Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-23
ENLISTMENTS AGAINST THE
LOCAL HUN

WE HOLD no brief for Senator Pen
rose, and our hostility to many Of his
political concepts and practices is well
known. The reasons which he gives for
bolting the pseudor Republican ticket are
convincingly similar to those advanced by
this newspaper when, in 1914, it declined to
indorse him for reelection, although sup
porting the rest of the Republican ticket
We averred then that the candidacy OF
Senator Penrose was moral issue. That
Is the issue now in Philadelphia
We have, on the other hand, never sub.
scribed to the theory that tainted"
money is bad money for charitable in
stitution to accept Dirty money for
clean purposes is better than dirty
money for dirty purposes. 1t can be
laundered in the machinery of traffic and
be redeemed in the process Of its eXpendi.
ture. The crimes of Constantine did not
prevent his victorious armies from liant
lilE the OIOSb dDONG the SN lllDylo VI pdSdll
ism at the Bosphorus, and many devil
has turned saint since in Galiee devils
first were driven out of the human habi-
tation. In the perpetuation Of the
union of these States Lincoln did not
hesitate to use all instruments conducive
to success in his great enterprise what
ever their political antecedents, provided
only the sincerity of their devotion to this
one purpose was sure. Senator Penrose is
not anathema in the councils of good
government. If he is ready t. take his
stand behind candidates Of superior merit,
II he is willing to accept the ideals for
which the Town Meeting party stands, if
he is determined to dedicste his influence
10 consistent and persistent effort to
drive out of power the incomretents now
in control of the ,ity then, we say, let
his assistance be accepted and his author
fly be utilized in the achievement of these
good purposes. We shou1 welcome
population Of the murder ticket by the
Wares themselves and their support of the
Town Meeting candidates
II is said that the devil when sick
yearns to be a monk. 1t is asserted that
the Senator is a convert to the cause Of
good government because his fences have
been leveed and his leadership is i'm
do abp bat
He seems to have put the Wares down for
the count whenever they have aspired
TO extend their domain. He whipped
them in the presidential primaries and
he stripped them in the organization
of the last Legislature. They gnawed
way into his pantry in Philadelphia, but
they did not know how to behave when
they got there. They sGueal because they
walked openSeyed into what they call
tap.
Senator Ware states that the object of
the Town Meeting party is to sell out
the city in transit matters. As Mr..
Wares hand-picked candidate Cor Mayor,
Thomas b. Smith, appointed a Director
OF City Transit who was selected by the
p. r. T., as this same Mayor Smith threw
transit into politics, tried to curtail the
comprehensive plan, offered a lease which
was later acknowledged to have been a
red herring. spent his time trying to
make political capital for himself out of
the herculean efforts and work of an
other citizen and finally offered the com
munity lease which his representatives
boldly ayerred contained no guarantees of
p X. T. dividends, although it did, in fact
do Just that thing and proposed further
the ultimate compulsory purchase of the
company's property, the funds to be
raised by compelling riders to pay
higher fares we surmise that few citizens
viii be fooled by the Ware cry. 1t is be.
ginning to be apparent that the inter.
Iopers In transit matters are babes in the
wood. TO be charitable. and the true in
terests Of the community are best safe
guarded BY the expert who conceived the
Hansit program and has spent his time
and money In protecting it in all its
features against the harassing and de.
s4nctive attacks Of ignorant or short
tIsioned tinkers- We take the liberty OF
pointing out that when this newspaper
|ndorses a transit lease. no matter who
Niltes 4, That lease win be at least %
H1al sood and probably better than
| tts essential underlying prln.