Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-01-29
Jane Adams Anahzes Johnny Powers
Pull.

Jane Adams Analzes Johnny Powers
Pull
1t was long since demonstrated that
the social reformer. who succeeds
doesn't poke the people to a higher
plane With his walking stick, but rath-
er by lending an arm and walking be-
side them. It ought to be reaize that
the political reformer must do likewise
if he may reasonably expect t. succeed.
We are reminded Of these Obvious
facts by the report If an address 10y
Miss Jane Addams of HUI House fame
of ethical culture in that city few
days ago She illustrated part Of that
address hy reference t. the politica!
control possessed ny the arch bondier
Of that city. johnny" Powers. OF him
She said He is really elected because h.
is "A good friend and neighbour" adding
nut he is not elected because he is cor
rupt but rathe' i'll spite of it,
According to the views of his constit-
ugnts Powers mus, ~ a good fellow o.
h. would not have had 260o people. a
third Of the vote in his oWn ward on
The public payroll. Moreover h. IS
right down among them, attends the
chr.stcnines and Weddings mourns
with them at the funerals. gives libcr-
ally, balls them out Of jail has a kind
lv word for them ANA helping hand
VI hen they need il. She said Johnny"
is dramatic in his goodness and his
constituents look upon him with m."h
the same sort Of admiration and affec-
ton that the simple foresters regarded
Robin Hood: they think he gets the
money from the rich and SO it isn't 81
plete the circle in their comprehension
and see that il is not the rich IN tn
not the railroads To whom Johnny
helps give franchises for "A considera-
ton" but that it will come out of them
in car fares and in restricted privileg Is,
Then besides h. is able 10 set his con-
stituents jobs Of work IN the building
Of those roads and they 10 not care 10
hook behind the returns,
once when the high toned people in
town contributed for the defeat of
Johnny" Powers and sent speakers
down into his ward to tell the people
that they ought to do for clean gov
eminent, the latter learned that tn
president Of street railway, a high
toned man, who moved in as good So
ciety as any Of the crank reformers.
had given johnny" several thousand
dollars to distribute among the boys.
and that after all it wasn't the business
men who had built up the town that
We're crying for reform. They conclu-
ded the old style by which they seemed
70 profit. was good enough for them
50 here We're set up for these people,
naturally honest in their impulses, two
deals. that of the successful politician.
johnny" Powers; that of the business
man of high standing and respectable
ity, the railroad president. who contrib
uted thousands To the corruption
funds Is it any wonder that the speak
els who came down and talked to them
IF the need Of clean government
changed few votes? Is it surprising
hat the young man who is obserNant
and ambitious of being successful
politician is in fair way TO get the
same ideals? The whole community is
thus bound together and public senti-
ment rises or fails in proportion as
these corrupt practices are carried on
in any part of the community.
The first thing to be done Miss Ad-
dams said, is: search out and then To
conform our activities to our new
knowledge. And if we discover that
men of low ideals ana corrupt practice
are forming popular political stand
ards. simply because such men stand
ny and Tor and With the people, 50 that
the sense of identification overbalances
the sense of outraged ethics, then moth
| ing remains for us but to obtain that
sense of Identification before We can
hope to modify the ethics"
'INln u n ~ L. 4 l.