The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-23

ward better quality Of representation and higher
grade Of administration.
For more than thirty months the organ of the old
machine has resisted the regular and orderly prog
ress of the city toward good administration
The Independent movements in certain Of the
bad" wards to-day in the direct line Of the peo
Piles efforts, begun thirty months ago. These move
ments are but further development Of the peoples
wellformed determination to shake of boss rule and
deliver the city out Of the hands Of gangsters boo
oilers and corruptionists.
Thirty months covers the period of the city's firm
and continuous purpose 1t began in the fall of 1900
at time when st. Louis was in the grip Of blood
sucking administration. when the citys affairs
without for IN and void and darkness upon the
face of the earth. The light of the closing days
of the Ziegenhein regime the peoples courage
and intelligence
If you would find proof of the peoples purpose, go
back to those dark days Of 19OO-when August
Gehner face to face denounced the citys looters
when the people went to the City Hall with ropes
when, as The Republic said editorially September
10 Of that year:
The gang boasts Of corruption and its
only repinng is that franchises and
tracts are not plentiful they were. Its
only aspiration is to remain in power long
enough to loot all the rich opportunities
associated with the Worlds Fair.
Can any man doubt that this paper truly reflected
people when September II, 1900, It directed at
tention to the "ghastly maladministration of st.
Louiss affairs and assured the community that "the
Zegenhein gang and its organ, the Globe, will not
find it possible to fasten their bloodsucking grip?
And the public knew, this paper had said on
the 18th, that the Globe Ziegenheinism's tire
less champion
So devoted that degree of municipal
maadninstraton can bring word Of
proof into the columns OF that paper,
though nine-tenths Of Republican readers
saying openly that Ziesenheinism Is
disgrace to ST. Louis
Content with its life old moral ruin. the
Globe then, and in the interim, used Islander
and abuse in Its efforts to stihe the peoples move
ment and throttle reform
That movement first found expression in the nomi-
nation Of Folk and Hancock. Looking backward it
Is singular coincidence that the very day of
their nomination the Suburban steal agreed up
on between Stock and the combine The Globe was
giving q continuous performance of spasms in the
effort to divert the popular attention
pave the way for municipal. reform" said The
Republic in October 'by electing Circuit Attorney
and Assistant Circuit Attorney who will take the
facts of municipal NATURALIZATION before Grand
Jures and courts"
Under the head Of Arm the Law" The Republic
said, on October %:
Zegenhein rngsters are working hard to
elect their nominees for Circuit Attorney
and Assistant Circuit Attorney. These
two of the most important offices to be
voted upon in the coming election Under
the control Of the Zegenhein ring the Cir
cult Attorneyship and Assistant Circuit At
torneyship are simply part Of the zegen-
helm machine. A reform Is needed and the
Democratic nominees should be elected in
order that all misdoings may be properly
presented. without pull favor, to the
Grand Jury and fearlessly prosecuted IN
the e n
And on October 81 The Republic said editorially:
1t is the peoples turn in the
remarkable game forced upon them.
The people did move sweeping the city with a
tremendous victory for reform. What did the Globe
up reforms victory.
Having once begun, the reform movement fought
its way, against the frantic efforts Of the Globe and
the gangsters, through the spring campaign Of 1901
which resulted in the election Of Wells and his ex
ceptional administration associates, and gave
strength to the growing purpose. Reform proved
that 1t had taken root Nesbitism again the cry
by which the gang organ sought to hide defeat and
hamper the good work.
With this cry the Globe kept up din for the pur
pose of misdirecting the Circuit Attorneys first ef
forts. Later when he commenced probing the gangs
rottenness and investigating the Doodle combines the
Globe attacked him personally designing poti-
clan and a schemer with Interior purposes:
With its attitude since then toward the reform
administration the public is perfectly familiar The
Globe has not yielded inch to the peoples en-
beavers. Persistently It has chung to its old object
and old methods all along the journey SANDER and
abuse have been Its weapons. "Nesbitism" has been
its continuous cry. What the peoples determination
has accomplished the Globe has ascribed to fraud
Not line Of credit does it give to the weformed
purpose thirty months ago to rid the town of shame
and corruption, but It has fought and resisted the
continuous Of reform at every turn and stage
of development.
Purging the city government is not yet complete.
But the people have done all that lay In their power
At each election since the movement began 1t has
triumphed everywhere except In certain bad wards
where machine bosses intrenched. In q word, |
reform has done Its work systematically wherever 1t
could gain foothod, and wherever an election pre-
scented the opportunity Of replacing bad man with
q good one The people have not yet had chance |
to deal with all Of the city's Offices
Now, for the first time since the great purpose !,
took hold the public there u chance for reform
ing the House Of DsleSatsA Reform ands its In |