi practically prohibited from
an quarters OF the city, except the downtown
districts, ana even within the latter only the
parlor floor" bouevards and such portions Of
other thoroughfaUes free from Illinois
mud and slush afforded the electric cab excuse
for being abroad. Because these things are so
the Illinois Electric Vehicle Company will go
out OF business April !. Said John J. Mitchell
director OF the company: Our automobiles
have been patronized sufficiently by the public
There has been no trouble about that. But the
streets Of Chicaso are so wretchedly paved that
progress over them wrenchzd the machines
making constant repairs necessary so much so
that all the profits in the business were con-
sunned meeting repair bills. Chicago must have
more civilized paVements before automobiles can
ever compete with antique horse cabs"
Chief Kipley. it seems. has finally discovered
that samoling exists in Chicago few weeks
ago before the grand jury he testified that
gambling was dead in Chicago and that il had
been dead during the four years Of his admin
istration. IL any one could prove to him that
gambling was going on in the city. he said he
wanted that persons photograph But he has
evidently seen great white light. Aroused by
the exposure OF policy and slot machine evils
the Chief has issued orders TO his commanding
officers 70 suppress all forms OF gambling in
their several districts In his communication
70 them he depiored the fact that notwithstand-
ing his numerous orders gambling of all de-
seription abounds throughout the city II is ex-
pectec that the March grand jury will probe
the subject
The Chicago Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty 10 Animals has undertaken 10 frame an
ordinance forbiddng any person 10 compel a
team OF Two horses 10 pull a load Of more than
eight thousand pounds not counting the wagon
Mrs. Theodore Thomas. the president of the So
ciery. is the author of the bill and she has the
promise of Alderman Byrne TO Introduce the
measure. 1T is common thing 10 see two
horses straining ana pulling at load of five or