Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-27
ANOTHER GANG TRENCH
TAKEN

TNHE Town Meeting NOR are Ju'!.a''.
= over Il victory in tho courts which.
they declare " jth Ju4ti,i;,bc confidence,
vlll-revcrsc the apparent result "f til"
election held three wpc.g aso today. lc'
It is rot remarkable that the courts hd'e
ordered the opening o' baijoi-Oo&cs. y
vas rcnarkahie that Il polttl"a! orgim4.-
tioa which hopes TO dominate city AFFAIRS
should have lNaeu 20 stupid a. to oppose
the demands for recount. PaH.N Nurei.ou
wanted TO start its career " autocraur
control without showing "a "crticar" o.
ownership. II was hardly CLAIM t'
the confidence ." u inajpit % citizens
to sta.t business without ID cl"t" majority.
SO close we're tn" apparent returns
that It would require i change o. only
two or three lote4 IA each ." the So or
seven hundred diyisi"Hs. s,hcro t. il
Charged tii.l fraud o: otAct ;rrcguur.ty
occurred. to cleo; Town Meeting cand!-
dates. SheclJaus lead over Smith Is l,s'
Than per cent Of the tu.u' vote. In an
absolutely honest e''cIio.I this lead might
easily be overcome. When IL Is decla"cl
By responsible citizens vino nave re
monetary gain at stake that 1920 Towu
Meeting Loteo We're thrown oGt: "Hcu +
Is a matte" Of cornIuou knowledge ulat
many thousands OF Town Moe:ing rot"rs
. marked their party square Gud a'sp
voted tor NJ. Hotau. aAd wAcu it -
known that many. II mo- ali. o' The Cr.
sanlza,ion election officers throw o..
these valid ballots. there wa surely good
ground for demanding tine opening o.
Ithe balot-boHcs and note W!Iatcrc" to.'
ikeepii.g the facts hidden.
: | may ,soii uaye been ru.' ..l best ...,t
tthe Town Meeting party has 1,,d 80 hard
n time frvIn the moment ui it, birth.
Easy victory s1s.: haze .cd 10 over
confidence and iialMtcgratiol,. II iIal less
time to organize thua any other i'ldc.
pendent movement. Il was assallcd Dy
the meanest kind Of tIic.er. that sought
to keep its Iame of the ballots aud fox
. time (. seemed ,nut ..is u:tuc,. might
prevail. Il fa!cI ig tta uityw2t ~ uu;
the result that voters we're in doubt a.
to how they Should mark their ballots
a situation that yet niay prove t. have
produced defeat. NuI vet; ia spite u o.
perhaps because OF al these rel crs"5 aud
discouraeencu,s, the TUNn Meeting mcu
are still L compact body Ughtlug to L
Gnish for good government and gaining
sympathzcrs and udnercuta every day
Tor the next at'uggc
Their strcugiH rests upon the rtgutcou..
ness OF their cause. The steam il tIc,
independents boile' Is uoraiity. And
every assault upon them vuiy advertise
the more the essential corruption Uf tho
Organization which these lighters arc
little by lt;l" tearing into tattcrs.
There are not brains enough, there IS
not public spirit enough in the Orgaut-
cation, with its present leadership, to
combat the sustained aud growing attack
upon its strongholds. ]; is honey combcd
with the disloyalty OF yauh and llc
that has been mulcted for campaign cou-
tributions. II has nothing to offer labor.
which knows that business management
of affairs makes for prosperous and stable
conditions aud that gang politics Is ever
q dangerous aud treacheroui ally. We
can look forward to better things from,
the Town Meeting movement. II viii
have no easy time. 1t Is best for it 10
have TO struggle. But common sense and
Justice fight Oh its side. II las only
begun to fight.