Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-20
PHILADELPHIA'S FUTURE
DOES NOT BELONG TO
THE GANG

WITH virtual unanimity the news
w papers OF New York shout their hal
leluiahs in praise Of tho decision of the
Fusion Committee to renominate Mayor
Mitchell and all the officers who, with
him, have rendered incalculable service
30 the metropolis in lifting It from the
morass Of political corruption and read.
ing efficiency into the functioning of the
several departments Of that imperial mu.
nicipal administration. Their record Is
their platform, and they need none other
I'VE have had the best administration
under Mayor Mitchell the city has known"
writes Mr.. Hughes. The Republican
party could not afford to be responsible
Tor the defeat of Fusion"
More important tnan the individuals
concerned in the outcome Of the Novem.
Der election" thunders tho Sun, is the
nte of the cause they represent Against
them will be arrayed every element in
the population to which favoritism In
administration. corruption In govern.
ment and inefficiency in municipal affairs
mean opportunity to press for private
profits. Tammany embodies a doctrine of
government SO well defined and clearly
perceptible that the most ingenious
spokesman In the Fourteenth street
haaduIarfara
and protection for the plunderers; this
covers the whole program formulated In
the Wigwam and promulgated by its
agents. Whatever disguise its emissaries
may wear. whatever cloak of respect.
ability they may attempt to draw about
them. they cannot conceal the truth about |
their cause"
What Tammany was, the political
Organization in Philadelphia is. But Tam. |
many is out. out Of power and out of
hope. while here responsibility is cheek
by jowl with fraud; and among the ele. |
ments which seek favortism in admins
tration-aye, in the very innermost coun.
Gil chambers Of corruption--may be found
gloved citizens of scented purity who
worship at their churches on Sunday,
plot with grafters on Monday and hurl
their denunciatons the rest of the week
against such institutions Of publicity as
have refused to be coerced; institutions
which prize their American liberty of Mt.
eerarce as the only weapon left them
wherewith to keep the battle going and
mobilize at length the decency of the
community in irresistible assault against
the whole system of theft and favoritism
which has corroded the public conscience
and grown strong on. pilfered wealth.
What Tammany was our Organization
Is, and worse, for decency In New York
has fought the fight for more than a
generation and has whipped corrup-
tionists out of Office and often into
jail; but we. soothed by soft palaver
and hideous compliance on the part Of
important citizens who betray themselves
and their leadership, are content to live
and breathe and go about our business
under the political guidance of peanut.
Drained executives. many of whom are ,
laughed at by their own associates and ,
all of whom are so little in /
thought and purpose that the placing on
their shoulders of leadership in progress.
sive municipal development is tragically I
comic.
New York, after four years of decent. {
sincere, forwardlooking government can
look the nation In the face unabashed We
are ninety miles south geographically
and hundred years back politically in
comparison with our neighbor. There
iecent men viii fight for decency; here I
90 many decent men sell their decency 70
'orruptionists who mantle themselves in 4
: and strut the highways boastfully. 4
here It has been proved that the whole I
lfisenship cannot be corrupted. that the
nan In the street wants good government :,
~ win vote for it; here we have been
nught that It Is unpatriotic to complain
roenon TO nsht that the good citizen :,
1epid - ecntsnt with thinss as they are u
1le ~ Tongue even a. the orsanixa. G
haa6G ~ fsst Thers z