A Good Lecture

Hon. Frank .1. Loescli addressed l.he Good Goveruiiii'iii Club Saturday night on the subject, "Practical Polli a Greal City." TUere was but a small erowd in attendonce, imt tlie It-cture was greatly appretiated by those who hcanl ii. The speafcer's lecture was snbstantially as follows: Tlie im?re good of the public is hardy ever an EndnceuieDt Eor greal effor! oe the pari c-i politiclans. It Is nfompatlble to be both a lawyer witii u good success, and a politlcian at the time. Bul politics appeai to ■arger ideas and broader humanity rlian the every day drudgery of the lawyer's Ufe. Chicago is nol a political imity, Imt is eomposecl of four large divisioiis and many sinalldi ;u ■ all adverse to tlie oihers. Tüe - tj is governed by a charter of limited power. The council cousists oi' 68 nu bers iwo from eaea of the 34 wards. The mayor has the veto power o vet !.:ts of the counsel, and ir requires 4ö votes to overrule lus veto. The ehief features of Chicago's eorruption are conneeted with raislug of the revenues. Fot this purpose the ■■;'. Is fllvided nto towus. Éach towu e-lects a supervisor, an assessor nul a collector. T!he assessors are supposed personally to see all assessable property in the town and assess ii. and on this Teturn the taxes are levied. Tm ii.isesment is to be finished befare the fourth Monday in .Timo, so that those who may wlsh to appeal from assessor's returns may do so on that day to the Board of Review. As ;; matter oí fací the assessmenl is never returned iiy Uiai date so that 110 appeal is open to citlzens, bui they are left to the i' ercy of the assessor. Xhe vndesl corroptlon is practieed by these officials. The city is limited ro a two per cent tax on assessor's returii. The tolal assessetl valuation of Chicago is today severa] mlllions less than it was 55 yeai's agO. The assessor appoints ilopntles and these through thinT partios see all property owners. Mnny i nies a cltlzen is approached, and is nffered a reduction of f: certain .: nount in bis assessmeut on payment of a certain suni. lf he refuses his assessment is raised and he must pay ies on it. This corrupt practice is ne of the two worst evlls in Chicago. 'lie other is that incident to graoting ' public privileges, sucli as gas and neet rallwayg. ProtoaWy nine-tenhs f the corruptiou in Chicago is due to oodling done by private ooi-poratioais atteruptlng to secure franchiseb vithout a fair remuneration to the ublic. The reniedy imw proposed tor he former is to do away with townliip aasessment and have the assess■ent made by a eounty board insteaö 'he only remely for the latter is ro eep up discussion muil enough Uonidermen are elected to prevent the :iving of any public franchise wlth ut adequate returns. This oannot be "lic until the Standard of private and public moráis iu Chicago is raised to a ighei Ievel. There is al present lmp for that. The oliler men in public llfe lio are houest cannot makc a stand because they lose thelr living by doing so. The hope of the future lies ïargelj in the yo-ung mon. To these oue of hvo courses is open. Bither to go to the '"boss" and get intu the "gang" or öght the bosses from the start. Do tus persistently and yon will soon be■ a man who lias friends and QU9t be regañid!, and you can in a '''■ years, beeome a leadlng canclilate. The laterest taken in the lècture was shown in tlio ruany practica] gucstiona :isl;od of Mr. Lopsch.