Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-06

CHORTLY after the Constitutional CON
- vention of 1887 had completed It's work
Philadelphia lady meeting Benjamin Frank
lin asked him whether the new Constitution
would give the people a republic or mon
archy. "A republic, madam" gruhly replied
Franklin n twinkle lighting the circle OF ms
eyes as he added IF we can keep IT,
Our true patriot of today is the man VINO
is willing to sacrifice his time his strength
and his property to remove political shame,
reform political corruption and sustain better
government Once established, better gov
ernment is ours "if we can keep It,"
To each generation of men come the duties
of their day and hour. The courageous men
who fought and destroyed Tweed had COM
paratively brief period of success. They were
in Office only a short time, and then only to
give the municipality n thorough overhaul-
Ing. But never after was there body OF
freebooters in control of New York city VINO
edualed in audacty the members OF the
Tweed ring.
President Hadey, OF Yale, often tells of
man who objected loudly when preacher
said that God was stronger than the devil.
"If the devil possesses inferior strength
said the objector "he certainly has superior
activity"
It is always after the politocrats win an
election that the cynic energies from MS
cavern with his crealty discourasing voice.
His tongue in his cheek, he passes from group
to group telling how theory is one thing,
practice another. And we have to listen for
the pill is sugar coated and offered as cure
for the disappointment naturally feels
over any advantage even temporary, of
public enemy.
"see how your precious theory worked"
said one of these carpers this morning at
Broad and Chestnut streets he flourished
windmill arms. "Tell me- please, where can
find the free and independent voter who
weighs carefully the claims of the various
candidates and after profound meditation ar
rives at a perfect and sound judgment be-
fore the ballot box?' He went on:
''In practice, what does the free and inde-
pendent voter do? He hunts up q profess
sional adviser. a ward runner for Jim Nc
Nichol and the Vares and from him gets the
desired information about the candidates
and their qualifications for office. You must
admit it, AS for myself, wash my hands OF
the burdens of the politically ignorant"
Then our misanthrope friend gives a Sar-
castle chuckle, tosses his head in the air,
swings his cane contemptuously and plunses
southwest across Broad street toward the
brownstone steps leading up into red
fronted building. Who has not met him upon
all the bypaths of life? He is the chill one
finds in the early spring OF every good deed.
What II all he says is true7 Tho more need
for letting daylight into politics. The ease
with which cynics detach themselves from
struggling minority proves the value as we'll
as the necessity to a community OF the men
who will night on. Is 1t not so? UP and AZ
them. There is nothing so quickening in
dreAry existence as a good, hard, long fight
on the right side.
So YOU of the stout heart let us turn north
on Broad street. and visit the floors in tho
City Hall where better government is win
ming its own way. No whimpering there.
This is the real centre OF unselfish civic en-
deavor. Every crisis in life creates its CEN
trail figure In our oountry's crisis OF liberty
we find George Washington. In our oountry's
crisis of equality we md Abraham Lincoln.
In our elty's crisis of better government We
nnd Mayor Blankenburg and his band Of
doers
They are not worrying about the ''pohti-
caIly Ignorant" They are getting results for
the people by outing the ground from under
the politically WISE" Only citizens who are
jaundlced by self-intsrest will fail to rally
when the time comes to the support OF mon
who have stayed the hand of private profit
from stretching its fingers into the peoples
treasury.
In 1911 the price paid by the city for ordi-
nary milk was 7h cents per quart. better
quality OF milk is now being bought for 6h
cents per quart. The city uses more than =
million and a quarter quarts yearly in ita
various institutions. This is fact Of in
tsrest for our friend the cynic, who turned
south on Broad street.
Or let us take coal. Philadelphia uses
III aF q
ally in the various public buildings. d.
rector Herman Loeb, of the Department OF
Supplies. last year saved $12s.2ss on coal
alone. This means he spent that much less
than was spent for coal In the last year OF
the Rsyburn administration. Is not this an
achievement for the people?
It Is not necessary to build nrs under
philadelphia taxpayer to set him thinking.
He is watching and waiting. Now, what an
oficeholder may dc at Washington or Har-
risburg Is OF small moment compared with
the transactions in City Hall The latter arc
close at hand apd can be investigated by
every taxpayer for himself. There Is no pri-
vata entrance to the Mayors once.
Meanwhile just run down the list OF sup
plies bought by the city last year and COM
pare the purchases with those made by the
former administration. The comparisons ara
staggering Think OF cutting down the cost
OF a barrel OF -four s1.s4l we use about TO- oOo
barrels annually. In packing material Mr..
Loeb saved ssTOs; lumber ss4.sss hardware,
tsos7; lead. S2tso; iron water pipe S71It; sta
tlonsry. 1885, beef, s7sl5. and equally large
savings IN many other products used - the
city.
These savings were made Tor the public In
the face Of almost insurmountable dimoul-
ties, for not only have the institutions sup