The Republicans succeeded in secur
ing the defeat of Mayor Dunne and his
policy of “immediate” municipal own
ership of the traction lines in Chicago.
The fight was complicated by the sell
ing out of the Democratic city council
to the traction interests, and the pas
sage of an ordinance granting 20 year
franchises upon conditions, the ulti
mate one being the right of the city
at the end of 20 years to take over the
lines at a liquidatable price.
The result is only a brief postpone
ment of an inevitable end. It will not
be long before the mixed elements of
Chicago will unite and seize the street
traction lines of that great city.
2 Cents In Pennsylvania.
The governor of Pennsylvania has
signed the law fixing two cents per
mile as the maximum rate for railroad
fares in that state. President McCrea,
of the once omnipotent Pennsylvania
System, protested vigorously against
the signing of the bill, but without
avail. It must be a daily source of
jim-jams in the Penn’s headquarters
in Philadelphia to know that at last
that great commonwealth has a gov
ernor who is not a bell-boy in buttons
to fetch and carry for that cormorant
corporation. It is positively shocking
—this awakening of railway magnates
to the fact that they are no longer
the “Robinson Crusoes of the Repub
lic.”
Senator Taylor is Sick.
Senator Bob Taylor, of Tennessee,
fell sick at Dallas, Texas, last week
and was forced to cancel certain of
his lecture engagements in the Lone
Star state. His condition is not se
rious.
The Harriman-Roosevelt Row.
Harriman has “peached” on the pres
ident, accusing Roosevelt of seducing
him into raising $200,000 for the New
York campaign fund of 1904, of which
sum Harriman gave $50,000 himself.
