Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-04-12
WALKER DIGS A POLITICAL GRAVE
FOR HIS BOSS.

FOR HIS BOSS.
"Cholly-boy" Walker. the individual
who rattlrs around in the chair once
filled by such men as Murray +. TIT
ley. Frank Adams. Charles Thornton.
and other lawyers of like calibcr has
started in doubtless without knowing
it, to dig u deep. dark political grave
for his "boss"--the man to whom he
Cthe "Cholly-boy") believes himself the
predestiued successor.
While Mayor Harrison is preparing
to get his lance in rest for another tilt
rs the "champion of the streets. his
l"Cholly.boy" Corporation Counsel Is ar
ranging to bury his patrons political
aspirations under the sidewalks
The Eagle does not believe that the
| ''Cholly boy" l. anxious to get rid Of
| the Mayor AT once. 50 that he himself
may all the sooner get chance To dis
play his peculiar talents IN the office
of Chief Executive. but II he were he
could not take n specdier method OF
driving Mr.. Harrison into. private life
than by pushing his scheme for exact.
| ing rent for sidewalk space from the
business men AMI property owners of
the city. The Eagle has more than
once drawn attention to the illcgality
and unfairness of this proposition. IL
has demonstrated that II carried into
effect II would he nothing shor, of an
imposition upon the property owners.
and one of the most unpopular .as well
as Illegal measures. ever Introduced
under any city administration of Chi
cago.
Strangely enough the Corporation
Counsel. In whose sapient think-tnnk
this scheme was originated rs one
means for replenishing the depleted
city treasury, has chung to 1t with al
the tenacity of the provcrbial drowning
man. despite all the warnings ana nr
gumrnts to the contrary which have
been advanced. These warnings nn'
arguments seem to have been thrown
away absolutely upon the city admin
istration. and acting under the advice
of the law department. the admins
tration advances along the lines of tn
extraordinary policy with an ura'
countablc faulty.
The result Is that the business mel
are up In arms all over the city. AM
the revolt against the Illegal tactics
the administration, II may he men
toned. Is particularly strong In thos
districts and thoroughfnr"s wher
stores and retail business places mr.
most plentiful ana independent indus
try most marked
As an illustration, the following
taken from the columns Of II recent cd
ton OF one of our daily contemporaries
Injunction proceedings to be inst
tuted by the Milwaukee Avenue Frol
erty Owners Association are cohiideh
~ relied on to establish the illegality
rent collections by the city for spac
beneath sidewalks.
1T was asserted last night at NEE
ing of the Milwaukee avenue men tina
in an interview yesterday with men
Der Of the association Corporate
r Counsel Walker had admitted that I'll
collection under Mayor Harrlson's II,
d ministration of 'subsidewalk' rental
:" averaging over 100000 yearly was NJ
In accordance with law and could haN
q been stopped any time by an appeal
II the courts, and yet IL was expected thu
h with the aid of the purpOsed new cit
" ordinance authorizing such renta
Ie nearly Sl.OOOOD would be added til
g. year to the city revenues from tn
II source.
Under the terms of resOlutio
le adopted unanimously, President Stra,
ir named W. G. Schuman, Joseph Grab
Ie II. Hecht, II. Chlman and NJ. FreuI
y AS a special committee to hire lawye
e for a fight to he waged Immediate
c. for permanent injunction against Il
Is rcntcollecting by the city,
WIN the citizens of Chicago pause
b. moment to take In the full slgniiican
Il. of this item of news, which Is but
4. sample of many similar ones recent
If published In the morning newspaper
10 VIII they contemplate for n moment
r. city administration willing 10 wriI
Is from the business men of Chicago
:. million dollars In taxes upon the "A
,r vice Of its Corporation Counsel who,
is alleged, admits that the ordinan
Il. under which II Is proposed to cole
in this large sum Il not legalf
10 win the taxpayers of Chicago OPP
:. their eyes To this thing, and II they d
what are they going to do about III
10 II the action Of the Milwaukee Az
a. nue. Property-Owners' Association
- 10 be taken as any indication OF I
10 feelings Of the general public, and
Of believe 1t may be, we could give pr
to ty close guess as to what Will happf
rd The Cholly Boy administration will
4. hit. and IL will never know what stru
yn IL.