Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-29
LET US SAVE PHILADELPHIA

infamous magistrate system and by
legislation we may be able to effect a
Reorganization Of the police department
that will permanently divorce 1t from
political control, but not for many years
20 come can we do either Of these things
unless the association of profiteers now
in official domination Of the community
are driven to cover and their authority
taken from them in the approaching
election.
There is a powerful conspiracy OF gov.
ernmental embezslers in existence who
have attached to themselves parasites
of all sorts and conditions. Men who
have Illicit profits to gain from special
privilege, cadets who need assistance to
ply their miserable trade, pettifoggers
who make of the minor courts tlack-
mailing machines, despi able dealers in
dope who cannot exist unless the present
law is enforced laxly, extortioners
who measure their shrswdness by the
volume of their financial gain, contrac-
tors, small and large, who run their
drainpipes into the mu. ic.pal treasury,
persons Of every description who look for
riches outside the regular pursuits of
business, all are united in a vast, gan
Erenous coalition to control the machin-
cry of government and employ the para
phernalia of justice TO cloak their in
iquitous activities. Let them but sue.
ceed in their bold assault and the Legis-
iature, too. will be theirs
Before we can achieve decent govern
ment with the assist :nce of Harrisburg
we must achieve decent government a:
home. The State helps those who help
themselves.
We could be CONTEXT at present with
goal is good government, but before we
can get it we must restore simple de-
cency. There has been bad government
that was honest but there has never
been good government that was not de-
cent.
What the community is face to
face with is the fact that these debauch.
ers of law and order treat Philadelphia
as the cadet treats the desolated woman
on whose earnings he lives. The anal
ogy is close, except that the cadet Goes
strive to maintain the earning capacity
of his creature, while the municipal gang, |
with its accustomed stupidity, is driving |
the municipality toward bankruptcy so
fast that the taxpayers are dizzy. We
have some reason to believe that when |
the exact status of the city's borrowing
capacity is revealed in the next Con-
troller's report, it will amaze citizens and |
increase their indignation.
We have got to fight this Gettysburg in
Philadelphia. not in Harrisburg. We have
20 decide week from tomorrow whether
or not 10 issue a mandate of emancipa.
tion. Nor is 1t worth while to argue the
merits of the case. There is no argument
as to which side deserves to win. The
question is. Can the coalition compel a
decision with police clubs?
A month ago we were appalled, by the
iawlessness Of the police in the Fifth
Ward. Since then, subsequent to the ex'
posure and the court hearing. the arro-
gance of the Mayor and his chief Cossack
has passed all bounds. They have delib-
erately and without concealment extended
Fifth Ward methods to the whole city BY
tkeir actions leaders" have given warning
that they will not hesitate on election day
to "go the Init" They intend apparently
10 crush this rebellion" by force Of arms,
as II they ruled by divine right and any
attempt Of the people to recover inde-
pendence were lese majestic.
There is no vocabulary outside the
slums that can adequately describe them,
and the disgraceful history OF Tammany
records no parallel by which ade-
auately to measure them. They attempted
e undermlne the citadels of society when
they began To prostitute the courts to
Ihoir purpose.
0vcry citizen Is confronted with a
s.rna~r-r esty at his time. II Is to
A'I'fp aon3,he usurpera on election day.
.NA strike Aem down with such might
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