The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-12
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| Philadelphia denounced as the most corrupt OF
American municipalities. may yet throw off tn,
shackels of machine domination, rid public office OF
political birds Of prey and become one of the best
| models of government Unless indications are mis-
Interpreted, Philadelphia is the verge of a great
civic revival If Mayor Weaver adhere to the bold
and proper policy lately naugurated the people will
| become aroused and will sustain reform at the next
election. Philadelphia does not lack spirit Its citi
Zens are capable of waging relentless war; and in
| the next tight. may achieve telling victory.
lhe Bullitt law, enacted in 1885, has not produced
inc results mat Its formulators intended; in many
respects 1t is not far from being failure But the
fault probably is not much with the law as with
conditions Were the of a critic to be fully
credited we might conclude that the citizens of Phil
adeipha should be charged with the most blame as
they are said to have small regard for the duty of
citizenship, that they refrain from voting and allow
the gang to exercise wide sway About this there is
probably more truth than fiction. The assertion how
ever, is consistent with faith in Philadelphia Cities
ike individuals, can only advance by discovering
weaknesses and correcting them
TOO much commentator cannot be accorded to
the Public Ledger for resolving present to the cit
liens OF Philadelphia complete and reliable account
or the sequence Of the reform movement of some
twenty years ago, which resulted in the enactment
OF the Bultt law and the concentration of authority
IN the Mayor. 1t has long been thought that ideal
Government might be realized if the power and re-
sponsbity delegated to the chief executive In
thaf event it was thought that the voters desiring
FAITHFUL honest government, would abandon political
affiliations and unite for the election good Mayor
The contest would be focused the one officer and
thus the influences of political leaders would be di-
mlnished, while the power Of the respectable element
of the community would be enlarged and harmonized
The purposes of the Buitt law are recited at much
length by the Public Ledger. THE results" thon
states the Public Ledger "of concentration of au.
'hori1F VIII depend upon the personality intrusted
WIFI 'hs power and there has not been elected
M'Eor under the bullit law whom any jury of dis
interested citizens, chosen Mt random would oyer
have thought Of for the Office We are speaking now
OF the past, without immediate reference to the pres
ent The moment it demonstrated that the neo
pie would accept whatever candidate be he good or
bad, the group of managing politicians might desic
nate the whole reform structure diverted to on
poste ends, and the vast authority concentrated In
the municipal administration became simplv tho IT.
resistble agency of central political power" This
review, If digesed dscloses the reason for the laws
apparent failure.
The paper shows, from the Comptrollers reports
that the revenue of the city 16 per cent greater
in 1902 than in 1885, before the Bullitt law was mt
INTO use, and that the expenditures of the city were
~ pei een' greater III 1so2 tnan IN 1885, The salaries
We're no per cent larger in 1902 than in 1856 having
been increased from $5,0OO,OOO to S1O0OOOW No ex
panaton is necessary to indicate that the political
machine has prospered and grown stronger under ,
reform law that still seems to be- in the main n rood
law
The series of instructive articles begun by the
Public Ledger will elncidate the workings of the law
In Philadelphia, expose defects and probably at least
by Inference, fix the blame for the preponderance of
failure in the application of a reform system The
fundamental principles of the Bulltt law must not he
condemned because the law has not met with expected
success in Philadelphia. If Philadelphia will preserve
these principles and improve fra provisions of this
and other laws in order to strengthen the structure
it may institute very stable system and become n
model municipality. The fault is not SO much in the