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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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262 History University of Illinois that the bill had passed and that they were too late, and they returned back, but afterwards finding that they had been deceived, they sent them forward by other parties. "Together with these petitions are several quite interesting documents which throw great light on the state of things now at the capital and at Chicago, especially as regards the press. We will give one or two specimens. The specimens that implicate some of the fpowers that be' by name we will withhold until we see how they behave." 1 6 Among the documents published were extracts from the proceedings of the board of supervisors of Champaign county; also a letter from Supervisor Harnit of Champaign county dated Springfield, January 25, 1867, in which he openly and definitely accused certain citizens of Champaign county of saying to him that they had bought members of the legislature to secure the location of the university for less than one hundred dollars per member. Supervisor Harnit seems to have been a difficult one for Champaign to handle. I t is hard to determine whether he sold out or simply did not approve of Champaign's tactics. The Union and Gazette called him a traitor and accused him of having procured and distributed the circulars in Springfield.16 During this period from January 26 to February 18 the various bills were held in committee and were not allowed to be presented for acceptance or refusal. Mr. Griggs of Champaign took the credit of all this to himself in saying that repeatedly Mr. Epler of Morgan would arise and inquire the reason of the delay in the case of the Jacksonville bill, and that as often, he,, Griggs, would inform him that he had attempted to call his committee together and had failed to secure a quorum. "He would publicly and ostentatiously summon the members of this committee and later whisper them not to appear.'' In this manner the bills were prevented from coming up until Mr. Griggs had marshalled his strength.17 There is no evidence in the house journal that Mr. Griggs did not do these things and since he was charged with indulging in sharp practices it seems reasonable to allow his admission to stand as something quite probable, "Bloomitogton Pantograph, February 8, 1867. "Champaign Union and Gazette, February 15, 1867. "Memorandum by Clark B, Griggs at University of Illinois.
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