Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-03-26
you'll HURT THE TOWN."
From Five Mile Beach Sun.

IF IT Is a IROIoN InaL - 0ISIOTY repeats lIseII, II Cain
also be said that the old adage, there is nothing new
under the SUM- is entitled to respectful consideration,
inasmuch as both sacred and profane history lead us to believe
that in some respects the disposition ofsome men of to-day,
when given full scope, is sometimes like that of the cave
.dweller, who held that might is right" History tells us
that the rulers of ancient times heaped fresh and heavier
loads upon the people when they complained of the burdens
of taxation, and the same condition, in many instances, pre-
walls to-day. We are not familiar with the excuses, If any,
advanced by the tyrants of ancient times for their oppressive
acts, but you'll hurt the town" seems to be the modern
argument for those who are feeding upon the official loaves
and fishes. Wea are not speaking from commonr umor, because
an attache of the government of the City of Wildwood assured
the writer, a few evenings ago, that the course of The Journal
and THE SUN, would "hurt the town" OF course it was a
repetition of the words Of the bosses.
When William M. Tweed held the political machinery
of the City of New York in the hollow of his hand, and
|exacted tribute and demanded obedience from the taxpayers,
he was, for many years, SO all-powerful that he scofed at the
complaints against the rule of his iron hand. With one
exception, The Times, he muzzled the press of the city, and
used all the influence that be could command to silence or
kill the one newspapertha dared to defend the people against
his arbitrary and criminal acts, and when one after another
was brought to light he became defiant and wanted to know,
/" what are you going to do about it." But when the coils of
the law commenced to tighten around and about him, and he
realized the danger ahead of him, he and his satellites adopted
another course, and started the old and ~threadbare story,
|"youll hurt the town" Tweed was finally driven to bay,
however, and indicted, convicted and sentenced to state prison.
But the publicity, which was worldwide, did not "hurt the
town. but helped it, and now we have Greater New York,
instead Of the comparatively insignificant city it was when it
was being robbed by Tweed and his co-conspirators.
And a somewhat similar incident occurred in the staid
and conservative old City of Philadelphia, some two decades
ago. Honest John BardsIey was at that time at the head of
the finance department of the city, and when The Times, under
the editorial management of the late Colonel A. Mcclure,
publicly questioned his official methods, the dependent news
papers-the pap-fed organs-of the city, rushed to his defense
and many of the most eminent citizens held up their hands
in holy horror at even the suggestion that Honest John
Bardsley could make a mistake in financial matters. But
little by little the facts leaked out that Bardsley was crooked,
and he was sent to state prison for seven years. But the
newspaper publicity given the case did not "hurt the town..
On the contrary it seems to have helped it, as Philadelphia
has made greater progress within the past twenty years, since
the time of the Bardsley incident, than 1t had In a period of
sixty years prior to that time. s
There is another city in Pennsylvania that passed
through a similar experience. According to evidence that
has been produced in the courts Of Allegheny county,
Pittsburg was for years looted by political grafters, its treasury
emptied and its credit destroyed, and no protest Of the people
was listened to until the newspapers of the city took the
matterup and the officials and their corrupt methods.
OF course these officials, when the newspapers commenced
the battle, Justify cried out, you'll hurt the town" But til
was of no avail. Seventeen councilmen were indicted, and
eight were convicted and sent to prison. But in this instance.
the publicity given the affairs by the newspapers did not hurt
%Pittsburg. A dispatch from that city Of a few weeks ago said
that Pittsburg was in "good financial condition for perhaps
the first time in is. history" and a city that is financially
healthy is likely to be prosperous.
1t is a long Jump from Pittsburg to San Francisco, but
let us all take it for the laudable purpose of getting additional
data and information upon the subject of hurting a town.
Some ten years ago Franz Schmidt was Mayor of San Fran
cisco. He was a "jolly good fellow" and everything WENT
under his administration. The average San franciscan did
not object to the lid ~beingoffin a general way, but when they
discovered that Schmidt and his pals had taken the lid off
the strong box and extracted about all the cash, IN addition to
plunging the city into greater debt, they commenced to make
complaint. Finally The Chronicle made investigation and
exposed the manner in which the city had been looted. Of
course Schmidtresorted to the old cry, you'll hurtthe town,
but the newspaper war was kept up until he was convicted
and sentenced to state prison for the period of thirteen years.
But it did not "hurt the town" Despite the horrors OF the
earthquake and the ravages OF the holocaust OF lire, san
Francisco is a more prosperous city to-day than twas before
the debauchery and corruption of its city government was
Exposed by its newspapers and its chief magistrate sent to
state prison, and its enterprise and progressiveness, since it was
freed tfrom the clutches of political @freebooters, is. attracting
the attention Of the civilized world to-day.