Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-12
ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE I!
ORGANIZE A!

EAITH witho". works is dead. Abiding
faith in the Ultimate triumph of good
government backed by legitimate political
work, will rescue Philadelphia from the
autocrac. of contractor-bossism. The
Town Meeting party must Keep the faith
and fgh. the good fight The vitalizing
graft. inflated contracts Fifth Ward
thuggery, police in politics and primary
murders is summed up in three words:
Organize, organize. organize. Faith, hope
and organization will rout the Nare.Smith
combine. And the greatest of these is
organization.
Philadelphia is ueterminod to wrest
control of the city from the Gang. The
will to win is there. The Town Meeting
party supplies the vi . to organize. Moth
ing lifeess, nothinI futile harkeG its
initial engagement tn the forces of
political evil. Hastily summoned into
being, incompletely organized. only partly
covering the city with weeks instead of
months and years to perfect its plans and
press its campaign, it made a magnificent
showing, with a record of virtual victory
which secured veto power in Councils
over the plunderbund.
The Town Meeting party has the foun-
dation and framework for orEanizat ton
1t has the leaders and followers for ac-
ton. 1t has inspired decent citizens,
cher.shing ideals of "A clean city, with the
faith and the hope necessary for taking
the mayoralty and other city offices out
of Gang control two years hence.
Its job now is to organize organize,
organize. This is big bit" But the
basis is there. The skeleton organization
must be filled out. What is incomplete
must be made comprehensive. Each ward,
each division, must be systematzed and
strengthened. These cogs and wheels of
reform must be formed into co-ordi,
mated, high-geared engine of enormous
power and terrific force, The Town
Meeting party will have to he a steam
roller constituted to fatten out Ware
Smithism for good.
California and North Dakota were re-
deemed from bad politics on much less
substantial basis. In the former Hiram
Johnson thought the State could be freed
from railroad throttling. He and his col
leagues toured the State on a bit of mere
philosophy. Their SNOWFALL of opposi-
tion. which the enemy jeeringly declared
would melt in the heat of a partisan
election, became an 'vaanche. johnson
with cohesive organization. The farmers
of North Dakota chafed at the CALLING
yoke of railroad control which discrim-
mated against their welfare by embar-
goes. freight congestion, high rates and
other obstacles to the seasonable and
profitable movement of their crops, and
by sinister alliance with banking made
financing of their farms expensive 4
few of them did no more than simply get
together. They believed they could re-
deem their State from shame and obtain
the advantages due TO themselves and
their families. They won-these few
enbattled farmers-by organization
Philadelphia has much better start
than either of these successful move.
ments. In the Town Meeting party 1t
has a force that sprang almost spon-
taneously into notably vigorous effective.
ness. 1t must expand that force, energize
1t. develop it along all the lines of legiti.
mate practical politics. Enthusiasm will
not win elections alone. 1t will win them
II buttressed by organization. Sermons
and stump speeches will not turn rascals
cut OF the city government Sermons and
stump speeches plus honestly organized.
constantly active friends of decency I'm
every ward and voting district can win a
mayoralty again as 1t has done in the
past