Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-21
WHO'LL BE THE SETH LOW
OF PHILADELPHIA?

THIRTY-sIx years ago Seth Low. then
thirty years old. was known only as
the son Of rich man who had received
a. liberal education and had lived a clean
life. He did not hang around the stage
entrances OF the theaters or spend his
evenings in the gilded restaurants or the
cafes Of the fashionable hotels. His
amusements were those Of the conservs-
tive church going mass OF the community.
He had organized a bureau Of charities
when he was twenty-eight in order to CO.
ordinate the charitable work Of Brooklyn.
where he lived. and had taken some part
in the political life of his ward.
But this young man had a vision and
ideals When Garfield was nominated he
organized the Young Republican Club to
assist in his election. He put so much
intelligent energy into the work that the
public began to take notice Of him. The
next year. 1881, he was nominated for
Mayor by the reform element in Brook
lyn. which looked to him as the man to
deal telling blow to the Mclaughlin
machine. which controlled the city as
the Tammany machine controlled New
York. He was elected and served two
terms. While he was still in his early
thirties he was the leading exponent OF
municipal reform on this continent and
was so recognized
He ran the government for the beneft
Of the people of Brooklyn instead of for
the benent OF any political organization.
He appointed the best men obtainable to
take charge of the different departments.
regardless of their views on national poll
tics. Nineteen years after he had been
elected as Mayor of Brooklyn he was
made Mayor OF New York when the two
cities had been consolidated, because all
the opponents Of the Tammany system
agreed that he was the kind of man
needed to administer the affairs Of the
greater municipality. Now that he is
dead, every tribute to his work places
first his contribution to the solution OF
the vexed problem Of how to govern the
cities.
Mr.. Low was able to accomplish so
much largely because he was financially
independent He would doubtless have
agreed with Colonel Roosevelt in advising
that no young man should seek a political
career IL he had to make his living that
way. The man who controls your purse
controls your conscience. The political
machine which has 1t in its power to re-
duce public servant to poverty unless he
does its bidding prefers impecunious but
brilliant young men or rich but spineless
old men.
looking persons are looking will be has
tened when more young men of independ-
ent fortune and high ideals follow the
example of Seth Low and devote them
selves to the service of the city and the
State. There are such young men in
Philadelphia, Just graduated from the Uni
versity or amusing themselves by pre-
tending to practice law in order to give
themselves the show OF an occupation. If
they do not feel their blood boil as they
contemplate the spectacle OF city con.
trolled by a group Of contractors. able to
dictate the nomination of the men who
are to award to them the contracts for
public work. they are lacking In those
virtues which have always been the glory
of youth.
Which of them feels moved to be the
Seth Low of Philadelphia7 What twenty
OF them are impelled to combine to rescue
this city from the slough in which It is
wallowing and lift II to the firm ground
on which 1t can stand upright and ulti.
mately raise its head as the best gov,
erned municipality in America? The door
is open for whomsoever wills to enter it.
and there is no better occasion than the
present for young man TO start in the
right direction, as Seth Low did in the
Garfield campaign thirty-six years ago.
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