Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-09-14
4 CITY UNDER RING RULE

Philadelphia has several times tried
to shake off ring rule. 1t has on one
or two occasions elected co-caIled Re
formers" only to soon see them join
hands with the bosses and contractors
in pillaging the community that had
trusted them. For years the city has
been at the mercy of as avaricous 3
gang of bandits as ever infested a
country in the middle ages. Polite
ians in Office and politicians out of u
fee have grown rich off the public
The Old cry of Where did you get it,?
has a more than especial significance
when applied to the men who have be-
come wealthy in a few years in
manner that BODIED no good to the tax
payers of the community.
Now a warfare is on between the
gangs that have held the city up and
robbed it for the past ten to twenty
years. A city contractor wants to be
mayor. Another contractor knows that
would mean the end of his rich plums.
And 50 the warfare is merrily on be-
tween their forces.
/ The opposition to the cOntractor-can-
|didate now has an investigation under
/ way before a commission and the pe0-
tglC aIc beginning to get the proof OF
what they have long suspected Before
lit is over some one actually may go to
the peniJcatiary, although that really
seems incredible in Philadelphia. N
the meantime the North American,
Of that city, publishes these charges in
great letters and invites prosecution:
When Mayor Reyburn entered office
he was a financial bankrupt Since he
has been in Office he has received en-
ormous sums of money-at least $780,
000-fTOm corporations, politicians,
contractors and public officers, which
Operations and persons have been the
bcnefiCiaries Of his administration
These sums of money he received
under various subterfuges. In some
cases notes were given or Endorsed by
the parties named. In some cases he
procured the practically worthless
bonds Of a worthless railroad in which
he was largely interested to be bought
and the money used to take up his
notes and other obligations. In some
instances the money came to him I'M
der other guises. But whether through
the medium Of Endorsements of others
OF the sale OF worthless bonds or
whatever the fiction employed, the hun
dreds of thousands of dollars went in
to Reyburn's pocket, and the corpora
tons Cor their Otficers), politicians,
contractors or public officers, through
whom he got money, have not received
it back.
When Henry Clay was appointed di-
rector of public safety he was a prac-
teal if not an actual bankrupt. He
had large accounts with brokers for
dealings in the stocks of public util-
tiles companies, with which the city
had cOntractual relations. His losses
amounted to more than half a million
dollars. Financial ruin hung over him
Like his master, Reyburn, he turneC
to the corporations Tor their officials)
the politicians, the contractors, the of.
flee holders, who were the benefciaries
OF the city government-and his own
department in particulaT-for assist
|ance. He got it.
Philadelphia is the leading Republic
can city of the country. It's leaders
have been unable to share in the plum
der of the people generally through the
glorious system of high protective tar.
ifs, so they have had recourse tC
high priced contracts and low quality
works, just about the same thing as
the country gets under the Republican
tariff system. The exposure of theil
rascality just ahead will doubtless give
tremendous stimulus to the demand
for commission form of government
in that section.
Tho YNrottu pf6 h.,