Evening star., 1895-01-04
QUAKER TAM MANY
How a Political Combine Runs the
City Of Philadelphia.
DISHONEST MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
Senator Quay's Machine squeezes
Taxpayers Most Unmercifu|Iy.
THE TROLLEY'S POW ER

i i II L
Facts are rapidly coming to light to In
dicate the existence in Philadelphia OF a
| political combination controlling the NUM-
cipal government, quite as dangerous as
the Tamr1any ring which, until recently,
dominated the entire city of New York.
In contrast with the almost general silence
Of the Philadelphia newspapers on the sub
ject of this machine the exposures by two
Of the leading New York dailies are un-
| usually significant. 1t is stated in these
publications that the Philadelphia system
of political management is pyramidal In
fern. At the base of the pyramid are the
voters Of the city, thousands in number.
The next line consists of approximately l3,-
500 workers, whose business it is to get out
| the vote in each voting district. There are
| 920 of these districts and in each fifteen
men are selected, giving enc man to seven
| teen votes, to get the full strength of the
| party to The polls. These men either oc-
| cUpy small places under the city govern
ment ro are interested in contracts or liquor
licenses. The third line of the pyramid is
| made up of the thirty-fve ward bosses,
who have absolute control of their respec-
| tive sections of the city. They are men
| selected with special regard for their fealty
| ed the real elements of the combine,
| whose numbers variously stated from
| three to seven. 1t Is probable, according
| to the accounts published, that this upper
| stratum of political power consists of Da-
| vid Martin, Hamilton Disston, Charles A.
| Porter, Israel w. Durham. William r.
| Leeds and David II. Lane. There is still
another concentration of actual power, how
ever, and this time 1t is broadly and open
| ly stated to be in the person of one man,
United States Senator Matthew Stanley
| Quay.
1t is apparent that If such combination
| exists in Philadelphia, it differs from that
| which has just been crushed in New York
| in that 1t has no formal organization such
| as Tammany Hall. no incorporation, no
| name or designation except that which the
| people of the city have come to give it.
| This title is the hog combine" This desig-
| nation is the result of several years OF in
| creased expenditures in the city of Phila-
| delphia The New York Herald prints a
| table showing that the expenses of the
city in 1856 were ss,925.2o7. From that
| time until 1889. when 1t is alleged the com-
| bine" first obtained real power, the ex-
penses slowly increased in a proportionate
| measure TO the growth of the city. In that
year they We're $l5.2S7953 In 1880 the an
nual expenditure was 500. 531, ,3S1. In 1904
| they were s33, ,65S, 704, and the total for the
| five years just ended is $l3O, iGl 514.
| Those Who Are in the Combine.
Both the Herald and the Times Of New
|
bosses who form the third line Of defense
of this remarkable combination. Twenty
| two of them hold state or municipal offices;
| several others are classed as professional
| politicians" and the remainder have i'm
| portant and valuable holdings and con-
| tracts with the city. Martin was collector
Of internal revenue under President Har-
| rison for a short time. He is now quite
| wealthy, although ngaged in no business.
| Charles A. Porter has made millions from
| asphalt contracts with the city. and 1T is
| charged that the specifications for this
| work are so drawn that no competition can
| deprive Porter of the contracts or reduce
| his profitable rates.
| The Herald charges that this machine
| was formed by Senator Quay Immediately
! after his great success in 1883 as the man.
! ager of the Harrison campaign. In that
| campaign Martin was his chief assistant
| and has been occupying that position in the
| organization of the Philadelphia combine,
of which Mr.. Quay is now understood to be
| the great directing force. 1t is generally
asserted that members of the combination
| have grown rich out of the increased sums
| of money appropriated for the municipal
| expenses, and several instances of crooked
work are given in both the Herald and the
| Times
Storm Clouds Are Gathering.
| The people of Philadelphia will elect a
| mayor in February, and now the clouds are
| gathering for what promises to be fu-
rious storm, in which the choice of Senator
Quay for mayor, State Senator Boies Pen
| rose, will likely be the center. There have
| formerly been revoltS against the political
| machine of the city, but Zone has succeed
| ed. This year 1t is said to be Senator Quay
| desire to elect his candidate for mayor by
| a practically unanimous vote, and the as
| sertion is made that he is engaged in negO-
| tiations with certain democratic factions to
| secure large blocks of the normally demo-
cratic vote. These efforts have aroused the
antagonism of the pulpit and the women of
| Philadelphia, who have come forth with
posters and circulars protesting against the
nomination and election of Penrose, who is
| denounced as "Quay's candidate as a
| man without mature public experience ex-
| cept as a legislator, In which capacity his
| record is not altogether favorable. He is
| the author and supporter of several meas
ures that have won for him the denuncia-
tion of even the republican press. He is a
man of culture and good family, but his
| association with the combine has lost
for him the respect of the better element
| of the city. An independent movement is
| predicted to be among the possibilities If
| the combine insists upon forcing Penrose
| as it's nominee. 1t is now known that this
| selection was not made with the harmoni-
! Gus consent of all the members of the
| combine" but that it was forced down
| their throats by Senator Quay at the in
| stance, probably, of Israel Durham, who
promises to become a dangerous rival to
Martin as the active dispenser of patronage
| ana the trusted lieutenant OIL Tie nedu CELL
| ter of the machine.
The Trolley's Power.
| One of the worst features of this politi-
cal combination, 1t now appears, is the
| power which has been given to the Phila-
delphia Traction Company. which oper-
ates trolley system of street cars In
| every one of the important streets of the
| city. There are two acts of recent date
by the city officials in favor of this cor
poration that have aroused especial bit
| terness among the Phiiadelphians. One of
| these is in operation, but the other
| has been checked. The first is the grant to
the company Of about ninety miles of un-
opened streets, which gives the trolley
company entire control of vast area of
suburban property soon to be built up. No
compensation whatever was paid to the
city for this privilege, and the act of the
common council has been dubbed the
"grab-all' ordinance. Late in the fall the
park commissioners granted the trolley
company the right to build lines through
Fairmount Park, which is known as one
of the most beautiful public reservations
| in the country. containing g 791 acres. The