Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-03
YELLOW BLOOD

MORE than once we have stated that
~'A the parasite which growls like lion
IN this community survives only by blood
sucking. The fluid that flows through the
arteries of our local Tammany is pure
yellow. Take the graft out and nothing
would be left but an embalmed corpse.
Test your friends loyalty to the Organiza-
tion and you will find that It is putting
money in his pocket, directly or indirectly.
Search the clubs of Philadelphia from
garret to cellar and find, II you can, one
member who confesses allegiance to the
gang and can show clean hands. Every
man has his price. and criminal politics is
Q recognition Of that great principle.
The voter in the slums can be bought for
Q mug Of beer or half ton of coal. The
gentleman in his limousine asks and gets
more, but he Just as surely sells his citi-
senship and does his bit to discredit demo.
cratic government. There are contractors
IN this town who never make bid with.
out adding the graft percentage" The
graft percentage" is the amount set aside
to be handed to inspectors and other
political worthless for courtesies received.
The cadet pays his toll to be permitted to
practice lechery: the gentleman pays his
toll to break some law the violation of
which does not mean social ostracism,
but does mean cash. Government for
private profit is the motto of the gang,
and It IL the practice Of that theory
which enables the gang to rule and ruin.
Important offices are to be filled in the
approaching elections. The proper con.
duct Of these offices is vital to the we'll
being Of the city. Yet there is no dis.
cussion of candidates among men who
have no axes to grind. among citizens who
believe in good government Political lead
ers are getting together, the factions
matching wits to see which will get the
larger piece Of pie. They do not consult
the people. Long and servile acquiescence
in their orders has made them arrogant.
Government belongs to them and, by the
Eternal. they intend to divide 1t at drec-
tors meeting. The public be damned is
their policy. and the public likes it.
Men of the draft age will cheerfully make
svory sacrifice and travel three thousand
miles across the seas to smite Prussian.
ism and prevent forever the sort of gov
srnment for which Prussanism stands;
but those same men at home will march
IN unbroken ranks to the polling places
and goosestep before a local Kaiser who
hasn't even the authority OF intelligence
to Justify his usurpation Of power. There
are men giving their days and nights now
to proper prosecution OF the war who
cannot find time. and who do not want
to find time, to fight for independence In
Philadelphia or assist in the election this
fall Of decent, honest and patriotic local
officers.
We can. nevertheless, afford to be
optimistic. What abuse In business or poli.
tics has been able to survive publicity
and progress? For decades the slave.
holders held the United States Govern.
ment In the hollow of their hands and
brought to bear the enormous social
power they possessed to ridcule and ruin
any man who dared protest. But the
Shareholders were driven bag and bag.
gage out of the Capitol and Aved to tell
their children that the contamination
was glorious one. Tweed laughed at re-
form, but the penitentiary got him. A
man cannot be crooked and survive. A
gang like the Philadelphia gang cannot
sleep with leprosy and be invigorated. It..
In fact nurtures gansrene and invites
ruin. That this ruin is inevitable we do
not doubt. But why delay it to the great
peril of the city? The time is ripe to
strike, and every decent man In Philadel-
phia ought to lend helping hand.