Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-30
The Citizen and the CRATER.

Philadelphia shows signs of realizing tnat
the fight against the ring that rules 1t so
corruptly has only begun with the victory
in the matter of the gas lease and the ac-
qulesence by the machine in the confirma-
ton of the mayors appOintees to the two
big directorships. new reform party has
been organized under the most favorable
auspices by leading citizens. 1t is pledged
to continue the campaign for honest city
government. Now will come the final test
of strength. Can the reform element hold
out sufficient inducements to the voters to
ignore party lines and ballot for honest
councilmen next winter? Or will the ring
be able to control the elections either by its
old familiar method of repeating and bal
lot-box stuffing or by holding the voters to
their partisan allegiance?
One of the prime difficulties in Philadel-
phia and other cities where the grafters
have gained control is that the majority of
citizens engage In municipal politics on the
lines of state and national politics The av-
erage citizen votes for mayor and council
man as he votes for President or governor
OF course. most citizens realize that they
are voting for or against their own pockets
when they cast their ballots for or against
reform candidates. But their pockets are
only indirectly menaced by ring rule They
suffer from higher taxes 1t is true, when
the gang gets in it's fine work in the looting
OF the municipal treasury when franchises
which might sell for millions are given
away to favorites of the machine. when
public works are executed crookedly at ex-
travagant cost. But the additional burden
on the individual shoulders Is a slight one,
comparatively. Few men are actually
crushed or even financially emba rras sed by
the manipuHtions of the machine So the
case Is not sharply brought home to the
taxpayer.
On the other hand stand the professional
politician. the political place seeker. the NIL
nicipal contractor the franchise holder and
the public service corporation. These con-
stitute a solid body of men to whom the
control of the municipal machinery Is a
matter of necessity. 1t means bread and
butter to the lazy henchman Of the ward
boss, and 1t means big profits to those who
do business with the city, and pickings
galore for the middlemen and the managers
To lose an election may involve a loss of
hundreds of thousands of dollars all along
the line. 1t may mean that several thou
sand husky fellows will have to get out of
public places and hustle for living in com
petition with other men. or that corpora-
tons may have to risk loss In rivalry with
private individuals in bidding for the public
service privileges.
The machine stands for intensely practical
politics. and every man connected with It.
as heller or boss, as corporation director
or stockholder or as humble place holder
is intimately concerned in the maintenance
Of its power unbroken. The incentive for
continuous, active work at all times in
season and out. is never absent while the
citizen, perhaps taxpayer and perhaps not,
Is inspired only by the vague threat of a
personal loss in the form of slightly higher
assessments In the future and by his con-
ception of public duty.
Philadelphia can work out its own saliva
ton II its honest citizens will follow I'D
their present advantage. scored for them
through Mayor Weaver by the concentrated
forces of good citizenship But to do so it
must keep everlastingly at work, just es
though something more tangible were at
stake In the game than the city's fair name
and freedom from rapacious tyrant