The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-05-30

our people. they are arlstocratic and
they are the most corrupted people
(f am not talking about the ring
now in the country. The people OF
Philadelphia are TO blame for every
thing that happens In Philadelphia
That is so, of course, In every Ameri-
can community. but you can put II
up to the Philadelphians more ruth
lessly than any other community, be-
cause they are intelligent. they are
native, they have traditions, and they
have pride"
Steffens contends that the majority
OF the citizens of Philadelphia are for
the ring. and says that the govern
ment of Philadelphia represents the
sources of its corruption. And II
doesn't represent the people of Phil
adelphia, he continues, $50 say
that when those people went to that
city han tthe monument of their
disgrace) they we're impertinent.
Why? Because they have not per-
formed for some forty years the du-
ties of citizenship. Their neglect is
older than that and their corruption
older than that" Commenting upon
the conditions leading to the present
grating Steffens declares:
"You hear a good deal about the,
sleepiness Of Philadelphia. II is not
asleep. Philadelphia is wide awake.
But Philadelphians are grating. Not
the ring alone but Philadelphia.
high and low. Take an example: The
University of Pennsylvania gets land
and appropriations from the state
ring, wherefore the head of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania refused once
TO join reform movement against
the local ring. Take another exam
ple--the charities. There are fine
old charities in Philadelphia, and
fine old people direct them. These
charities get support or conveniences
from the ring, wherefore the fine old
people who are running these fine
old charities will not fight the ring.
] believe that you could analyze the
citizenship of Philadelphia and show
that a majority of its voters, either
for themselves or their relatives or
their friends or their institutions or
their interests are in on the corrup-
ton of Philadelphia, or of the state
of Pennsylvania. or Of the United
States. No, The trouble with
Philadelphia is not sleepiness or
apathy. 1t is the corruption of its
people. They want to stop the gas
deal. but they lon't want to throw
out the ring that makes the gas deal
>" Now. we need not care wheth-
er the U. G. I. beats them or not.
That won't matter in the long run.
What really matters is this: Their
government is not their government,
and the ring. to which the govern
ment belongs. will continue TO insult
and rob and disgrace those corrupt
Philadelphians until they take, not
their lives. but their CRAFTS in their
hands. and vote and vote again and
yet again, not for their rotten old
party. but for their city: not for the
ring. but for themselves; not for
good government, but for that which
their ancestors fought--self-govern
ment."
This Is a severe arraignment, but
1t seems to be fully justified. Men
who vote for bad measures are not
much more to blame than the voters
who put them there, or who, by stay
ing at home. allowed them to be put
there. A city gets just as good
government as its voters want. This
should be remembered by every citi-
zen at every election. II sometimes
takes the American people long
time to catch on. but when they are
once wise to thing, there is not
quicker, more impetous nation on
earth in seeking to correct an evil.
Men like President Roosevelt. Gov.
Folk and Gov. La Toilette, are doing
great work. Mayor Weaver. OF
Philadelphia. deserves some credit
for pandering to public sentiment,
even though he would doubtless like
to have taken an opposite course from
that he pursued.
There Is not city In the country
however, that cannot profit by the ex-
ample of Philadelphia.
The slogan should always be,
Take care whom Won elect 10 office "