Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-29
PEPPERS MAYORALTY PRESCRIPTION
The Distinguished Lawyer Says the Next Mayor Should be Man
of Wide Administrative Experience and Be Able to
Get Along Friendly Terms With Councils
By HERBERT S. WEBER

60 MANY men who have had little or no
~ experience in public office have accepted
without protest the persistent mention Of
their names as mayoralty candidates that
one is inclined to receive with a start of sur
prise the statement from man who has ap-
peared on the lists that he could not con-
scientiously undertake to perform the highly
specialized work which the office of Mayor of
Philadelphia has come to involve In the re-
action against professional officeholders, in
many parts of the country in the last decade
the pendulum has swung very far the other
way in favor of the politically inexperienced
tendency which eliminated In the choice of
a philosopher king for President, scholar
who had not been seen in the market place
during the first fifty years of his life An
other tendency has been to conceive govern
ment as business enterprise; If a man has
built up a great factory he should be able to
build up great bank and by the same token
a great administration as Mayor. This rea-
soning has seemed conclusive to many.
The hesitation of corrupt elements In
municipal political life to rush into the
mayoral chair man obviously tied to con-
tracing interests has seemed to promise that
these powerful factors are willing to yield to
the advice of the best element in the Re-
whom the independents might not oppose.
For example. among those whose names
have been advanced are George Wharton
Pepper Charlemagne Tower and William T.
Tilden 1t has seemed plausible to many
that in view of the restoration of confidence
in Pennsylvania's Republicanism throughout
the country by the election of Brumbaugh.
the Organization might follow up this abne-
cation with the final altrulsm OF giving the
city Mayor of the type the above mentioned
citizens represent.
Declines the Office for Himself
Mr. Peppers attainments in his profession
have led to the consideration of his fitness to
be a Justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States, and 1t Is generally understood
that former President desired to appoint
him to a position that is usually filled by
men of greater age. Lawyers who are well
Informed about his career as teacher of
law, as the co-author of standard reference
works, as a practIcing attorney, spoke of
the mention of his name as a mayoral possi-
bility as refreshing thought, sign of re-
awakened ideals of the dignity Of high office.
Mr.. Pepper. however, does not agree with
his friends as to the necessary qualifications
for the Mayoralty candidates.
at is, Of course. gratifying to be mentioned
in connection with any office OF Importance, "
he said. "but under no circumstances what
ever should 1 be willing to become can
didate for Mayor. 1 have neither the tenn
perament nor the training which should be
possessed by the executive head OF munich
pality like this. There is a natural tendency
on the part of the friends OF a man who has
met with even moderate success in one line
of effort to assume that he would do equally
well along an entirely different line. This,
however is a great mistake. do not mean
10 say that we should be governed by class
of professional offieeholders. but I do mean
that neither good citizenship, nor good char
acter. nor professional attainment. either
alone or in combination, constitutes adequate
equipment for proper discharge OF the
duties OF the Mayoralty"
1t was suggested that an attempt to solve
problems OF municipal affairs through the
adaptation of certain principles of efficiency
had been made by the present Administra-
tion. and that a great number OF citizens
Identified with the business life OF the COM
mpnltv desired a continuance of this move
ment through the election Of some man as
Asavor who is a believer In the efficiency
school Of city management
Making Mess Of Administration
I'VE need IN that once man VINO mas haa
wide administrative experience ana has
shown himself capable OF selecting wise ad-
,,isers." F" SAID Mr. Pepper There is q great
deaf or talk these days about ehieieney- In
NV Judgment however a big man without
theories sf enieieney is likely to be more use
f,il Al the head OF a department than small
man who can talk efficiency like machine
OF course. ] DO not mean that big man Is
not made bigger BY the use Of q sound
method but unfortunately the choice must
eftsn Sc made between Two such extremes as
I have Just Indicated
s0nr American form q government al-