The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-08
THE wonK oNLy praUN.

THE WORK ONLY BEGUN. Some days ago The Advertiser ex
 pressed the belief that Mayor Weaver
 and those who are acting with him in
 defence of good government might do
 well to extend their operations when
 they have succeeded in redeeming Phil
 adelphia- Arguing on the same line The Pittsburg Post says that the Mayor and his adherents now realize
 that their task will not be complete
 until the equally corrupt State ma chine shall also have been wrecked. Until this is done there is grave dan ger of the undoing of much of the good work already accomplished in Philadelphia. For the election of machine Legislature and machine Governor would be signalizsd by the enactment of legislation which would restore to power in Philadelphia the men who have just been thrown out, or others equally bad"
 There is an old saying to the effect that what is we'll begun is half done, and it applies accurately to the fight now being made in Philadelphia. Not only are the Democratic papers in fa- vor of extending the good work, but the same Is true of a number of inde- pendent and Republican papers which are now backing the Mayor in one of the most desperate fights against ma chine corruption that has taken place since the days of Tweed in New York.
 The necessity of thus extending the good work is plain. A prudent farm CT whose corn patch is over run with weeds and grass does not content him. self with cleaning one little spot and leaving the remainder untouched. for he knows that the part cleaned will soon be again ruined by the surround ing foulness. So 1t Is in Pennsylvania That the sxate, taken as a whole. Is the most thoroughly machine-ridien com monwealth in the Union. we have lit- tie doubt. Penrose. tho boss of Re- publican politics in that State. has been the packer and chief supporter of Durham, the leader of the city pi- rates. Governor Pennypacker. while possessing some good and commenda- ble qualities, has shown himself en- tireIy too complaisant to the city gang to inspire confidence in the reform element.
 It is plain that if Pennypacker. Pom rose and the other Republican readers are in power. the work of the reform forces must lag or fail. Even # they t,, rodpnpntnty Dhil- adelphia, they will be forced 10 say, with Macbeth: We have scotch'd the snake, not killed it." Philadelphia .s a large city, but 1t is only a subject of the State. A corrupt or complais- ant Legislature and Governor gan en- that Weaver has done or may do. The good work must extend from bottom to top, and the fight cannot be otherwise than a desperate one. It seems to us that this is a time when partisan poli- tics might well be retired. at least temporarily, and let Democrats. Re- publicans and Independents forget their differences and unite for civic honesty and good government. The honor and credit of the State and the welfare of the people are of vastly more importance now than party tri- umph or party supremacy. The over throw of Durham and the gang will be of no permanent benefit unless the entire edifice of machine politics is brought down. For once patriotism should dominate politics.
 It will be argued. of course, that there are many good and honest men in the Republican Party of Pennsyl- vania, and that they can give the State a clean government without a sur render of their political principles or their organization. We freely admit the plea. There are good Republicans there, and they would give the State and the cities good government. but they cannot get the opportunity. The good Republicans, if you choose-of that State would not dare enter into a State campaign with the machine against them. A strict party contest, with. all the corrupt forces on one side and the honest Re- pubilcans on the other would give the State to the Democrats, and the Re- publicans will not take such risks. The only hopeful plan we see Is for the two old parties to unite on tick ct composed of good Republicans and good Democrats and let partisan poli-