The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-06-04

Tn November next. when The fElla-
delphia Press win have resumed its
serial editorial on election methods In
tho south. It would do well TO have
the following in q scranbooS for REFER
ence:
All the people Of the city do not kmoWii
but many do that the attempt At 3illI r.
b,ackmaH made by Director OF Iupho
Safety English in his effort 10 mu"@ic ~
press. is but an aggravated case OF MI MI
has been going on IN the pobtlcS Oh III
| adeIphia ana FcnnsylNunia for some time;
Ii is the use of Official power 70 cohipCit
people to bow to the purpose OF ptI9oNN'
interests I'm politics. l.,
Philadelphia who have been coerced ilto
submission TO wrong because the9 49,
been threatened with various annoEatlcc9;
and understood It was IN the power OF
those making the threats 20 see that thty
were executed. Private contractorS en-
S9gcd in building operations h1 i 9,TI
subjected 90 persecution NhCFe tney Idlt
ga 10 render service to certain polllClalla'
IL would not be difficult TO tind more than
one Instance where councHS nave DC"
used i'm these prosecutions. refusing nece%-
sary legislation TO important l1cal ma
provements because such refusal WoLl9
embarrass some one win HaIlHooI i
enough 70 refuse TO be blackmallCd anu
made suhscrVieHt TO the petty ana chaiac-
terless political bosses.
Many have been sufferers from ms as
reputable system. and citizens VINO nav
interests ut stake are rendered timid IN
the expression OF honest convictions ana
i'm their action upon questions OF puphc
bructit because they fear the retaliation
which they know To have been employed.
Ii the police ana detective service OF tlc
city can bC used I'm one ease II can DC
used under the same MANAGEMENT In any
case. and becomes means OF terrorism
with such as lack the courage 10 resist
the outrage. Such infamous mefhoos
have grown by quiet liberation on the
D. ,ff 8 1|f " n "a IA
or courageous enough TO resist and expose
them.
Ilt while many are lacking IN the or
binary courage. II was made plain by thc
great .oNu meeting ON Friday night th2t
am are ao.. Ii has been demonstrated that
/ the oV,rVhclminc sentiment OF this com
/ munitg Will not tolerate official blackmaii
and terrorism. whether attempted upon
the hisn or the low, upon tndlViludl nights
or upon business enterprises. The people
of Philadelphia cannot be made TO pay
involuntary tribute To the baFest ana
most disrcputable system of politics pos
sibl. To conceive. tuprincipled ana de-
PRAYED men in office, abusing their brief
authority cannot tCo soon be made TO
understand this.
The people have suffered long because
tLry have been too patient and inactive.
The infamous PROCEEDINGS Of Director
English mas brought on tho climax. There
Will he exposure and eradication OF the
whole system of terrorism. which mas
made The politics Of the city crime. and
intolcrablc to every citizen with q parti-
Gle OF manhood in his nature.
This is a state whose vote, ever
since Simon Cameron reduced 1t to
vest pocket size. has been carried
about as personal property. The
usa Of official power TO compel people
To bow 30 the purpose Of personal In
terests in politics" was just as much
in evidence in the presidential election
OF 1886. and in the congressional cleo
lion Of 1898, as Il IS today. The fact
that big fish were the benefciaries
then, while the present is n municipal
muddle does not change the ques
ton In the least Tie conditions of
today in Philadelphia VIII still exist
in November next; the ''ei ghty thou
sand fraudulent" votes Of today will
then become tho sufrrages of free
and enlightened" citizens; and the
large per capita vote of that state,
padded by 200 600 bogus votes, will be
held up in contrast with the small
percentago in somo southern state
where the Philadelphia method OF pad
ding Is unknown