The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-09-06


power in Democrats politics. At
the time of Rogers defeat uc9kins
was Mayor of the city. Roger. al
though hopelessly GU. OF office. still
Lad his $4,000.
Potter 60; into soinh kind of
raging b-sinoss. Roger" said John;
politics is uncertain.
This remark of the Mayor to bis
political lieutenant brings us plump
against the Ogden Gas deal, with
out the discussion of which no Jus
tice can be done the feeling of Chi
cago regarding this one of its erui-
nent citizens.
Stated So briefly as t, do Justice
to neither side, yet at sufficient
length for the general reader who
cares nothing in particular for Chi
ga gos internal woes, but would
merely understand something of ths
ethics of a man who may soon find
scat in the United States Senate, /
tho much may be said:
In the nineties. tho putting |
through of strike" franchises, gas |
or electric and tho organization 81 |
companies that never intended to
manufacture bgt merely to "holi
up operating companies already in
the field by selling out to them at
an cyorbitant price. was a profit
able and familiar game in the City |
Council
The ogden Gas Company appear
ed to the general view as just such
n deal. Croakings of scandal we're
heard from the moment OF tho in,
PRODUCTION of tho bill, and they still
7 echo. although 1t is twenty yesrs
since. Sullivan was early known as .
one Of the parties at interest, and
as the eompany's affairs worried
along through the municipality for
| u dozen or fifteen years. appeared |
as its executive head.
That Ogden Gas Deal.
II the company was projected as .
hold-up scheme, it did not work
ont that way In the beginning, for |
| the old company did not buy II and .
j. went to manufacturing gas upon !
It's own account. If, on the other |
hand, IT was a legitimate competi-
tive enterprise, the competitive fea-
| ture failed OF its purpose for it |
finally did pass into the hands OF !
| the older company, and that pur-
upon the backs of Chicago citizens
today. The sum realized ultimately |
hX-its. promoters is admitted to be !
/ three millions, and alleged to be as
! high 90 nine. In either event, and |
whether three or nine millions, the
= moral is29e, however, remains the
same
Sullivan. however, denies that |
there was moral issue He stout
~ contends that tn" enterprise was
leeitimately competitive, and points
TO the fact that it entered upon the I
manufacture Of gas. that price !
war resulted and the cost of such |
fuel to the consumer was greatly
reduced: and that, so far as selling :,
out Is concerned, his own holdings
have Just recently passed over, and
, that long after the city had gained
/ the right to regulate the price of |
gas, and hence could have no fur
| Their interest in maintaining COM
petition.
Nor does Roger admit that either
tho Transaction as a whole, around
which have "'"stered tho more i'm
portant activities Of his business
and political life, nor his personal
part in it. was in any way repre-
hensible.
A Cor 4 Man But
With him il was just piece of
Observation-Disclosures politics Once the
thing was launched he had to stay
in politics, day and night for
twenty years, to protect IL from as
sault, and pave the way for It's sue
cessful development and conclusion.
To this end he had to have friends
in the state Legislature and he had
to have friends in the City Council,
and he had them. He had to have
city organization and a down
state organization, and he had them.
He had to make trades and deals
and alliances, and he made them.
He aimed always to keep his po-
htical agreements When he had
TO have help he never questioned the
source from which It came. When
obligations had to be repaid he
found way to discharge them.
Both the Council and the state
Legislature at times in these twenty
years have been corrupt l am not
saying that Sullivan was corrupt. 1t
may not have been necessary. I do
not know whether he would have
yielded if il had bean nancrcarr. He
mi oh have Loo.