News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-07-19
QUAKER CITY QuIRKS
More Facts Concerning The Municipal
Affairs of the Quaker City

Following a recent letter, telling
something OF the start toward the
downfall of the corrupt forces in this
city, it may be of some interest If the
results accomplished are touched
upon little further.
That tremendous gas steal under
taken by the powers that en- pre-
vailed, was simply an incident in the
long line of remarkable events taking
place in the past few years, since the
town came to be bound and gagged
by "boss rule" in all things having
to do with politics or geneI al public
policies.
That no matters were allowed to
be openly discussed in the legislative
bodies OF the city government, was a
fact. The councilmen, both select
and common, were in their respective
places merely as a voting machine,
to do, uUquestioningly and unhesIta-
tingly, the will of the Organization"
and they did 1t.
Applying this TO tie Legislature of
Vermont, you can have some idea as
to how it would look to have all
measures thoroughly cooked" in
advance and going through like hot
shot. No debate, no questions asked,
no one venturing to raise voice in
opposition, on immediate danger of
political oblivion, hanging over the
one who should dare assert any indi-
viduality. Using Vermont's Legisla-
ture as an illustration is hardly fair,
either, because they don't do things
that way, and then, too, Philadel.
phia's councilmanic deliberations
have had to do with the interests of
popu alton four times as large as
that of the entire state of Vermont,
and with financial matters of cores
ponding magnitude. The great ma
jorities in elections reported from this
city were made possible by the plan
and protection of the Organization"
in whose interests the great police
force was a prominent factor, both
in the protection of voting irreguIari-
ties and vice of all sorts, from which
a revenue could be indirectly drawn,
to enlarge the general funds of the
gang. Lnnumerable unnecessary
places were created and filed and fat
salaries paid out of general city funds,
for each and every place holder was
obliged to cough up' about once in
so often. All city contracts had a
game of graft attachment outside the
one department of supplies, and the
Ordinances and Franchises for tele-
phone, street car, street lighting and
so on, have been chapters of graft and
grab.
While the attempted gas steal was
only an Incident, it was the last straw.
Previous to it's elimination there had
been a gradual awakening. The White
Slave traffic had brought on an
aroused public sentiment, particular
ly as it seemed to be conclusively
shown that vice was being protected
and the press and the people took a
strong stand. The country at large
was given to believe that the Mayor
was weakling, who was having the
prayers of the people. There were
great meetings held, with prayer the
one object in view, but it was a pray.
er for the redemption of the city of
Philadelphia-for an aroused and an
enlightened public conscience. The
Mayor, himself a praying man, and
Superintendent of a Sunday. school.
was not by any means deplorable
object, orsubiect of supplication. But
If the hand OF Providence Is to be re-
cognized in any such earthly matters
it would seem that here a lesson NAV
be drawn.
The strongly intrenched, corrupt
organization, which, three months
ago was in absolute control of
everything, has been torn up, root
and branch. It's self constituted lead
er, Israel W. Durham, whose every
nod or wink was quoted and whose
word was of more weight than the
Mayors, is endorsed, completely
and as a result of general public de-
mand, he was obliged to resign his
job, as State Insurance C Commissioner,