Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-27
CORRUPTION IN PHILADELPHIA.
Present Campaign in Pennsylvania
Most lmportnn1t In YcnrsE


Most Important in Years
Philadelphia. Pa. June 27.-Many
people regard the present political cam
paign. as the most important in the his
tory of Pennsylvania. The contest of
United States senate. which involves
several features Of which the most i'm
laws SO as to prohibit ballot-box stuff
fine ard fraudulent registration.
The revision of the city charter is
also agitated. The present charter.
written by John G. Built, the leader of
the Philadelphia bar, was the result of
a great moral spasm and was approved
by all the wise men and municipal re-
formers. bu, in practice it turns out to
be exactly what they tried To avoid. 1t
makes the mayor an autocrat, gives
him almost despc.ic power and fur
nishes lawful means for the organiZa-
ton and maintenance of a political ma
chine beside which that of Tammany is
feeble and useless. The mayor of Phil
adelpnia not only controls the revenues
and expenditures of the municipality,
but the election machinery is entirely
in his hands, so that the same men Who
provided and advocated this charter
find that ne only way they can get rid
of their present ma gistrate is to appeal
to the citizens of the rest of the state
to elect a legislature that will intervene
ard give than relief Philadelphia fur
nishes forty-seven members of the leg
islature, which is one-ffth of tina.
body, and every one of them will be
chosen with view of preventing any
change in the present charter or the
existing election laws.
The reformers in Philadelphia com
plain that no city ever had a more cor
rupt government than they have here
now under Mayor Ashbridge. They de-
clare that his personal income from trib-
ute levied upon crime and vice and the
rake off from city contracts exceeds
100000 year; that he is braZen and
shamelessin l1is avarice and has repeat
eddy acknowledged that he is cunning
the mayors office for all it is worth -
that everything is wide open and pays
blackmail upon regular scale, accord
ing to the volume of business done or
the amount of earnings enjoyed; that
the poolroon1s pay a percentage on their
profits Which aggregate not less than
$4,000 a month; that the policy shops
pay SO much a day and not legs than
S250,OO0 a year; that every sporting
house, every speak easy" every disrep-
lutable resort is taxed according 10 its
earnings and that the money goes into
tn pockets of the city officials. Every
contractor and every person who fur
nishes supplies for the municipal gov
eminent is expected to contribute a
fixed percentage, which amounts to an
enormous total. as the budget exceeds
s30000,0O0 year. The street railways
and other public institutions are as
sesssd according to their ability to pay.
Nothing. they say, over which the may
or exercises authority, escapes.
All this is matter of daily comment
| in the newspapers. and everybody I'M
derstands it. Not long ago reporter
who attempted to interview the chief OF
police on the subject was informed that
the publications did no harm, but good
! deal Of good, as they taught people who
did business with the city government
what was expected of them. Neverthe.
less the city credit is good. Bids were
opened yesterday for new loan too
struct filtration works. and both New
York and local bankers offered a pre-
MUM for per cent twenty year bonds