New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-29
ipr TELEGRAPH TO TIE 4HIBryE.l

PHILADELPHIA. May ZS.--Ine NlcloIN VI ~'A'
weaver and the citizens of Philadelphia over the
ring has lighted a beacon fire on the al'ar ol
clean municipal government that the Victors
believe. will send a ray of hope into every city
where conditions exist such as those thaI
shsclxIed this city before the uprising OF the
people and the aggressive warfare OF the Mayor
philadelphia aroused is likely 10 stay aroused
THE battle Just won was merely preliminary
skirroish A struggle is come that cannot IAN
10 shake this city TO it's political foundation me
ramifcations Of which must necessarily anect
the State organization and the ultimate tremorS
Of which may reach national affairs.
The noIitfcal world is much like the submarine
world Warfare is incessant, but as rule this
warfare is carried on in the depths and no ripple
of the struggle reaches the smiling and placlu
surface once in a while two monsters Of tue
deep meet in fierce combat fight their way ~
the surface lash the water into foam ana d
giant body. cruelty. perhaps fatally "oullueu'
throws itself in the air in the agony OIL lle
struggle Then the warning giants plunge De
meath the waves the waters regain their wonteo
calm and all is still and peaceful To the oo-
server the battle is over. TO those who know
the mysteries of the deep, the warfare goes on
,he sarae-ceaseless. pitiless and remorseless-
PHILADELPHIA has had one of these surface bat
flies. The surrender OF the organization and the
withdrawal Of the gas lease was surface fight
The hattie is to be vaged more hercely than
ever from now on. but it viii have none OF the
spectaclIlar embellishments that has marked the
1et,Ie Of the last week. There will be no mass
meetings braying bands red fire. There VIII
he no street corner and newspaper denuncia-
ton and recrimination. II viii be instead
grim. silent battle beneath the surface There
viii be occasional ripples 10 indicate that the
war Is going on but the fight will be in the
6euths and out Of public sight.
HOW THE MAYOR RULES.
To understand the conditions it is necessary
20 give brief outline Of the political situation
and the organization Of the municipal govern
nnent The Mayor OF Philadelphia has power as
great as If not greater than, the chief executive
Of any other city in this country. He has under
him four chiefs Of departments whose tenure Of
Office depends absolutely on him. These chiefs,
in turn control without restriction of any kind
practically II 900 city positions. There are
fo-ty-two wards in this city. and these wards
are subdivided into 1.O4S election precincts
Each ward has its leader. Each precinct has its
captain Unlike New-Yorll these ward leaders
are not elected under primary law, but hold
Office entirely by recognition from the Mayor
and department chiefs.
Each Of these precinct captains is an office
holder, or designates an alternate an office
erage TO each division precinct. The ward
leader controls all the jobs in each ward through
consultation with his precinct captain Each
ward leader is entitled to a $4,000 place, or
secures from the central committee sum of
money equivalent to this for campaign" pur-
roses. The precinct captains hold jobs OF vary
ing value, and beneath them are the other nine.
whose places depend entirely upon the organiza-
ton.
Gf3
with the lowest. leading up TO the precinct cap
tain and through him TO the ward leader,
through the ward leader TO the chief Of the de-
partment is dependent absolutely upon the die
tate of the Mayor, through his control Of the
heads Of the four departments With knowl-
edge of this tremendous power vested in the
Mayor, it seems almost incredible that Mayor
has never revoIted before. It is more a tribute
10 the solidity and cohesive force of the organt-
cation than TO the independence of the chief ex-
ecutive Of the city.
FIGHT FOR THE DEPARTMENTS
The four departments of the city government,
with their respective commissioners, are: Pub
lie Safety Colonel Sheldon Potter; Public
Works. A. Lincoln Acl1er: Charities, Frederick
J. Shoyer; Health DIT. Martin The last two
have been loyal to Mayor Weaver all through.
Potter and Acker are new appointees, vice Cos
fello and Smyth, organization men, removed by
the Mayor. Mayor Weaver now holds Potter
and Acl1er in office under a writ of supersedeas
from the Supreme Court. This writ is return
able on Thursday. II the organization leaders
able to win the legal contest multiplying these
two appointments, they viii have crippled the
Mayor In the most powerful two departments Of
the city government II, the other hand the
Mayor can continue them IN Office ne will then
be IN absolute control OF the entire four depart
rnerts The vigor and viciousness with which
this legal battle viii be fought can be realized
when it IS understood what is at stake Potter
and Acker viii undoubtedly fail Of confirmation
by the councils, but it is safe to assume that no
one whom the Mayor might appoint would be con-
hrmed by councils. and Acker and Potter viii
doubtless serve as interim appointments The
Mayor has moro than two years to serve yet and
Il is certain that he VIII carry on the battle
until the last day OF his administration. unless
the enemy completely succunbs-
In the coming struggle there will be arrayed
against each other the Mayor with this giant
power on one side. and the other the organi-
cation, with years Of absolute subserviency on
the part Of its members that has been made
obedience almost a second nature to them
Added to this Will be whatever help the State
organization can bring TO its assistance 1t win
be fight in which there viii be no quarter, and
the final determination Of which will be the
complete destruction OF Weaver or a complete
reorganization of the present machine. with
weaver dominating the new combination
WHO WEAVER Is
A word as TO Weaver. Weaver is an English
His friends do not claim ANYTHING brill
SAINT for him. He has that tenacity OF purnose
bulldog courage and inability to quit character