Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-07-03
A Republican City.

uer THY RUE ILLUSTRATES inc quallly
Of so-called reform under party man
agement even more notably than is
done in the case of New York. Sure
ly if the party in power desired an un-
INSTRUCTED field for operation it could
be found in Philadelphia The Re
publican party holds State and city
equally secure in its grasp. The Ex-
ecutive, all the State officers and the
Legislature derive their authority from
election on the straight and regular
ticket, approvedat Washington, Cam
eron, whose standing in the party is
undispued as close to the source of
republican inspiration, controls at once
the State House and the Federal pat
ronage, Philadelphia itself enjoys a
Municipal Government of the strict
est Republican sort. Yet from this
city, where outside influences as well
as internal authority are overwhelming,
ly Republican, there come complaints
of frauds and pecuations and all the
iniquitous irregularities Of rings"
Even the New York Times the staunch
defender Of so many denominations of
party, finds opportunity to expose the
evils of Republican rule in Philadel
phia. Of the Estate House row ring"
comprising the Mayor, Sheriff, Re
corder, Surrogate, District Attorney,
Secretary Of State, Treasurer and 9th
ers, the Times hints strange things.
1t asperses the District Attorney with
insinuations Of organizing election
frauds, stufling ballot boxes, com
pounding felony for a considerations"
and packing jury for political pur-
poses. The Surrogate is directly &C
cused Of securing the payment of a
fraudulent bill for witness fees, and es.
Gaping punishment, when indicted, by
pleading the statute Of limitations,
virtual confession.
As for the City Treasures, the same
Republican organ declares that they
speculate with the public money that
an Office of collector of delinquent
taxes was tiaudulently created, which
brings its incumbent $4,000 a year
that jobs in contracts for building
school-houses were made, while the
buildings stand empty and others are
hired from the ring that the police
force is violently used for political pur-
poses; and that all Republican NOM
nations are controlled by this clique.
Of other rings" that formed by the
gas Trustees-Philadelphla makes its
own gas under direction of the City
Council--is mentioned as the most
powerful. AS all specific information
is refused by the Trustees, the direct
peculation by this ''ring' can be infer
red only through such significant items
in the annual report as that which es-
Inmates the loss by ''leakage' at thir-
teen per cent. Among the lesser
''rings" that profit by jobs Of paving,
Of sewers, Of the water works, and OF
the street railroads, ones perception
becomes obscure, and it is only by ref
erence to the aggregate pecuniary re-
suit of this system that proper idea
can be formed of its cost fto citizens
Taxation has incl eased from three to
six millions in seven years the debt
has grown from twenty to fifty mil.
lions in seven years; and with the sus.
picion tat even these large figures are
talsitied in order to make them appear
less than the truth, the city was never
so poorly served. On the same Re.
publican authority we are assured that
these peculative officials have secured
their places by fraud, ballot-stut1ing
and forgery Of election returns, and
that they hold them for purposes Of
extortion, prostitution of justice, and
destruction Of law and order for sci
fish ends And, to fix the response
bility of all this more definitely, we
have the declaration of the Reform
Association, that it is "directly trace.
able to heated partisanship," and tc
the support Of regular nominees Of
their political faith Republican) IRE.
spective Of character and qualifica,
tons"