In 1842, however, both the State Bank at Springfield and the Bank of Illinois at Shaw neetown became bankrupt. The following year both were forced into and the for mer was given four years to wind up its af fairs. The Banking Law° modeled after the New York Plan of 1838 was not passed until 1851. The State, however, lost heavily in other enterprises besides banking. In 1840 the people woke from their dreams to find that the State was $14,000,000 in debt, its bonds worth only 14 cents on the dollar, and with nothing to show for it except a 25-mile rail road from Springfield to Meredosia. This was sold afterwards for $100,000 in State bonds. The question of repudiation was agitated, but Governor Ford's decided stand in favor of pay ment without defalcation or discount saved the credit of the State. A large part of this in debtedness was due to unwise internal improve ments. In 1837 alone, a bill appropriating $10,200,000 was carried over the veto of the governor and the council of revision. This sum,. with the exception of $400,000 for im proving the Wabash, Illinois, Rock, Kaskaskia and Little Wabash rivers and the Western Mail Route, and $200,000 to pacify disappointed counties, was allotted for various railroads. It increased the debt from $271,276 to $6,668,784. The most important result of early internal improvements is the Illinois-Michigan Canal which was completed in 1848, after some 12 years of spasmodic work at a cost to the State of over $5,000,000. The Illinois Central Railroad was given its charter in 1851, and the road was completed in 1856. The total cost according to Mr. Ackerman, president in 1883 when the statement was made, was $40,000,000. Illinois has seen her share and borne her part in war. As the result of the Black Hawk War of 1831-32, Indian depredations ceased, and the remnants of the once powerful tribes disap peared forever from the State. What is known in local history as °the Mormon War° occurred in Hancock County on the Mississippi River. Nauvoo was the seat of Mormon authority and the site of a splendid temple. In 1844, Joseph Smith, the Mormon leader, was assassinated by a mob, and soon thereafter his followers left the State. Illinois furnished six regiments and some independent companies during the Mexican War and 255,092 soldiers to the Fed eral army during the Civil War. Strong op position to the Federal policy, however, de veloped in 1863 and 1864. The Knights of the Golden Circle, a secret organization, sym pathized with the South. One of the ways in which they showed thir discontent was by try ing to dissuade soldiers home on furlough from returning to their regiments at the end of their leave of absence. In the elections of 1864, nevertheless, the Republicans and Union Dem crats united, and after an exciting campaign carried the day. In the Spanish-American War Illinois furnished nine regiments of infantry, one of cavalry and one battery of light artil lery. In August 1917 the State was about 5,000 men ahead of her quota for the World War. Since 1865 the only additional questions that can be considered are those relating to labor and capital and improved highways. With the increasing importance of industry, so well re vealed by the World's Columbian Exposition held at Chicago in 1893, and with stronger or ganizations the relations between labor and cap ital have become more important. There are no authentic records for the beginning and growth of the Illinois State Federation of Labor prior to its seventh annual convention which was held in Jacksonville 14 Jan. 1890, but at that time there were 11 delegates who represented approximately 35,302 union men.
At the convention held at Alton, 18 Oct. 1915, there were 596 delegates who represented 750,000 organized workers. Strikes have been common, and riots all too frequent. On 4 May 1886 a mob collected on Haymarket Square, Chicago, and when the police approached seven of the latter were killed by the explosion of a bomb. Eight men, termed anarchists, were tried for the crime; four were hanged, three were sent to the penitentiary and the other committed suicide. In 1894 the American Rail way Union went out on a strike at Chicago. President Cleveland ordered Federal troops to the scene in order to preserve order and pro tect the mail. On 14 Aug. 1908 a race riot broke out in Springfield and for nearly two days lawlessness triumphed. Four regiments of militia were needed to restore order. Seven people were killed, more than 50 were wounded and property valued at over $100,000 was de stroyed. Early in July 1917 an even more dis astrous and disgraceful race riot occurred at East Saint Louis, due largely to the industrial and social discontent aroused by the rapid in flux of negro workers. The roads of Illinois deserve mention. The Tice Road Laws, 1913 and 1915, established system in the matter of improving highways. The law provides that about 18 per cent of all public roads of the State shall be '°State Aid Roads? These are to be constructed or improved by funds fur nished by the State and the counties in equal amounts. Under this arrangement, when im proved, the State undertakes to maintain them forever at its expense, provided they are con structed of as good a type as concrete or brick. If the construction is of gravel or macadam the county shares equally with the State in the cost of maintenance; if the road is of earth, the cost of maintenance is borne wholly by the counties. The type of road to be con structed is left to the county boards provided they can agree; if they cannot determine the matter, the State Highway Commission may select the kind. These roads reach into every community of the State. Thirty per cent of the citizens reside along the system of State aid roads and 75 per cent of the people live along or within a mile of these thoroughfares. Not a home in the State will be further than four and a half miles from these State aid roads. The following funds made available by equal appropriations from the Federal govern ment and the State have been definitely allotted by the Department of Public Works and Build ings, acting in conjunction with the board of highway advisers: (1) $1,413,000 to the Na tional Old Trails road beginning at the In diana State line and connecting Marshall, Greenup, Effingham, Vandalia, Greenville, Col lins and East Saint Louis; (2) $1,020,000 to the Lincoln highway connecting Chicago, Wheaton, Geneva, De Kalb, Rochelle. Dixon, Sterling, Morrison and Fulton; (3) $2,215,000 to the Chicago-Springfield road connecting Chicago, Joliet, Morris, Ottawa, LaSalle, Peoria, Mason City and Springfield; (4) $958, 000 to the Springfield-East Saint Louis road connecting Springfield, Carlinville, Staunton, Edwardsville and East Saint Louis; (5) $114, 000 to the Dixie highway connecting Chicago, Chicago Heights Mommence, Watseka and Danville; (6) $400,000 to the road from Chi cago to the Wisconsin line connecting Chicago, Waukegan and Zion City. These allotments cover the amount to be received up to in cluding 1 July 1920, available as follows: $1,326,000, 1 July 1917; $1,326,000, 1 July 1918; $1,765,000, 1 July 1919, and $2,209,000, 1 July 1920.