Chicago eagle., 1902-03-08
Are Forced to Run the Gauntlet of an
Awful Aggregation of Fearful
Buns.
There Is No Reason Whatever Why They
Should Be Tolerated in This
City.
The Cheap lodging Houses" Themselves Are
Unsanitary and Should Be Closed
Up Tight

decent women. tn walk along the side.
walks NJ either side of this street. The
tramp topcrs are able to obtain large
quantities of the vilest kind of liuuor
for II few cents and on that account
ar" enabled to keep themselves in u
bcaStly condition most of the time. but
particularly during the evening aud
might hours.
AS has been pointed out. further west
uu Madison street there are some of the
! finest ana most reputable business
houses In Chicago. and It Is little short
of an outrage that conditions should
b" tolerated 10y the city authorities in
the immediate mcighborhoud of the
premises of these excellent and rcpu.
table business men and taxpayers.
which must he very detrimental To their
business.
Beyond all question. the lO.ccnt and
5-ccnt lodging houses are responsible
for all Of this dirt and lawlcssncss In
this part of the city.
They are maintained by irresponsible
parties. and are. ON account Of the
small revenue derivablc from them. and
the habits and conduct of their habit
ucs. allowed to fall into the most fright
ful condition from the point of view
of sanitary conditions and ordinary
| cleanliness.
IT til" cheap refugees for the Weary
Willics who flock here at certain peri
| t..Il t.,. a. h.l a
have to leave and seek pastures new,
and II the hObOes were once driven out
the barrel-housc dives would soon
thereafter disappear for lack of patron.
age.
Now that II has been demonstrated
that municipal lodging houses can bc
put up AMI maintained ut little or no
cost by the authorities. that these can
give clean. comfortable and wholesome
lodging and food 10 the deserving poor
In times of distress. help those willing
to work To lind employment. and aid
the police In rounding up lazy. idle and
dirty vagrants ana thus Kidding the
city of such rascals. the wonder II, why
the health authorities do not take the
necessary steps In the matter.
1t Is stated on good authority that
the health officials hands are tied out
Of consideration In certain quarters for
the political fortunes and interests of
certain office holders and professional
politicians.
| Is 1t possible that this Is true:
| Can II he that public nuisanccs arc
| allowed to he maintained In certain
! quarters of this city solely for the hem
ciit of tough politicians;
The history Of local politics In this
city shows that there * good grounds
for the suspicion that places like the
lodging house district of the Eighteenth
Ward have been permitted 10 exist in
defiance of all the laws oi sanitation In
order that such places may be made
use of in election times for the pur'
poses of colonization in the interest of
| local political heclcrs.
| Surely 1t cannot he possible that the
| Democratic party needs either such
methods or such individuals 10 main
tain itself. The Eagle does not for
moment believe any such thing.
But whatever the reasons may he for
| the existence of the lodging house nui-
sane" ana It's accompanying pests, the
public health, the cause Of public NOR.
allty and the interests of all sclfrc.
| spccting ana law.abidlng citizens in
| this community demand that the dime
and nickel lodging houses in this dis
trlct be torn down, or closed up. until
the owners thereof shall have put them
In sanitary condition.
such I'M enforcement Of the law
would speedily diSpcrsc the army of
hObOcs, and remove Il menace 10 the
factories, the large stores and other
reputable and business concerns 10.
Gated I'm the ncighbOrhu0d In question.
and If this should have the effect of
driving certain tough puthoUSr politl.
clans ont Of "XiStcncc-why. So much
the better.