The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-08
THE '"WORLD."

Politics and Police Troubles.
Under the engaging title OF philadelphia in
Funk" the New York World this morning spreads
itself in the followingsway:-
Philadelphia is in ashes-not those OF fresh flame
but Of the sackcloth kind. fatal discovery has just
been made which has thrown her Mayor and Coun-
cils and her historical societies. and her antigua
rians and her autograph collectors into unutterable
shame. Let us, with what calmness we may-for
every pang of that ''loyal community" is doubly
ours-descrbe what has happened. Each of the
three great cities north OF the Mason and Dixon line
has sacred spot which is shown to all simple minded
strangers and Is assumed to be the aim OF all patriotic
pilgrimages Boston has Faneuil Ha-the veritable
cradle OF Liberty, for the baby was taken thence
when very young, but where 1t certainly squaed
most loudly in It's days Of early dentitlon New
York has, or had, the building where Washington,
as President took the oath (Which, by the by, he
kepD to support the Constitution. But Philadelphia
has what she ana Mr. Charles Sumner think the
greatest OF al-the room in which Independence was
declared and the equality of the races proclaimed
This room has seen rare changes; and since
that was left of Congress out of town, everything
and disfgure had been DONE AT last it settled
down into a showroom, from the walls OF which,
properly enough, Charles Wilson Peales rcvolu
bad-look down. There too-and with this no fault
can be found-is the cracked bell which rang out
od-fashioned liberty, perched, If we remember
rightly, on trumpery PLATFORM adorned with caps,
OF the French model of modern liberty. There,
too were all sorts OF scraps and oddities
BESIDES and among them what, If it had been genu-
inc, was neither scrap nor oddity-an autograph
letter OF George washington. 10 tnlS memorial of
the great rebel every pilgrim was reverentially
brought. Every rowdy treman-and Philadelphia
is always nursing and welcoming rowdes OF the iu-
cendiary sort-blew his horn over it, Mayors made
speeches about it; and Philadelphia, with perhaps
one exception, unlike NeE York, has solemn, pre-
tentiOus Mayors.
Now for the catastrophe. One day last week
man named Emerson (not Waldo was arrested for
selling spurious autographs, and dozen indiyi-
duals, with Washington letters in their hands
rushed to the magistrates office to ascertain the
value of their treasures. All were spurious. Emer-
son had done them all. In the midst OF this general
gloom and agitation, it occurred to the mind Of
Mayor Fox, yigant and faithful officer, that possi-
bly, forgery had Invaded his temple. With beating
heart he confronted Emerson, and with trembling
accents, asked the question, ''Is the Inde-
pendence Hall letter genulne?" Emerson a
cautious and experienced man, declined an
the paper. A squad OF armed detectlves-for rogues
in Philadelphia have knack of escaping just now
guarded him to the sacred spot. He was observed
to blush as he passed the statue OF Washington. He
entered. He looked at the document, and casting
Gown his eyes-for he could not meet the gaze of the
assembled and indignant city fathers-he meeky
aid:-"Oh, Yes this Is some OF my work :" and the
curtain fell. We never before understood why the
marble Washington in Chestnut street turned his
back on Independence Hall.