Middletown transcript., 1916-08-19
A DISCRACED STATE


and lower into the very abyss of degra-
dation.
For many years it has not had ar
honest governor, or an honest State
legislature. Old Pennypacker was gov
ernor when the stupendous Capitol steal
was engineered, and had he got his dues
would have gone to the penitentiary
with the other six or eight rogues whom
a belated justice landed there. Instead?
he was rewarded with 1000 office.
He has since even had the impudence
to publish defence of that infamous
$4,000, 600 steal.
His successor was Governor Tener
whom the North American and other
journals pillried as a rascally promoter
of swindles that had robbed thousands
of people of vast sums. Tener was fol-
lowed by Governor Brumbaugh, fake
reformer and a pious humbug who won
his Office through a good-Lord- good
devil, alliance with Boies Penrose who
''whooped things up' at the whiskey
end of the campaign, enlisting for their
Joint benefit the support of the saloons
and the brewers, meanwhile brother
Brumbaugh with Pecksnifian hypocricy
worked" the religious folk and the
churches.
For years public offices, state and
municipal, have been systematically
farmed out by bipartisan gang bosses
who thru fraudulent contracts and
otherwise have feeced the citizens mer-
cii' riy, loading them down with taxes.
aid enormously enriching themselves.
With what deeary Succession of pol
ception-P Philadelphia has been cursed
for years! What long line of thiev-
ing councils have betrayed the city into
the hands of these plundering bosses
and greedy corporations
The Police Department has usually
been joined in shameful conspiracy
with gamblers, thieves and all the
underworld of sin, still further to prey
upon decent society.
In the U. S. Senate Pennsylvania is
represented by Money Bag and
Demijohn, disreputable pair of Sena-
tors who recently disgraced their state
by voting with the miserable minority
that believed in grinding helpless Child
hood in their mills and workshops.
Every once in while Philadelphia,
usually corrupt and contended," has
a spasm of virtue, the people revolving
against their plundering bosses; but
they soon tire of being justly, decently
governed, and so again like dumb cattle |
thrust their willing necks into their
bosses collars.
The present fake mayor, with a great
parade ofrighteous Indignation, recently
made spectacular raid upon the red |
light district, dragging some 500 per-
sons, men and women, before the mag
istrAte who lightly fined the men and |
heavily fined or imprisoned the women
while certain big official fish caught in |
the drag net, were turned loose.
The grand jury returned lot of in
dictments, which it is openly declared, |
will never convict anybody. The inves-
tigation as usual was choked off before |
the 'men higher up were involved,
and the police captains and sergeants
caught were promptly protected from
all harm. The scared gamblers and |
confidence men who received the GUS
tomary notice of the coming raid and |
cleared out, have returned, and things
will go on as before with the full knowl- |
edge and permission of the city author
tiles from his honor, the Mayor, down !
to the humblest policeman!
Even the respectable (?) property
owners who knowingly rent their houses
for these disreputable purposes, will
escape prosecution, though the law
clearly provides therefor. All this
amazing miscarriage of justice because
as usual the city prosecuting attorney
is the obedient slave of the bosses who
exact as the price of his election that
their vote-getting gamblers, and the
rest may ply their trade, and make
merchandise of vice without any inter-
ference upon his part in enforcing the
laws as he is sworn to do.
To complete this dismal picture of
civic shame, some Of the magistrates
are willing to prostitute their judicial
functions to help these evil doers, and
so like magistrate Call, they take
straw bail for the favored rascals who
thus go unwhipt of justice.
1t is distressing spectacle altogether
from magistrate Call to Governor
Brumbaugh, or from Mayor Smith to
Senator Oliver or OrPenrose, of debased
city and commonwealth, one that may