Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-08-23
Offices 3S Bliss Building.
Washington, u. G.

Washington. ID. G.
Editor Chicago Eagle. Chicago. III.
Dear Sir--ln your issue Of Aug. 9th.
In answering an inquiry from "Citi-
zen" you said. after defining the Ref
ercndum as the referring of public
legislation to the voters before such
legislation is placed upon Its final pas
sage" that "when the command of the
people. through the medium Of the
Referendum. shall bc backed ana en-
forced by u duly enacted law. then the
Referendum will he something for the
public officials To reckon with. and not
before" Mayor Harrison. In an inter
view In the Chicago American of Aug.
IL. Indicates that no extension OF street
railway franchises will be made with
his consent until the people have ap-
proved Il on u referendum vote. 1t
looks as II the public officials might
have to reckon with the Referendum,
even without ~ duly enacted law"
Those who disregard the will of the
people are likely To have to reckon with
It II they come up for reelection. any
way. But perhaps they would not
mind that. II they could make enough
In one transaction to retire from the al
derinnnlc business. Yours truly.
CHARLES T.. EDGERTON.
Our esteemed correspondent seems
to have secured pretty clear and
thorough grasp Of the idea which we
sought to express In our answer to
"Citizcn." lie. however. fails to
"cntch on" to what we sought to con-
vey In our reference to duly enact-
cd law. "rhe will Of the people," to
which he refers. can never find it's
proper expression excepting through a
duly enacted law" which II. after
all. the only real means through
which the peoples will can ever he
enforced.
4 referendum without the backing
OF n law II hardly necessary to draw
the attention Of the people TO an I'M
worthy public servant or to bad or
corrupt public official record. The
people have the remedy for such con-
ditiOns and such individuals In their
own hands. ana they can apply that
remedy In the most effectual way ut
the polls on election day.
The point we have sought to make
In regard to Legislative enactment
In regard to the referendum IL that
with properly drawn statute on the
statute books public officials can be
held Immediately amenable for their
acts, can he punished under the pro-
visions Of such law, and he thus de-
tered from wrong doing through fear
OF the snme.-Ed.
Chicago. Aug. III.
To the Editor Chicago Eagle.
Dear Sir-ln recent edition Of the
Tribune there was a kind Of composite
picture representing the family of one
OF the police officers who We're u few
nights ago slain while In the discharge
OF duty. and also n portrait of eX-Chief
Of Detectives Luke =. COlleran, headed,
Look on this picture and on that" II
IL easy 10 make false representation
of thingsby an unfair use Of the camera
and IN ingenious juXtaposition OF facts.
The paper which published this
composite picture, do not say did
so with any motive of personal spite
against or any c0ld-blooded attemp, To
work a foul injury to the brave police
officer, Colleran, but ! do allege that
the distortion of facts and conditions
contained both In the picture ana the
article appended thereto have gained
for Luke l.. Colleran more friends than
he had ever before.
The picture represented Mr.. C0lleran
as an able-bodied man drawing consid-
enbly over 500 per month In the shape
of n pension, while 1t pictured the fam
ily of the murdered policeman as re-
ceivlng S41 and some odd cents II
month, also as u pension.
Now. what are the facts?
COlleran would not he on the pension
roll to-day II dirty conspiracy had
not been hatched against him for polti.
cal reasons which managed to get cer-
tain celebrated Civil Service Commits
sion to retire him from the force on
trumped-up charges and the fiimsiest
of excuses. The man who Is now draw
Ing Colleran's pay would not be draw
Ing 1t. and Colleran would not now be
drawing a pension Were 1t not that o
newspaper conspiracy to destroy him
because he was supposed to be a close
friend of a certain Democratic leader.
had enlisted in M cause a man
who had 1t In his power to prove HIM
| self q loyal friend or an migrate. and