The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-05-23
POLITICAL INIQUITY
DOINGS OF THE TWEED RING
EXCEEDED
By the Graft System in Philadelphia
Municipal Management Restricted
the Opportunity for Stealing.

The article following, an editorial,
clipped from the Picayune OF May a.
will give the reader a clear understand
ing of the situation in Philadelphia OF
4 political iniquity which should damn
forever every man connected with the
graft. There is only one regret to ex-
prcss-the failure of the outraged citi-
lens, carrying ropes with the hangman
moose to execute their threats practl-
cally. A first class hanging under such
conditions would have had a wonderful
effect in clearing the atmosphere OF
Philadelphia of corruption and gratters.
The incentive in the scheme is evil
denced on its face. AS the opportunity
for grating and private profits to ottl-
Gals was limited by municipal manage
ment the scheme was programmed and
executed with an audacity which would
make Old Nick turn pale with envy.
Here is the Pics article:
There is no lack of corruption in
American municipal politics, but the
city If Philadelphia has sounded all
the depths of political iniquity.
That it had reached the lowest place
in public esteem and merited only OPP
probrium and condemnation has long
been recorded against its city govern
ment, but it seems to have sounded still
lower depth OH Thursday night, when
it's common council consummated a
lease of the city's gas works to private
company against the wishes and the op-
position of great body Of the citizens.
The gas works belong to and were to
be operated under municipal manage
| ment, but there was not sufficient oppor-
tunity for graft and private profit to the
officials, and they determined to sell out
the public property by lease for sew
enty-hve years. 1t was understood that
the grafters were to receive large sti-
pend for making the conveyance, and
the temptation was so great that the job
was carried out in the face of the most
violent opposition. The Philadelphia
papers recorded the scenes enacted at
the city hall when the deed was perpe-
trated, thus:
"With 1000 angry citizens carrying a
hundred hangmans ropes crowding the
galleries and corridors of the city hall
this afternoon and evening, the city
council leased the Philadelphia gas
works to the United Gas Improvement
Company for a term of seventy-fve
years.
"The final vote was taken with the
police reserves holding the citizens back
with drawn revolvers to prevent them
from invading the council chambers.
every alderman who voted for the
lease had to be protected from mobs by
the police after the council adjourned
"Threats of lynching the aldermen are
heard Some even declare that only
two good leaders are needed to induce
1.-THE people to take in their own hands
the punishment of the councilmen who
voted for what is openly declared the
blacklist crime ever perpetrated in Phil
adelphia'
The council had before it two propo-
sitions One was from the United
Gas Improvement Company and the
other from E. B. Smith & Co., bankers
of that city, representing New York and
Philadelphia capitalists. The Smith bic
proposed to share the profits with the
city at the rate of one-thlrd for ter
years and one-half for the remaining
sixty-fve years; and also provided thai
the city could reduce the price of thu
gas as the profits increased. The bid Of
the United Gas Improvement Company
proposed to take the city plant fol-
seventy-fve years and to pay the city
therefor rental of $25,ooo,ooo, all tc
be paid before the end of 1907.
The matter was heard in committee
and the committee reported in favor Of
the latter proposition, which was car,
ried out by the council. 1t is declared
to be famous steal, and it is said the
mayor will veto the act and that an in
| junction will be applied for in the
courts to prevent the consumn1ation Of
the deed. The most astonishing fact in
the premises is that the opposition Of
the citizens, so violently manifested, has
no effect upon the peoples representa-
tives But when men are in Office for
graft and plumber, and for nothing else
they care nothing for the wishes Of the
people they are elected to represent.