Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-03
THE VARE-SMITH RED
HERRING


THE Vare-Smith Frog Hollow combina-
ton, masqueradlng as Republican, is
/. pulling the old stuff" in support Of its
-hoy-fifty" ticket with all the zest Of a
{ discovered novelty. Contractor govern
ment sets up the fetish Of party loyalty
and urges danger to the protective tariff
and other tenets of Republicanism IL the
) Town Meeting candidates are returned to
: the Row" offices and Councils chambers.
for are not some of these candidates
Democrats and are not others the even
: more detested reformers?
This spread.eagle type OF spelbinding
: unfortunately still has some effect in
mighty Republican city such as Phiadel-
phia, but at times citizens break away
from 1t. This was the case in the reform
victory of 1906 and in the verdict in favor
of Mr. Blankenburg later. Each election
creates more forwardlooking. civlcally
minded voters.
Like Ithuriels spear that knows no
brother" contractor and thug politics
knows no party. The reciprocity between
Quay and Croker has not yet been
obliterated from memory any more than
has the "blocks-of-five" suffrage scandal
In which imported "fioaters" carried In.
diana. or later record Is the mutual un-
u bt.
secured temporarily his seat in the United
States Senate, thanks to purchased Demo.
cratic votes. And none of these had the
slightest interest in or value for the fate
of the nation. They were local and per.
sonal in no sense national
Let voters remember, those voters to
whom appeal is made in these closing
days of the campaign against Bloody
Fifth" politics on the grounds of G. o. p.
loyalty the contractor.boss is party man
from mercenary motives only. He is as
unaffected by principles as he is by
scruples. He cares only for accepted bids
at profitable rates for water works,
street paving, garbage collecting and
other municipal work-not at all for ma.
tional issues Jobs" not good govern.
ment, is his watchword.
His henchmen, the "heeers," care only
for their graft and protection as it filters
down to the little fellers."
The men at the front who dominate the
Illicit and immoral alliance between par.
tisan politics and private gain care not
whit for large and vital concerns of
national welfare or for the betterment of
the city in which they live and where.
from they take their ll.gotten profits.
Their purposes and their party alignment
are selfish and always ulterior in motive.
In this city they are neutrality-suspicious.
In New York they call themselves Demo.
Gratis.
Contractor-bosses are not statesmen any
more than they are patriots. They are
merely money-changers n the temple OF
democracy. They should be whipped out
through the blazing scorn of honest men
who love their city, cherish their families
and respect themselves. Philadelphia has
the chance next Tuesday to drive them
out into the utter darkness where con.
tracts are nil and blackjacks are not an
argument.
Surely the murder OF Acting Detective
Eppley and the subsequent revelations in
court OF the rottenness OF the Gang have
sufheiently stiSred the public conscious.
"ass and conscience TO this point. II Is
onsy by such quickening, by a flaming
out os popular resentment at misgoyern.
rlent, a devoted adhesion to ideals Of
what Is best for Philadelphia. that the
city can turn the rascals out and keen
tAsm out. But they cannot be turned
out If . sufficient number OF respectable
citizens do as they have misguidedly done
An previous elections-misuse the fran.
ehise by casting straight party votes.
hearkening to vare-smith interested pleas
q party loyalty
The red-herring argument is not strong
enough this time TO perfume sweetlv the
stencil Of malodorous contractorand.tbuq
Aelitlca.