Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-26
THERE is NO DILEMMA

COME good citizens appear to be very
much concerned because Senator
Boies Penrose will have nothing to do
with the local Republican" ticket and
advises all adherents of Lincoln's policies
TO smte it hip and thigh. They are lit.
tie confused in their minds, which is not
altogether remarkable. and some Of them
are peculiarly inslstent in wanting to
know why the EVENING Ledger which
has always demanded a high moral
standard in politics, urges acceptance
OF the Penrose support
We have been firing our heaviest guns
70 9 GOOD many months at gentlemen"
who sii In their clubs and do nothing to
advance the cause of good government
We have challenged them to come to the
front and do their duty. We have, in
some political leaders that it might be
good politics simply to be honest and
decent. Jefferson was eternally right when
he said that the whole art of govern
ment consists in the art Of being honest"
There was open one of two courses to
Senator Penrose: he could have stood
by the murder ticket or he could have
bolted it, Which would a respectable
citizen have wanted him to do? Ger
stainly this newspaper should have de.
nounced him had he continued to sit in
the regular" boat. We should have
labeled him as the enemy of decency,
honesty and ordinary morality. Why,
then, should we condemn him because
:. he has done the thing which every ad-
vocate Of good government would have
wanted him TO do? 1t is a fairly plain
proposition that if Senator Penrose had
stuck to the murder ticket, the Town
Meeting party, with a light registration,
would have been in for a licking despite
the overwhelming merit Of it's case.
The one thing Philadelphia has needed
is decisive split in the controlled vote.
The deadening corruption which has been
practiced in local government has been
due to the solidarity OF the Organization,
When there are two parties or two fac.
lions of more or less equal strength the
Independent vote becomes a decisive vote
II keeps all leaders on their good behavior
and assures some sort Of good govern
ment, even If Independent candidates are
never elected The cohesive power OF
public plunder is strong enough in ordi-
nary circumstances, but when all of the
plumber goes to one faction the cohesive
performed real public service when they
rode for a fall and drove the opposing
faction into the arms of the Independents
There are thousands Of eminent citizens
who decided, after the Fifth Ward
tragedy, TO repudiate the label anyhow
Neither Senator Penrose nor anybody
else could have carried them along.
Senator Penrose is not himself a can
didate. his selections are not candidates
he has not made the platform and all
he is doing is to help pull the vehicle
out Of the mud and mire. If any citizens
are so narrow minded as to refuse that
sort Of help, they are constitutionally
welded TO failure and opposed to good
government except in theory. The gods
themselves might have arranged the stu
alton as it is in the cause OF good gov.
ernment. for out of an apparently hope
less Independent spirit in August has
been evolved an Independent movement
OF the mightiest sort certain of triumph
unless some grievous error is made The
immediate goal of the drive is to take
control of Councils from the Wares and
their associates. When that is accom-
pilshed we can take care of subsequent
situations.
senator Penros- is but an incident in
this mighty battle for the political re-
1smption OF the city.