Evening star., 1901-10-29
THE MACHINE BOAST
PhiladeIphians Told They Cannot
Get 0ffee Without 1t.
PEOPLE AROUSED TO ANFAGONISM
The Clergy and the Press on Side
of Reformers.
VERY HOT CAMPAIGN

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
PHILADELPHIA, October 2s.-When the
union party's ticket was launched in Phila-
delphia the law required that $500 names
should be attached to the petition to give
the ticket place on the official ballot.
More than 81, 900 signatures were obtained
to the petition when the circulators stopped
canyassing. This was the first indication
of the strength of the revolution against
the machine organization in Philadelphia
Since that time the movement has con-
stantly been growing in force. Not Only
were democrats and republicans involved,
joining hands in the insurrection against
the local organization, but the most 'nfiu-
entail section of the city press took part
in the movement. Even the clergy became
aligned in the ranks Of the insurrection. A
meeting was held October %, attended by
clergymen of different denominations
which appointed committee consisting of
H. S. Hoffman, Wayland Hoyt, s. P. Hood
and Floyd w. Tomkins, four prominent
ministers, who drew up an address to their
brother clergymen.
This address invoked the ministers of the
city to lend a strong hand "in the struggle
for righteousness now going on" Several
reasons were set forth in behalf of this
appeal. The first one was as follows:
ed civic oppression of the present civic
powers, popularity known as the machine.
For evidence of this we could have or de-
sire nothing more convincing than the
frank statements made on the 4th of this
month by prominent leader in the ina
chine. He said in O speech most widely
reported:
Boast of the Machine.
The cohesive power of organization is
offices. We have ten thousand officehoid-
ers, and they are ours. Under the present
administration no man can get an office un-
less he is loyal to the organization. Only
today the organization voted $4,000 for tax
receipts How could we do that If we did
not have the officeholders? If you want
office or preferment in political life you
will have to get it through the orgariza-
tion The officeholderS are the backbone Of
the organization.
eve have all the officeholders and we
want to keep them. Poles, HungdrianS,
Italians and other foreigners, when they
come here, vote the republican ticket. Why?
Because we have the offices, and they ex-
pect favors from officeholders. In New
York they vote for Tannlany for the same
reason. Our organization bears the same
relation to Philadelphia that Tammany
does to New York. five would keep these
voters we must retain control Of the offices.
Foreigners know they cannot get favors
except through our organization. 1t is es-
pecially important that we should elect the
district attorney not because Mr.. Weaver
Is candidate, but because there Is great
power in that office, and 1t is to the ad-
vantage of the organization to have a
friend In it.
Meaning of the Boast.
"What does such a conspicuously frank
statement mean? What can it mean but
this-that the machine at all hazards
means to keep its grip; that no least po-
litical mercy Is ever. to be shown to any
one at all dissenting from it: that every
free American citizen is fully warned that
II he ever accepts office under it, he, by
that act. utterly abdfcates his freedom, and
must expect to and be willing to become
the subservient slave of the machine that
assessments upon the salaries Of office
holders are to be expected made. used un-
blushingly, for the purposes of the ma
chine that the district attorney must be-
beyond all else, the friend Of the ma
chine for It's advantage that ignorant
foreigners are the peculiar prey Of the ma
chne;' that it Is the ayowed and steady
purpose of the machine to erect and main
tain in Philadelphia an exact parallel to
the 'Tammany' which has long been the
blight and worldwide disgrace of New
York city. And this is the sort of civic
rule. with all the enormities Of civic despot-
ism and corruption manifestly inherent in
It,. the free citizens of Philadelphia are
asked to accept and perpetuate! Surely
matters of staring moral color TEEN here
the untrammeled freedom of American citi-
| zenship, the liberty of criticism and discus
sion, the right of even an Office holder to
Cod" esatS 10 MS own CONVICTIONS conscience
Appeal to the Clergy to Act.
The address proceeded, quoting four other
Facts setting forth an arraignment of the
city government, and concluding as fol-
lows:
we believe we have presented facts
enough to stir the righteous energy Of every
minister into action against the morally
alarming state Of things in the fair city
winch, by our calling, we stand moral
leaders and teachers. As to the best way
of the individual expression of such action
we gladly and most willingly leave that
to the individual conscience and wisdom Of
each minister. But it is surely only a
moral truism that the ministers of a city
ought to, publicly and in foremost fashion,
stand for civic righteousness.
j have sought in vain for an adequate de-
tense from the other side against the Wig
OrOus indictments brought against the city
republican organization. No consistent de-
tense seems to be offered. The organization
apparently Is resting it's case in the con-
seriousness OF power. The organization has
the machinery, 1t. possesses the political
skill, 1t has great financial resources, and
is undoubtedly confident of success
Inc only defense proposed thus far Is
abuse OF the other side. An editorial ap-
pear1ng today In the Philadelphia Inquirer,
the organ of the regular republican organi-
cation. voices expressions that have heard
on every side from the machine repubIi-
cans 1t says: The issue Of this campaign
is plain-it is Wanamakerisrn against re-
publicanism.
Defense of the Machine.
Continuing, the editorial declares:
"Any thinking person who win carefully
go over the events oft5the past four or five
years Will be able to- nndsrstand just what
the present campaignsin pennsylvania and
Philadelphia is all about. He will be able
to see through the shioke of the battle and
to discern plainly that the question of ''re-
form is not involved except as a side issue
and Is fnterjected merely to throw dust
into the eyes of the vOterA
THE issue Is sharply defned-it Is Wanna
makerism against reMrblieanisn = the at
tempt to overthrow the republican party
tied and repudiatedl politicians of both
parties. with the main object always kept