Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-20
GOVERNMENT BY MURDER

TN BELGIUM a holy priest, Cardinal
L Mcrcler, fearing God and none other,
has lifted his voice in the wilderness Of
destruction and barbarity everywhere
about him and in the name of the re-
ligion OF Christ has thundered forth his
denuncations of the murderers and
debauchc s who have dared insult even
God In his temples and have desecrated
the human bodies os their victims, even
as they sought to destroy their souls,
without y s. and without mercy. OF all
the great mea whJ have stood within the
gates OF justice and by the power Of their
pleading hell hack the assaults Of cruelty
and greed the services Of none have been
more eurely recorded among the stars
than those OF this Belgian priest whose
name will bea reverently murmured in
gratitude b. whole peoples ages hence,
when the names of kings and emperors
and ge aas and all the present mighty
of the elr.h have been forgotten or have
passed into The chronicles of mere tradi-
tion.
Yesterday, another priest, standing
where death had taken toll amid the
shambes of order and decency, in a
civilized community which policemen and
imported thugs were desecrating, remem.
bering his unanswered appeals to the
Mayor to take steps to prevent the very
crimes which were occurring, voiced, too,
his protest. Said 'Father McDermott:
"The Mayor should be arrested. He is
the most guilty one"
Let citizens consider the facts.
on Tuesday night the police Of Phila-
delphia, acting under orders, invaded the
Fifth Ward. They were there for one
purpose only, and that was political pur-
pose. Their function was to spread terror
throughout the ward to blackjack citi.
gems, to COW the electorate and club voters
into acceptance of a leadership de.
sired by the faction which uses the Mayor
of the city as one Of it's pawns.
Citizens and the public press had re.
peatedly appealed to the Mayor to call off
the police as an adjunct Of faction and
see that they were used only for the pres
srvation of law and order The Mayor
had consulted with factional leaders. He
had given one of them assurances that the
police power of the government would
not be prostituted in the ward. He had
given the citizens of Philadelphia as
surances that as the chief executive he
would do his duty and his duty only. He
kept that promise by permitting the bar.
barrie practices which disgraced the city
Tuesday night. There came to him, after
that, warning that a reign of terror was
threatened. There was still time for him
TO exercise his authority and insist on a
condition of affairs during Wednesday
bordering at least on decency. But moth.
ing effective was done and yesterday
morning murder and riot broke out.
Both had been invited as surely as If
the opposing cohorts had been ordered
in advance to shoot and kill. The Mayor
was notified of the appalling situation. He
asked; 'Is any one dead?" We do not
presume to interpret the state of mind
that resulted in such question. Citizens
may determine that for themselves.
The Importation Of thugs is no new
thing. Lawlessness is not new. 1t is, we
say deliberately. invited and arranged for.
Did not a faction obtain prediction
pledge that Smith, if elected Mayor. would
appoint one Wilson. a factionist, to direct
the police, and has not this Wilson re-
peatedly and openly used the police in
the services Of that faction? Have not all
citizens seen that the police power of the
community is prostituted to furtherinR
the political ambitions Of the Wares?
Have raids in the vice districts not been
openly for political purposes? And why
should eany politician be other than law.
less, If it suit his purposes, when the
Mayor himself, making use of a bonding
company which he happened to control
before taking ONCE, becomes through that
company a prOhteer from virtually every
public contract made. while. in addition.
private contractors fear that they must
set bonds from tbs Mayors company or
face rsprlsaIs fFoP different dspartmsnta
:. ihs eltf goReFnmentY Here ia public.
.'I|aeS tto1, pocket s fat,ened because