Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-11

| NfaNeu. 30 tneN fHau IN the lrNuhiiH
party platform, and they said that they
had known "the present dangerous posi-.
tion Of this great utility" when Director
| Taylor was spending every evening on
the platform OF mass-meetings explainine
the untirlng thickness OF the Organlza.
tion to drain the blood out of the Taylor
plan and leave It to the people a white
and limpid corpse, n thing OF words and
the letter OF law, from which the spirit
had been stolen and exposed the mockery
OF freebooters
So. with the feeling Of a really new
party. like the Republican party in 1850
that party which the Franklin party plat.
form says has been hurt throughout the
nation by the liberation Of this iniduity
they read this platform OF the new in
dependent party
THE PLATFORM
"rhe Franklin party stands hrst and
foremost for the principle that mu-
ntcipal contractors shall not he allowed.
through dummy oficiRls of their own
selection, 60 write their own spcclhcR-
tions, inspect their own work and pass
their own bills. IL may be said that
this issue is old The same objection
might be urged against the Ten Com
mandmcnts. The issue is not made by
us II Is forced upon us. II was the
issue i'm 1907, when the public did not
y
was the issue Of 1911, when they did
realize it and elected Mr.. BlankenburR.
II is the issue this year, forced by the
same bosses, reunited, IT Il Is decided
as Il was In 1911, II will disappear.
because the contractors will realize that
IL is thing the public viii not tolerate.
and the effort will be abandoned. II It
should by any possibility be decided
otherwise Il will continue to be the
issue until IL is settled and settled
right The federation of this iniquity
has hurt the Republican party In the
nation and hurt the Republicans of
PennsylVnnia In the councils OF their
party, Its continuance as an issue II
due solely to the money greed of two
men. Every sincere Republican must
wish to rid his party of this milestone.
Those who COuntenRnce and endure ID,
however great their devotion 60 the
party, are its worst enemies.
"The other principles for which we
stand are:
First. The essential principle that
the people shall rule; that public Of
fiCials shall be selected and elected by
them: shall be responsible to them
shall have their interests at heart
that they shall not he the selection of
n ring of political contractors, respOn-
sibIe to those contractors and inter
ested only In forwarding those personal
and corporate interests, which are, too
often, opposed 60 the interests of the
people.
"Socond. That appointments TO office
shall be for the good Of the public serv-
ice: that municipal employees shall not
be required or permitted to render po-
litcal services, and that the public money
paid to them for services rendered shall
be their property and not subject to con-
fscation for purposes Of political de-
bauchery, by forced assessments or under
the guse Of voluntary contributions
Third. That public improvements. in
volving as they do the expenditure of
money exacted by taxation shall be care
fully studied. economically planned, care
fully specified. contracted for after fair
and open bidding, intelligently inspected,
and then promptly paid for. In no other
way can the city get a full dollars worth
Of value for each dollar expended
80 much for the principles which
the Franklin party represents. Now
as to the specific issues involved in the
coming election. Far and away the
most important is the provision OF
real rapid transit facilities for our
population of ,T5O, 900, spread over 129
square miles of area. We stand unre-
servedly for the Taylor Plan and its
prompt realization. Every citizen who
wishes real rapid transit must vote
with the Franklin party. because IL IL
certain that the candidates evolved
from Mr.. Lanes harmony conferences
must be either openly and violently
opposed to IL, nv 'Mr. Lane IL, secretly
and cOVertIy opposed TO IL, as Mr. Con-
nelly il or Interested In IL only as a
means of making money. as MIR. Nc
NichOI is. Later i'm the campaign we
shall explain fully the present danger
Gus position of this great utility, and
the supreme Importance to the people
of electing a Mayor and Councils who
will safeguard it and see that their
rights are not betrayed.
ave favor the simpllhcntlOn of our
local machinery of EOvernment--in-
Guiding a smaller Council. with hut one
chamber-in the interest both OF
economy and of prompt action upon
what are purely business questions.
1--WE favor a budget not made up arbi-
trarily and secretly at the eleventh
hour by a small subcommittee in consul
tation with their contractor bosses, but
made up early, openly and intelligently
so that it may be discussed and the peo-
pie know why and for what they are
being taxed.
1--WE favor the prompt expenditure OF
the money available for the wiping cCt
OF the Blochey shame, without paying
tribute to an architect whose only recon-
mendation is that he was the brother-in.
law of a boss who, In his day, got halt
of McNicho's profits on city contracts
as his return for the exertion of his
political influence In securing those con,
tracts.
1--WE favor a large increase in the mum.
ber of municipal Fairgrounds and recrea.
| tion centres, and the expenditure of a
reasonable sum to provide supervised
play In those centres. This is necessary
not only as a matter of health, but foi
the protection of children who must
| otherwise be exposed TO the increasing
| dangers OF the streets.
I'VE are I'm complete and hearty
sympathy with the spirit that animatei
| the 5000 members Of the Chamber OF
| Commerce-the desire TO develop tn,
Industries and increase the business ot
| Philadelphia. We recognize the fac
that progress cannot come to a com
munity which invites ridicule and con,
tempt by surrendering self-governmen'
and submits supinely to corruption
waste and inemciency I'm the conduct
| OF it's local affairs. We, therefore, cal
upon all the members of that body and
upon all PhiladeIphians who are Jealous
| of the good name of their city and NiHl
to see IL grow and prosper TO Join Will
us In getting rid OF the bIighting in.
huenees which have so long bhndt.