Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-04-01
HARLAN vs.. dunno
ARTHUR WEST, FORMERLY OF
THIS CITY, TELLS OF cHIcA-
GO MUNICIPAL ELECTION.
Bright ottumwa Young Man Now ON
Staff of Chicago City Press Associa-
ton Writes to Courier-Personali-
ties and Platforms of Candidates.

ton Writes to courier-Personali
ties and Platforms of Candidates.
The municipal election in Chicago
next Tuesday, April A., which is at
tracing intense interest in almost
every state in the union, and the
j personalities and platforms OF
the two principal candidates, John M
Harlan and Judge Edward F. Dunno,
is the subject treated in an article
sent to the Courier by Arthur West a
former resident of Ottumwa, who is
now on the staff of the City Press as
ISOLATION in Chicago. Mr.. West has
constructed his article in a most in
teresting manner, explaining the stu
alton as he sees it in Chicago, de-
scribing the good points of the plat
forms of both the republican and dem
ocratic parties and in very concise
manner telling of the personalities OF
the two candidates.
Arthur West is the son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Philip C. West, 308 North Jeffer-
son street. He attended the high
school of this city, but shortly before
completing his course in that institu-
ton, he went to Chicago, where he
Immediately became connected with
the City Press association an organi-
cation which is to the Chicago papers
and Chicago generals news what the
Associated Press is to the papers and
the news Of the country as whole.
Since living in Chicago, he has met
with much success in his chosen field,
as the following excellently composed
letter will testify:
| MIR. Vests Letter.
"The approaching municipal cleo
ton in Chicago Is being watched
throughout the country with an inter
est that makes the issues at stake al
most national in Importance. The
question which the rival mayoralty
candidates are making their fight for
election Is confined almost entirely to
municipal ownership of the street rail
ways and it Is because the majority OF
American municipalities are irritated
by the same or correlative issue that
the outcome In Chicago is being
watched so closely by street railway
ridden communities in other parts of
the couf<ry. Those cities in which
the tracti,N companies are clamoring
for new franchises or the renewal OF
old ones and in which the favored cor
porations have trampled the public in
terests under foot, are watching Chi
cago with the hope of discovering a
pathway to freedom from their own
hopeless entanglements with the trac
ton or other public service interests
1t is felt also, that the theory Of mu
nicipal ownership Of the large public
service corporations in metropolitan
city, which has never been thoroughly
tried in this country, is about to be put
to the test and it is an eagerness TIC
ascertain the outcome with view tc
it's probable adaptation to their own
public service problems that is Great
ing in other cities such widespread
interest in the Chicago election.
Chicago probably, has the best and
worst transportation facilities in the
world. A person who has never en-
joyed the pleasure of stepping from
his doorway to an express train on the
Illinois Central or Northwestern rail
road, and being literally hurled to his
place of business from five to fifteer
miles away in as many minutes, car
not realize the possibilities in su
burban transportation in congestet
community like Chicago. 1t is also
certain that no one not having suf
ingly dragged and jerked through
dusty and unclean streets by the
abominable cable trains of the kint
that obtain on many Of the city's prin
cipal thoroughfares, can appreciate
the extent to which the citizens of {
metropolis can be outraged by cot
erie of selfish traction magnates.
The Street Railway Problem.
t'The streets railway problem in Chi
cago presents dual question of trans
portation and politics. For over fort!
years the people have been struggling
for improvement in their transporta
ton facilities and have approached
success only to be baked by clash
ing political interests. The histor!
of the struggle between the railwa.
managers and the representatives o
the people in the various state ant
federal courts reveals a number O
the greatest legal battles that were
ever fought in this country and OF
some of the decisions in these con
lSoCo navy lSoICo GAC loIC VI olluilO
struggles in other cities. Each may
orally campaign within the last fou1
generations has witnessed the unique
spectacle of the rival candidates pro
claiming himself a Moses, and promis
ing, in his ante-election talk tests, t.
lead the people from their long tern
of traction slavery. AS yet the pro
cession has not started and the
thralldom has become SO abject tina
it is almost unbearable.
Chicago has reached the parting
of the ways in the progress of her in
dustrial development The rapit
growth of the citys business interest.
and her ever increasing Importance al
a world center have united to max,
a change in the methods of the publ,
service corporations absolutely neces
sary. All parties and creeds ar,
agreed that municipality owned stree
cars, telephones, gas and lighting
plants are as essential to the ultimate
stability of the city as population il