Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-22
WHO'S BEING FRAMED?

TN THE critical political situation now
existing in Philadelphia it is important
that citizens should not be confused and
have their vision blurred by muddying Of
the waters.
The political faction now dominating
public affairs, and particularly the police
department, AYERS that it is the victim
of "frame-up," term we'll known to
the police courts and to criminals Of all
descriptions. We understand that the
proponents of this novel defense feel that
trap was set for them. Suppose It was!
They do not deny that they fell into it.
The rat cannot complain if he puts him.
self in a position where the jaws Of a
steel trap can close in on him. The ar.
gument seems to be not that the faction
is guiltless, but that the stage was set.
ITS frame-up'," cry bribed men when
they take marked money and are caught
with the goods.
Was it a "frame-up" that the police
tried madly to get possession of the per.
son Of the chief witness against them?
Was it a "frame.up" that the police, as
witnesses declared, were in cahoots with
thugs?
Was it a "frame-up" that the police
have aroused citizens from their beds at
dead of night to question them relative
to petitions for the nomination of Town
Meeting candidates?
Is it "frame-up" that the dominant
faction is now engaged in a desperate
and concerted effort to deprive the peo-
pie Of the right to select officers in No.
vember by interposing technicalities to
prevent the names of the peoples candi.
dates from appearing on the official
ballot?
Monstrous as were the practices of the
Mayor and his associates previous to the
Eppley murder, the conduct of the clty's
affairs since has been even more lawless
and nauseating. Depending on cunning
and subterfuge to prevent their repudia.
ton by the people, so-called leaders are
engaging in every device known to politi.
clans to convert the courts to their own
purposes and defeat the ends of justice.
They continue to use the police as a fac.
donal arm. They pay no attention to the
protests Of the public. They maintain in
office Director Wilson and his sub.
ordinates. The man Bennett is stiu a
police lieutenant. He is not even re.
quired to explain his conduct of affairs in
the Fifth Ward. There has not been one
single effort on the part of city officials
to correct notorious abuses. The whole
power Of the municipal government is
engaged in one pursuit only, and that an
impudent attempt to get from under ana
escape punishment for iniquitous EN-.
bezzlement of power and downright pros.
titution of authority.
What do good citizens care about the
factions? What do they care about the
-@N@'~sSNg - SShSSelASh luOllNeSf what DO
they care If the gamblers in life
and authority did not play the game ac.
cording to their own set of rules? What
do they care about all the activities a de.
scription of which requires use Of the
vernacular Of the penitentiary and the
gutter? What they do care about is tbe
continuance in authority of men whose
awful crimes have been exposed. What
they do care about is the impudent effort
of these men to remain in power bv de.
priving the public of the opportunity 10
throw them out. Thieves may honor one
another, but the decent public honors
none of the fraternity of crime. It wants
to get rid of them as fast as thew are
discovered.
The only ''frame-up" OF which we can
discover evidence is a desperate effort TO
~frame up" the people of PhiladeIpbia
and steal from them their right Of self
government.