Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-11-05
DEFEAT Tue NEW CHARTER PRCP.
OSifiON.


be defeated.
1t Is one OF the worst measures ever
proposed or submitted to the people of
this city, and it is TO be hoped that
the voters will reject ii.
Every citizen. and particularly cv.
cry householder and taxpayer. who
pauscs to consider this proposition and
get a clear idea of what is really In.
volvcd in IL, will vote mo" when Il Is
presented to him Oh the ballot OH cleo
ton day.
II through neglect. carclessness. or
being carried away by the specious ar
guments and representation of certain
newspapers and other Interested par.
ties, the voters of Chicago permit this
proposition to be adopted, they will
sorely regret IL.
In brief. the proposed amendment
to the charter would authorize the city
of Chicago to increase Its bonded in
dcbtcdness, which is now restricted To
per cent Of It's property valuation.
1t Is also. we understand. meditatcd
to so increase the scope of the charter
as to take control of the Drainage
Canal, the parks and boulevard sys.
tens and other institutions from the
independent bodies In which it Is now
vested. and placing them In charge Of
| the city administration. which. 1t Is
| the hope OF these Interested parties, in
| gliding certain dailies. will be in fli-
| ture dominated AMI dictated to 10y
| themselves.
Now. none of these facts are set
forth or even limited at In the PROPOSE.
ton as II will bc printed on the official
ballot AMI submitted to the voters.
1t Is presented under the gulsc Of
q great reform which Is to take Chi
cago ont of its swaddllng clothes and
array her In the garb of full.grown
metropolis.
What 1t will really do IL adopted
Is this:
It will enormously increase taxes,
bankrupt thousands of small property
owners and knock whatever little life
there is left in real estate property In
Chicago completely out OF 1t.
Chicago's bonded Indebtedness Is
now, we repeat. restricted to > per
cent OF its property valuation. There
Is nothing In this amendment to show
that 1t would not permit the city to 10
bonded to 100 per cent of Its valua-
ton. Any increase would he Il hard.
ship to the already Overtaxcd proper
ty owners, and IL IN increase be an.
thorized it is sure to be substan.
tlal one.
1t has been tho policy for some
time past to devise and put into exc
cution every possible scheme to wiring
more taxes out of the unfortunate
property owners of this city. From the
water meter scheme, which purposes
to compel the taxpayers to pay SIX
million dollars for machines to Increase
their own taxation, all along the line
down to minor plans for leasing spaces
under sidewalks, etc. the general
trend seems to he to grind the last
dollar out of the property owners.
The new charter amendment comes,
not in the shape of the proverblnl last
straw, but rather In that of veritablc
threatened avalanche of taxation.
The affairs of the Sanitary District
have been efficiently ana economical
~ conducted by the administrative
bodies created by the Legislature
which created the district. Why they
| should be taken away from such
bodies ana vested in the city admins
trati0n, nobody outside those engaged
| In the scheme can answer, although
| some of us have our suspicious
The North and West Park systems
are in control of State Boards, and
they should be allowed to remain there,
for the city seems, in all conscience,
to have all it can do to attend to the
various duties which it now has
| charge Of
| Another idea which seems to be in
vOlved in this proposition Is the abOl-
| ishment of justice courts. This may
sound all very well as a catch cry,
popular for the moment; but when we
come to examine it closely 1t loses
much of its glamOr
While we admit that there are some
justices of the peace who are dis
grace to the office, and whose practices
should be sufficient grounds for de-
prlving them of their commissions, II
| Is nevertheless a fact that the great
body Of the justices Of the peace OF
Chicago are capable, honorable men.
TO abolish the entire justice system