The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27

plOyerS II II II ~ II II
OYvIT IS an odd thing that one family
i4s1t should carry big Democratic city
49, like this in its inside pocket. 1t
k12t is ffty-seven years since Chicago
was incorporated. and more than
one-fourth of that time it has been ruled
by the Harrisons. Some of its most turbu-
lent days were passed under Carter H. Har-
rison. the elder. and for the past seven
years it has thriven under the iron hand of
Carter II. Harrison, the younger. 1t is
thriving under his administration to-day.
growing bigger, broader and richer not
withstanding its strikes. its communities of
Socialists and Anarchists and its holocausts
of fire.
like these Harrisons. They have an non
est ring 10 them when you fling them down
on the counter of municipal and national
politics. They all come from the same
stock. Carter Harrison's great-great-great-
grandfather was the father of Benjamin
Harrison, who signed the Declaration Of In
dependence, and whose son, William H.
Harrison. was the ninth President of the
United States.
Young Carriers great-grandfather was the
first cousin of John c. Breckenridge and
also of President Ben Harrison; and his
own father was a statesman OF radical ideas
and no aversion TO using the machinery of
politics to carry them out
The present mayor of Chicago is chip
of the old block. He is politician, but at
the same time is conservative. practical and
safe. He is a friend of the workingman,
but is ready 10 enforce the laws when the
business interests are attacked; and as
such he to-day forms a part of the grist
which is being here ground out between the
upper and neither millstones of capital and
labor Indeed. it may be because the grind
ing is so hard that he is tired of the job.
At least he tells me that he is so and wants
10 retire.
The government of Chicago is no small
matter and its worries have begun to
sprinkle the mayors hair with gray. This
is no goody-goody Sunday-school town. and
its 100000 people need careful supervision.
The city covers a vast area. 1t has 1900
miles of streets, 1900 miles of sewers and
1t costs about So. 100000 a year to pay its
running expenses The mayor has 1900 en-
ployes under him and there are also the
City Council and subordinate officers. but il
is Carter Harrison who does the thinking
and acting, and 1T is he who gets the
blame.
The reason of my call was to ask about
the labor situation. 1 began with: MIR.
Mayor. why is Chicago the strike center of
the United States? There are more labor
troubles here than in any other place in
the country"
lone reason" said Mayor Harrison, sis
that we do more business than any other
place and also that our business is more
Iivars{6ad Chfca on ie rarhape the manu-
featuring center Of the United States. 1t
has great factories and factories of almost
every kind. Pittsburg. for instance. leads
the country in iron making, but we have
the Illinois Steel Company here. which is
of the largest in the world. We do
more packing than any other city and we
have car works, furniture works and, iii
fact. almost every kind of works. The re-
suit is that IL there Is a strike in any
branch of business the Chicago branch of
that business strikes in sympathy; This
gives us variety of strikes, which are
magnified by some of the newspapers.
whose sensational reports are telegraphed
all over the country.
Then Chicago is not as bad as ii is paint
mo, il is not" replied Mayor Harrison
ut is not an angel city, but 1t is far from
being the devil city that some people who
have never been here think il to be- On
the whole, 1T is about as good city as any
IN the country, and just about as 1ull or
Christian charity, common decency, good
order and brotherly love-"
But you certainly have many violent
1aboring men. Mr. Mayor. How about this
stopping funerals and stationng pickets
about the houses of the dead to keep non
union men from aiding in their interment'
Most OF these stories are lies, said
Mayor Harrison. The union drivers did
not refuse to drive hearses, as has been
alleged. They would not drive the car
riages, but IL was the liverymen who held
back the hearses. saying they would not
let them go out unless the carriages went
too. All such statements were exaggera-
tons. As to picketing the dead. as soon
1 heard there was any danger of such
thing / ordered the police to see that no
stragglers persons with evil intent were
allowed TO linger about within two blocks
of any house in which there was a DEATH
or within that distance of church where
funeral ceremony was being held.
And them, continued the mayor, why
single out Chicago for the sole condemna-
ton of the public when other cities have
been equally guilty as to strikes in respect
10 funerals? The same was the case I'm ST.
Louis but so far Chicago has received all
the opprobrium and ST. Louis Is hardly
mentioned
'sHow does your labor compare with that