The Washington times., 1901-10-12
New York and Philadelphia.

There Is no one tnlng connected with
Democratic politics in the United States
out of which the Republican party has
made more capital than the shortcom-
ings and wrongdoings of Tammany,
and no fair-minded person will deny
that this denunciation is well deserved.
But why do Republican newspapers
stop at New York and other cities in
which the Democratic party is predom-
inant? Why do they I:ot direct some
of their thunderbolts at the corrupt
gang which has so long held sway in
Philadelphia?
To say that what now constitutes the
Quay machine" in the City of Brother
ly Love is at least as bad as Tam
many, is to put it very mildly. 1t is
doubtful If anything in the manage
ment of New York affairs since the
days of Tweed has been more thorough
ly vicious and corrupt than the fran
chise steal which was recently worked
through the city councils of Philadel-
phia- Certainly nothing has been more
barefaced or indicative of more wide
spread rottenness. The bill to author
ize these city railway franchises was
first pushed through the Legislature,
and afterward the franchises them
selves were granted by the city coun-
ellis. All of this was done in the face
of the most earnest protest and con-
elusive evidence that the result would
be the robbery of the Philadelphia pub
lie to the extent of untold millions of
dollars.
Mr.. Croker has admitted that he is in
politics for the purpose of making
money There is at least one Repub-
lican boss in Philadelphia who is
equally frank upon another point. Only
a few days ago Mr.. David II. Lane. one
of the Quay managers, speaking of the
Republican organization in that city,
said:
'The organization in Philadelphia occupies the
same position to the people Of this city as Tam
many does TO the people of New York. The
cohesive power OF the organization Is the offices.
There are 1900 Of them at the disposal Of the
organization. The Poles, Hungarisns, Italians
and other foreigners who come here vote with
us because We control the Offices. They want
favors and know they cannot get them unless
they are with Us. In New York they vote with
Tammany for the same reason"
That statement may be more fittingly
characterized as brazen than as frank.
But whatever particular adjective may
be selected 1t amounts to an admission
that the Republican machine in Phila-
delphia and the Democratic machine in
New York are of the same ilk. and that
their methods are identical.
1t was not to be expected that Mr..
Lane would admit that the purpose of
the organization in Philadelphia was
plunder, but that is a necessary corol-
larry of what he does admit. In truth,
he almost says ii, when he declares
that the cohesive power of the organi-
zation Is the offices. These are ten
thousand in number, and through their
distribution are secured the votes Of the
Poles, Hungarians. Italians. and other
naturalized foreigners.
The evil of the Philadelphia situation
is intensified by the circumstance that
the city organization is only branch
of larger State machine Of the same
party. What the city gang cannot do
alone, the State machine can and does
help it do, as in the case of the railway
franchises referred to. If there ever was
a rich field in which to labor for reform,
Philadelphia presents that field, but, as
matters stand there, the work should
be coextensive with the State. 1t is to
be hoped that the time is near at hand
when the Republicans Of the United
States may have their attention divert
ed from New York City long enough to
bestow a little thought upon the pass
ing need of a general publication in the
rock-ribbed Republican Commonwealth
of PENNSYLVANIA.