Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-08-09


Dear Sir--lf q candidate for Office
should refuse to sign a pledge insisted
upon by daily newspaper. is he
thereby rendered ineligible tU office
and are the voters thereby deprived Of
the right to vote for him. have been
In the habit Of voting tickets fixed up
by certain newspaper In this city
because Thought It's recommendations
carried sUrt of scmiotiiefal author
Ity with them. but lately I understand
that the voters can with perfect i'm
punity disregard the ipsi dixit Of any
newspaper In the matter Of selecting
their public officers. Can YOU e1llight.
on me or this Mbject2 Yours.
ENQUIRER.
tNO newspaper. no matter how wide
It's circulation. can do more than make
recommendations Some newspapers
claim to possess the quality wiTirh
they spell thus. 'inhOOence." but II
they do 1t Is with rapidly diminish
Ing clientage, namely. those who Wss.
not think for themselves. AZ regards
pledges" from candidates, that sort OF
thing IL sheer nonsense. Everybody
knows that these sort Of pledges do iDti
bind. II II to the people and not to ths
editors Of newspapers that public Off.
cinls are accountable. and II II public
official violates the law creating and
governing the office to which he IL
elected the people can bring him to an
accounting ana the public thereby NJ
cure lfs remedy.--EdJ
Chicago. August z. 1902.
Editor Chicago EaEc:
Dear Sir:--If we should have In, rc.
gard to the settlement Of the traction
question. the referendum Of which we
hear and read so much just now. will
It In any way benefit the public In
the final settlement Of the case. and
II no. how?
Yours truly.
CITIZEN.
Crhere In no law IN this State provld-
ing for the referendum--in other words
the referring Off public legislation to-
the voters before such legislation IT,
placed upon its final passage.
Any artificial methods that may bs
resOrted to In ttfs direction amount
merely to bunc0mbe, ana can not have
any binding effect upon the elected
representatives OF the people in e'oity
council. the State legislature or any
where else. When the command Of the
people through the medium Of tho ref
erendum shall be backed and enforced
by u duly enacted law then the referen-
dun will lie something for the public
officials to reckon with, but not before.
-Ed)
August 3, 1902.
TO the Editor of The Eagle,
Sir: - The daily newspapers an
nOunced Inst week that race tips must
not to be sold on the news stands, and
Chief O'Nelll is reported to have said
that all Of these 'cards," bulletins"
and Otaisr "tips ON the ponies'' nrust be
cOnfiscated wherever the copper on
the beat finds them or the news
stands.
Now desire to say that In my Opin-
ion, II that order IL to be enforced TO
the letter every daily newspaper In
Chicago should be cOntiscated.
Not only do they undertake to give
tips on the races, but they go to the
extreme Of publishing their sporting,
gambling ana clipping" section In
sporty cOlOrs, tO-wit, pink, blue, etc.
To such an extent have they carried
this business that believe II IL largely
cOntributOry to the debauchment of the
youth Of the country. ! have friend
who has u little son thirteen years old
ana that boy will actually steal out
of bed to the front porch ut o'clock
In the morning to get the cOlOred sup
plement, read the results of the pre-
viOns days racing, base ball games,
etc, and study the dope. He, | am
told can tell you the standing of evey
ball team In the various 'leagues" and
outside OF them, he knows the per-
fOrmances of every notable trOtter ana
racer on the turf and he il In fact,
sporty" How has he acquired the
knowledge?
I Through the newspapers, not obtain
ed on the news stands but deposited on
the front pOrches Of the people. Some
Of these newspapers amusc the pub
lie by inveighing against the very kind
of sport to which they devote daily
columns of space. In some Of them
we find there are special sections taken
care Of by the "Base Ball Editor" the
Turf Editor" the Ring Editor" the
"GOlf Editor" and so on. suppose