Evening star., 1905-10-23

| dividuals, but by committees, composed OF
! from five to fifteen citizens OF both political
/ parties, who have gone from house to house
and from shop to shop and have had plain
/ talks with their neighbors. This has been
| chiefly done by business and professional
| men. Several thousand lawyers. clergy
men, doctors, merchants, manufacturers,
| bankers and ether substantial citizens have
signed pledges. contributing two, four. six.
and in some cases ten days of Their time to
| political work They have been organized
| into committees who have spent entire days
making house-to-house vfsitations, discuss
| ing the political conditions in Philadelphia
and the conduct of the municipal govern
ment-not only with the head of each house.
| hold, but often with his wife and his sons
and daughters.
Women Organizing.
This work has been supplemented by or
ganizations of women, who, for the first
time in history, are taking an active part
in Philadelphia politics, and have under
| taken to educate the feminine population
in order that their influence may be used
for good government. They are working
on the theory that it is not political con-
test, but d defense of their homes, their
property, and their personal rights They
argue that the women and children of Phil
adelphfa have more at stake in the con-
test than the men themselves, for the NOR
atty of the city certainly concerns the wo-
men and girls and the prospect of an ava
4dHSILt VI ueDI 10 De D9l0 III the future con-
Germs the children who will be compelled to
pay It, TIE members of the mothers con-
gress, Mrs. Howard Lipplncott president
the New Century Club, Miss Emma Black
inston' president; the City Betterment AS
ISOLATION, Mrs. E. G. McCollin, president;
the Civic Club. Mrs. Thomas Kirkbright
president, and other organiza tions of wo-
men are now actively engaged in canvass
ing the homes and particularly the church
people, under the general direction of Mrs
Rudolph Blankenburg, who has always
been active In reform movements.
The city party held a convention on Sep
tember 20, composed of 917 delegates,
elected at the primaries In that number of
precincts In forty-one out of forty-two
wards. The primaries are slid to have
been more largely attended than ever be-
fore. The convention nominated a full
ticket, including two judges-hold-overs
whose names are also on "the organza ton
ticket. and to whom there is no objection
from any source.
City Party Candidates.
AS its candidate for sheriff, the city party
nominated Wilson H. Brown, a large manu-
facturer of textiles, who Is now a member
OF the select council and was a leader
against the gang in the fight over the gas
lease. For coroner they nominated ]. M
r. Jermon, formerly justice of the peace
who was turned out of Office and expelled
from the republican organzati ton six years
ago because he held Senator Quay to the
grand jury when the latter was accused of
misUsfng public moneys for private pur-
poses 1t will be remembered that the
senator escaped conviction under the
statute of limitations but he never forgave
Jermon for failing to dismiss the charges
at the preliminary examination and saw
that he was properly punished.
For county commissioners, which, in the
present emergency, are the most important
offices because they have direct charge of
the machinery and conduct of the election,
the city party has nominated Rudolph
BIankenburg and Edward A. Anderson
The former is man of millions an old
resident of German ancestry, a wholesale
merchant and banker, a large owner of real
estate and has shares in the most impor-
tant manufacturing industries. Mr.. Blank
enbure has been active in political affairs
for half century, and although his ten
Gencies are toward the republican party
because he believes in gold standard of
money and protective tariff he has al
ways been counted with the independents
and might properly be called a mugwump
He is one of the most public-spirited men
In Philadelphia. He takes an active part
in all movements for the betterment of the
city and is always given a prominent place
on occasions of ceremony. His colleague Is
Edward A Anderson, an eminent member
of the bar, who was formerly prominent in
''the organization" but was turned out of
it because he would not obey the orders
of the hog combine" He is rich and emil
nently respectable.
sioners were ever proposed for the voters
of Philadelphia before. The Office has gen
orally been filled with men of inferior rank
in the organization because the duties
are more arduous than ornamental. In
Philadelphia the county commissioners Sc
lect and have charge of the polling sta
lions; they keep the voting lists; and they
furnish copies to the judges of election
They select the election officers and give
them their instructions; they print the bal
lots and prepare the ballot boxes; and they
have supervision of all the paraphernalia
and machinery of the elections Mr.. Blank
enburg has declined more honorable Of
fees, but he and Mr.. Anderson accepted
nominations for county commissioners in
this case because they recognized the su-
preme importance of securing control of
the election machinery, which, for nearly
half a century. had been in the hands of
the machine. and has been passed down
from generation to generation of profeS-
sonal ballot box suffers.
The Organization Ticket.
The organization" nominated machine
ticket according to its usual custom before
the revolution; but, when its leaders rec
ognized the length, depth and breadth of
the disturbance they withdrew all of their
candidates and subs unobjectionable
men The original candidates were noto-
rious gangsters. The revised ticket is COM
posed of respectable gentlemen, practically
unknown, who have no recordS-good, bad
or indiferent-and against whom nothing
can he said except that they were selected
by the same gang and will undoubtedly
prove it's submissive servants in case of
their election.
The situation is so desperate that the Old
Guard has been called out and the manage
ment of the campaign has been placed in
the hands of David h. Lane, David Martin,
who may be called bosses emeritus. for
they retired from active participation in
politics several years ago. Senator Penrose
Is acting with them, and has taken general
direction. They are supported by the In
quirer and the Item. All of the other news
papers supporting the reform ticket
The railroad interests, the street car COM
panles and other big corporations which
have suffered blackmai from the gang for
years, are supposed to be on the fence
Their future interests must be protected and
great caution is required. The only one of
the large corporations that has come boldly
out against the gang is the Baldwin Loco
motive Works. Mr.. John H. Converse, the
president, is member of the executive
committee OF the city party.
The German-American voters are claimed
by the ring on the personal liberty" issue
But my Investigations have failed to dis
cover good grounds for this assumption The
liquor dealers brewers and the saloon In
terests generally (Which are largely Ger
mans are undoubtedly with the gang, for