Chicago eagle. [volume], December 03, 1904, Image 1

About Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??

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VOLUME XXXI.
WATCH THE CRANKS.
Host of Alleged Reformers Now Tinkering
with Municipal Law Will Bear
Close Scrutiny.
Danger of Much Injury to Chicago
Involved in Radical Handling
of the Question.
Fadi, Theories and Multitudes of Suggestions
Are Now Pouring in from
All Sides.
Some Are Revolutionary, While Several Others
,, Are Uncalled For, Unnecessary and
Would Be Expensive.
Citizens' of Standing and Experience in Pub
lic Affairs Give Advice to
Go Slow.
The public should wutch closely tbe
mil lieu vers or tbe host of busybodles
now engaged lu tinkering with the city
cliiirtei'.
There In more danger hi these move
ment than the muss of the people
eetn to realize; mul It In to be hoped
that tho public will n'.illze thin be
fore It It) too late.
While there are several able and
worthy men engaged more or less ac
tivity on this work, there Is u large
number alo who have axes to grind,
whether It bo In tho exploitation of
fads or theories tho carrying out of
personal alum, objects or ambitious, or
tho satisfying of personal or political
Hpltos or grudges. Such Individuals as
theso should be allowed to have as lit
tle to do as possible with the amend
ing of the city charter, for In pursu
ing their personal alms they are not
unlikely to woik great Injury to Chi
cago. Wo will quote one proposed amend
ment by way of Illustration. This
proposition Is to deprive tho Mayor of
tho right of presiding at tho meetings
of the City Council.
Wo liavo u strong suspicion tho ob
ject In making this suggestion was the
petty and unworthy one of creating an
opportunity to tako u fling tit Mayor
Harrison.
Hut whatever may be tho motive, we
think tho proposition a mischievous
one, and wo believe tho overwhelming
majority of the people of this city tiro
of tho mime way of thinking.
Whatever Mayor Harrison's critics
may say of his general public policy as
hlef executive, none of them will
deny, his personal honesty.
Ho has worked hard and earnestly
to shapo tho legislation of this munici
pality honestly and to tho best Inter
ests of the people. Ills participation In
tho proceedings of tho City Council lias
always had a bcuoflciai Influence.
Wo confess wo can seo no reason
whntovor why tho Mayor should not lie
tho presiding olllcer of tho Council.
Why should not ho, chosen by n ma
jority of tho voters of all tho city, bo
as tlttlng a presiding olllcer, as a man
elected by only ono ward, appointed
by a majority of his colleagues of the
Council ?
Wo havo had occasion to erltlclso
somo of. Mayor Harrison's actions lu
tho past, but It Is only common Ju
tlco to say that by his vetoes and mes
sages, and his rulings In tho chair as
president of tho Council, ho has done
much to guldo to proper solution some
of tho great problems tlint havo long
confronted tho peoplo of Chicago,
If wo a ro to bo guided by example,
wo need only to look to St. Louis nud
Minneapolis, -wlicro tho city councils
nro not presided over by tho Mayors,
for tho strongest kind of argument
against tiny such proposal.
This Is only ouo of tho myriad of
suggestions, good, bad and Indifferent,
that havo boon pouring In on tho mom-
bors of tho legislating lu regard to tlio
charter.
Wo believe. Judgo Adams' wlso and
conservative advlco on this charter
business should bo taken to heart by
our representatives lu tho General As
sembly. They should amend tho char
tor, as nmondments seem to bo needed,
and not attempt to foist upon us n
whole now charter at one fell swoop,
that may accomplish untold mischief.
Mcantlmo wo bollovo thero should
bo as few outsldo meddlers as possible
In this business of nmendlng the char
ter. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."
The chosen representatives of the
peoplo would of course do well to take
council with a few sound and experi
enced lawyers, and with the leading
olllclals of tho city, and then proceed
along the lines laid down by Judge
Adams.
It Is to bo hoped that there will bo
no delay In granting the petition of
the Union Traction Company for per
mission to borrow Sjm.OOu.000 with
which to tide over the winter mouths
and to meet various expenses. Tho
public Is greatly Interested lu this, as
Involved lu It Is n proposition for bet
terment of the service by tho use of
electricity when the cable Is abandon
ed and tho cars enter the downtown
district over the bridges. Tho grant
ing of the petition should be promptly
followed by the passage of tho neces
sary loop permits by the Council.
Civil service "reform" has virtually
ruined tlio Chicago pollco and lire de
partments. It has taken the authority
away from superior otllcers; made loaf
ers secure in their Jobs nnd given well
read stiffs an opportunity for advance
ment over bravo and deserving, but
poorly educated men.
Kx-Aldcrmnn John McOlllen has
been appointed chief bailiff of the
Criminal Court by Sheriff Uarrett.
Pass tho City Hallway ordinance.
The Mayor Is right on tho traction
question, Stand by him.
A general Increase In cltv licenses
Is the latest proposal lu tho lino of
squeezing tho Inst dollar out of tho
business clement In order to maintain
tho city pay rolls at tho present stand
ard.
Republican ward organizations lu
the Tenth, Twelfth, Nineteenth, Twen
tieth and Thirty-fifth Wards havo In
dorsed John M. Harlan for Mayor, it
looks dally moro nnd moro llko an
other battle royal between Harlan tindj
Harrinou next spring, with tho chances
!l to 1 In favor of tho latter.
Acting on tho advice of Chairman
.Tames Itcddlck, the local Republican
organization will take no part In tho
framing of the proposed now city char
ter. Mr. Ileddlck usually knows what
he Is about, and lu this case ho Is right
as usual.
Ono thing that has been discovered
In connection with tho constitutional
amendment enabling act Is that tho
consolidation ofvtho Sanitary District
and tho'county governments with tho
city is impossible under tho law. This
will bo pleuslng nows to tho public.
General overhauling of tho rules gov
erning tho flro department should not
bo overlooked or disregarded by tho
law makers at Springfield.
James J, Gray, Slgmund Zolslcr,
Hoswell D, Mason and John E. Owens
wero appointed masters in chaucery
last Tuesday by Judges Kersten,
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1904.
Walker, Honoro nnd llrown respect
ively. Stlllninu II. .Iiunlewiii was re
appointed by .Judge- Cilbbons. They
arc all excellent appointments, the gen
tlemen chosen being lawyers and well
lltted for the duties of tho otllce.
Wo nro glad to note that the sug
gestion to put all of the county olli
ces In Cook County under tho merit
system, which we offered Immediate
ly after tho last election, Is being fol
lowed out. President-elect Kdwnrd .1.
Hrundago of rjio County Hoard has
announced his determination to recom
mend bills U tho Legislature for the
extension of tho civil service, to tho
otllces of tho Sheriff, County Auditor,
Hecordor, Coroner. Clerk of tho courts
and other departments.
What Chicago needs most Is a tiro
department.
Aldormnn Scully's two platoon bill
for tho flro department should bo care
fully considered liofore being adopted.
It Is Just barely posslblo that such an
ordlnanco would havo tho effect of
crippling tho department oven more
than at presont.
Now tho City Council has asked tho
Legislature to pass an antl-horso
racing bill. This will afford sonio of
tho moro enterprising of our Stato
solons a now and graceful opportunity
of bringing on tho carpet an old-time
nnd rellablo "producer."
Hon. .Tohn .1. Mitchell, president of
tho Illinois Trust and Savings Hank,
Is ouo of tho men who havo dono most
to build up the commercial and busi
ness supromaey of Chicago. Mr. Mitch
ell, In addition to 'being a most useful
nnd public spirited citizen, Is beyond
all question ono of the greatest lliinu
clers of tho country. As ono of tho
lenders In tho great subway movement
Mr. Mitchell Is tho right man In the
right place. His very namo in the
business world Implies confidence, and
any nnd all enterprises with which
It Is connected nro bound to be suc
cessful. Charles S. Deneen will mako a good
Governor. ,
Tho now city charter should pro
vldo for n flro commission of thrco
mon, to run tho flro department, Ex
Marshals Matt Bonner nnd William
II. Musuaui would mako two good
members of tho body.
lion. William E. Mason, tho brilliant
lawyer and public spirited citizen
whoso namo has been so long nud so
creditably Interwoven with tho polit
ical history of tho Stato of Illinois, Is
spoken of as a good roan for the ofllco
of Railroad and Warehouse Commls-
"INDEPENDENT IN ALL THINGS. NEUTRAL
FRANCIS 8. PEABODY,
The Great Business Man, Who Would Make a Splendid Mayor.
sloner. Governor Deneen could do no
moro graceful act than to appoint Mr.
Mason to his ofllce.
Governor-elect Deneen was right, as
usual, when he said: "We should go
slowly on the charter proportion.
Thero are too many ready made, drop
a nickel lu the slot charters being pro
pared in Chicago at the present time.
One becomes appalled when he thinks
of tho vast number of such documents
that will be thrust at tho members of
the next Legislature. It is time to
sound a note of warning."
Thero should bo no Joko alout sup
pressing the race track dope. The
nowspapers which havo been publish
ing it have done great Injury to public
moral, and the law prohibiting such
publications should bo rigorously en
forced without fear or favor.
Tho Eaglo stated last week that the
municipal ownership movement was
dead. It was hurled out of sight, by
the City Council at Its meeting of
Monday last.
Tho Knglo has caTled attention to the
fact that the lire department has sadly
deteriorated. That the position wo
havo token In- this regard is Justified
may bo Judged from tho following ex
tract from tho proceedings of tho last
Council meeting: "Fifty-four business
firms In tho vicinity of 22d street and
Who Island avenue petitioned tho
Council to establish a system of lire
protection lu tho neighborhood. Tho
petition asserted that Insurance In tho
neighborhood In somo Instances reach
es 7 per cent and thnt "sullkieut sound
Insurance cannot bo secured ut any
price." Some of tho signers were:
Soper Company, Atlas ltrowlng Com
pany, Tnlon Horse Nail Company,
Henry l'ratt Holler and Mnchluo Com
pany, Lako Superior Filing Company,
Miller llrothers, Clinton Glass Com
pany. Chicago Stovo Works, Monarch
Lumber Company, Union Molding
Company, A, II. Androws Company,
Foley Manufacturing Company and
Soymour fc Peck Company."
With a charter commlttoo mndo up
of 2x1 Aldermen nnd Laboo Skates,
Chicago has, Indeed, much to look for
ward to,
Mr, John A. Carroll, tho well-known
nnd popular South SIdo business man
is n leader In tho real estate world.
Mr. Carroll la an upright citizen, enpa
bio aud public spirited, and deserves
to an eminent degrco tho success that
has attended him,
Speaking of Littlo Alderman Ailing
as a roformor, City Scaler Qulnn is
quoted as saying: "I notlco tluit now
thnt thero is so littlo doing In tlio lino
of replevying wringers and sowing
IN NONE."
- TWELVE PAGES.
machine., young lawyers of good
shape llinl they must mingle lu public
affairs."
Hon. Francis S. Teaboily Is a Demo
crat who could carry the party banner
to victory In the coining mayoralty
election. Many of the party leaders
are talking of tendering him the nom
ination. Tho Labor Skates havo rung them
selves lu on the new charter commit
tee. Thirteen musters lu chancery have
been named by Judges of the Circuit
Court, Including four new masters and
eight who weio reappointed. The
four now men are:
.James J. Gray, chosen by .Judge
Kersten,
Slgiuuud Zolsler, chosen by .Judge
Walker.
Hoswell II. Mason, chosen by Judge
Honore.
Ji)lii H. Owens, chosen by .Tudgc
llrown.
Seven who wero reappointed, and
tho judges selecting them nro:
Jeremiah Learning .Judge Tuley.
John S. Hummer Judge Dunne.
William l- Cooper Judgo Adams.
S. II. Jnmteson Judgo Gibbons.
Thomas J. Walsh Judgo Clifford.
Thomas Taylor, Jr. Judge Wlndes.
Hor.itlo L. Walt Judgo Tuthlll.
In addition Kdwnrd A. nicker, first
appointed by Judgo Waterman, was
re-selected by Judgo Smith.
George Mills itogors was appointed
by Judge linker.
lion. Fred A. Husso has nn n place
for himself In tho front ranks of the
Republican leaders of tho State of
Illinois.
Chicago has never missed an oppor
tunity to jump on tho Labor Skates
with both foot, at tho polls and else
where. Why, then, arc tho Labor
Skates taking such a prominent part
In the uow charter movement?
Joseph Lister, the well-known manu
facturer, nnd popular business man,
has tho esteem and good will of tho
community. Ho is a largo employer
of labor, pays the highest wages, and
treats his employes with justlco aud
'generosity.
Tho Kaglo hellovcs with ninny of
our best citizens that Androw J. Grn
ffain would mako an Ideal Mayor of
Chicago.
No man has dono moro for tlio Re
publican party In Cook County than
Hon. James l'cnse, tho veteran Lako
View leader.
Tho flro department lucks discipline
WHAT AWFUL CHEEK!
The Embezzling Ex -Secretary of the Board
of Education Wants Permission to
Come Back.
Schemes Hatched
Sympathizers of
Public
To Foist Him on This Community Will Not
Be Tolerated by the
Public.
No Reason Why His Offense, Which Gave So
Much Public Scandal, Should Be
Condoned. ,
Chicago Wants None of This Man's Ilk Will
Do Best Where Least
Known.
Another movement has been set on
foot to bring back to Chicago W, A. S.
Graham, the embezzler, who as secre
tary of the Hoard of Education appro
priated to his own use several thou
sand dollars of public funds.
This attempt should be at once
blocked, and the Eagle Is much mis
taken, if flic general public does not
vigorously protest against It If It
should be persisted lu. The Eagle pro
tests against It upon the grounds of
public policy and public decency.
Graham did an act which lu his ca
pacity as secretary of the Hoard of
Education constituted a glaring and
damnable public scandal.
He embezzled the money paid by
the taxpayers for the maintenance of
the public schools aud for the educa
tion of the yduth of Chicago.
IIS example to the chtldieii of Chi
cago was ii horrible one and a bad ex
ample has always been the most fruit
ful source of crime.
What could be worse than tho ex
ample set by W. A. S. Graham ns sec
retary of the Hoard of Education to
the rising generation in this city'.'
What must bo the effect upon the'
moral make-up of a child attending a
public school established aud main
tained under a system tho secretary of
which had to become a fugltlvo from
Justice In order to esc.ipu the tlttlng
punishment of his offense.
Tho same Justice and the same laws
from which Graham fled a few years
ago still prevail in tho Stato of Illi
nois. They should operate to keep this
man out of the State ami by his ban
ishment to minimize as far as possible
the evil results of his bad example.
The Stato of Illinois nud tho city of
Chicago can get along very well with
out Graham or his Ilk. Tho individu
als who perhaps, on tho grounds of
fellow feeling, uro anxious to havo
Graham rehabilitated lu this communi
ty, hhoulil be at mice made the subject
of a close Investigation by tho authori
ties. The fact that Graham escaped
punishment by becoming a fugltlvo
from Justice should coustltuto no tea-
sou for foisting him again upon the
community.
The fact that ho has gono for years
imwhlpped of Justice, should, Instead
of constituting a reason for condoning
,. . .v I... I.. ,1.1.... I. II-
HIS uiiciiM-, lie, u iiiij.iuiiK, mi iiii.ii -
tlonal reason for his punishment, tar
dy though It be.
There are men In tho State pcnltcn-
tlary of Illinois to-day whoso olie.iso
against the law was In no way more
serious than Graham's, and wo know
of men whoso defalcation of public
funds was forced upon them by cnndl-
tlons over which they hud no control,
and which defalcation was afterward
niniin irnml. but who nnvo had to sun
tin, liltlnr cnii of liiniKliinent to tlio
dregs.
Why Graham should bo given a spe
cial Indulgence, or what ho hasi dono
to entitle hlni to cnndotiouiout of his
act Is something that wo nro unablo
to niako'out. Wo havo not hoard that
ho has reimbursed tho Hoard of Edu
cation, and If ouo Is to Judgo by tho
record which his flight from this cttj
caused to bo exposed, there Is not
much likelihood that ho would bo tho
kind of ninn who could bo deponded
upon to fill n position of trust lu tho
future
No methods wero to small for Gra
J ham In pursuing his peculations as sec
NUMBER 791.
by Friends and
This Pilferer of
Funds
rctary of tho Hoard of Education.
Nino hundred of tho several thousand,
dollars which ho appropriated for tho
purpose of gambling on tho Stock Ex
change was obtained by methods
which throw a peculiarly strong nnd
searching light upon G rah urn's char
acter. lie made a business of issuing
checks lu excess of teachers' salaries,
tho result being that tho check vraa
always returned, Graham then paying
tho proper amount lu currency, while
lie Invnlrably pocketed tho difference
between the amount of tho chock anil
tho amount actually due by tho board
and paid by him. In this way ho man
aged to embezzle $fH0 of tho public
funds, and It Is on record that In one
case he took as low as a dollar and u
quarter lu the course of theso trans
actions. A man with a record such as Gra
ham has would do best wljero ho la
least known,
The people of Chicago know him,
and do not deslro his presence here.
For some leason or other tho es
teemed Tribune keeps harping contin
ually upon tho proposition to nbollsli
Justice courts as ono of tho "two main
tontines" of tho charter amendment
agitation. What posslblo benefit can
there be for tlio public in nbollshlng
Justice courts nnd establishing munici
pal court lu place of them?
Consolidation of tho park boards,
tho Hoard of Education, and of nil
other-local taxing bodies with tho city
administration 1 tho cry of two or
threo of tho so-called reform organi
zations. Tho city government of Chi
cago Is unwieldy enough as at present
constituted, without adding moro
pntch work to Its mnke-up.
Lively times In tlio Republican ward
primaries Indlcoto a healthy condition
of affairs In tho local organizations of
that party.
of course tho friends of Judgo Han-
i oey swept all opposition before them
, In tho Second Ward. In addition to
, mng a great lawyer, Judgo llanecy Is
t u Uorti leader,
. '
' A
i ,,..-,. l,.niT,,wi h.w ,l..e1lni..l t.i n.
pervlso the annual election of ofllcer.s
of tho County Democracy. The Judgo
nlnl flint- tlir, rni.nti'itp timet- liriisnrvil
, Umt n mpml) wlll,tIu)l.
8n, ,m ,lcnntlU(l
1.,11..,.i,mt..
lo l1"""-"'""- jtac
, , fi;v
i Now It Is tho 'Ihlrty-fltth Ward
tluit Is allllcfed with a water fain no
, "wing to a lack of mains: and yet tho
('lty
fathers keep up the talk about
appropriating tlio wafer fund to maku
up the pay rolls.
I'atrlck 0. Haley, tho brilliant nnd
successful special counsel for tlio
Dvalnago Hoard, has, during his otll
clal connection with that body, ren
dered vnluablo sorvlces to tho pnbllu
and tho taxpayers. Tho announcement
that Mr. Haley had determined to sev
er ills connection with tho board was
received by tho public with genulno re
gret, Tho published statements re
garding tho announcement have It that
Mr. Haloy's proposed resignation of
- 1 tho ofllco Is caused by tho fact that
Ptfyit' Htt '..? tM-MMtey- y j w , t-.
r1 X..i, hi Vf