Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-02-28
Harlan Continues to Defy the Lightning,
Playing the Part of Perfect
Political Ajax.
The Traction Question Still Occupies the
Minds Of Political Leaders and
Voters Alike.
Other Conditions Prevailing in Body Polite
Which Will Out Big Figure
This Time.

The spring campaign. now fairly un.
der way. presents some unusual fca.
lures.
In both the great parties questions Of
candidates as we'll us of public policy
have arisen which are bound to have
a peculiar effect upon the election.
On the Republican side, John May.
nard Harlan Is creating a roily condi-
tion by his persistent animadversions
upon machine or organization politics.
From his position and his declarations
Republican leaders have been prompt
eel to demand of him an answer to the
question as to whether he will he will.
ing to abide by the action of the par.
tvs city convention. whether that nc.
tion means his own nomination. or not.
To this Mr.. Harlan has given an an.
swcr with a string tied tO II. He has
put In u large and ambiguous II, and
therein the entire party organization
has very naturally discerned an insult.
''1f' there Is no fraud ut the pri.
maries. Mr.. Harlan II reported as say
Ing. he would abide by the convention.
Thus. to II dispassionate observer. It
would seem. Mr.. Harlan gallantly de.
iies the very lightning to attract which
he has set up a very tall rod.
Notwithstanding these interesting
conditions. however. there are u host
Of candidates for the minor nominn.
tions on the Republican city ticket. Il
fact which displays n healthy condi
tiOn OF Affairs In that party ana u very
firm belief In the possibility OF Its sue
cess at the polls this spring.
There are ut least half u dozen as'
pirants to the nomination for City
Clerk. and there are three or four
strong men who seek the Treasurer.
ship nomination on the Republican
ticket.
For City Attorney the names of sew.
eral very good men have been fre.
Iuently mentioned, 40 that. taking the
situation all round. the Republican
campaign this year promises to he not
only unique In some of its features.
hut unusually lively.
%6A
With the Democrats conditions are
even more mixed and complicated.
With the County Central Committee
so confused and mixed up that 1t IL
not even certain as to when Its prl,
mnries or convention can be held. with
the executive committee deliberately
insulting the greatest Democratic or.
ganizatiOn In the West--the County
Democracy--and, worst Of all, with the
central committee Of an organlza tlon
unblushlngly indorsing and thereby
practically nominating a candidate be-
fore II has even called the primaries
for the convention. matters may be
said without eXaggeatlOn To be In II
chaotic condition on that side OF the
fence.
II l. this condition which gives the
Republican managers hope. The tenn
pOrary muddle over the traction ques
tiOn has pleased the short-sightcd pay
roll managers Of the Harrison cam,
paign. but 1t has not fooled or blinded
the voters.
The men who are In charge of this
campaign, however shrewd they may
he. seem 10 forget one thing in conncc-
tion with the traction question, ana
that Is this: Present conditions are Ia
the people intolerable. They are suf.
ferlng from them and they demand u
change.
And the people will have II change
even If they have TO get 1t by voting
for il at the polls.
~SA
Franchises OF fifty-taree lines now
owned and operated by the UniOI
Traction Company expire In 1908. The
list Includes all the important principal
and crosstown lines on the North and
West sides. Secretary George G. Skies
Of the street railway commission
compiled a table showing the fran
chises affected and 1t Is set forth In the
statement that twenty-seven Of the
franchises Were granted to the North
Chicago Street Railway Company and
twenty-sIx to the West Chicago Street
D.. Railway Company. Many Of the fran
ch!ses, as indicated by asterisks, are
subject to the act Of 1865.
Following Is list of the expiring
franchises:
State street, from Lake to Clark
streets, by Division street.
sClark street, from Washington
street 10 Fullerton avenue.
Clark street, from Fullerton avenue
to DIyersey boulevard.
Wells street and Fifth avenue, from
Randolph TO Clark streets.
Center street-Clark street to Lin
coin avenue.