Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-28
AWAKENED CITY ACTS TO CRUSH
GOVERNMENT BY GUNMEN" HERE

glanced toward one Of the boxos where
sat Mrs Blankenburg
PHILADELPHIA AWAKE
Il had to fight with my doctor" he said
"to permit me to come here and I almost
had TO fight to get in the hall. / have never
seen such crowds, 1t means the day of re-
demption has come. / am ready to fight
for my dear beloved Philadelphia. Isn't it
necessary for every citizen who has a
spark of love In his heart for his city to
rise up and demand a change for the bet
ter? don't know why the people of Phila-
delphia are asleep some c. -:;e time For
four years almost gave my life to give
the city good business administration and
then Philadelphia repudated all that and
elected as Mayor a man unknown to the
people, but well known to the bosses"
Mr. Blankenburgs voice quivered with
tmotion as he said:
81 suffer from nervous breakdown. but
never suffered from moral breakdown like
the man in that office now"
With that denunciation the audience
again broke through the spell with round
after round of applause
Il didn't play politics." said Mr. Blank
enburg; He did, and the result was the
death in the Fifth Ward. If we had the
recall in Philadelphia the question would
be: Shall Mayor Smith stay in office?
Would he have bakers dozen in his ia
vor?"
From all over the Academy came a de-
iant mol" and mo, sir"
Il think said Mr.. Blankenburg "the
unanimous sentiment is: We have had
enough of Mr.. Smith"
Frequently the former Mayor leaned for
ward and aroused laughter by the subtle
satire Of his voice and words, as when he
went on and said;
The. bonding business is said to be a
good business"
HOW ABOUT BONDING SMITH?
The enjoyment of this was so great
that the laughter broke out and the crowd,
as II often did, cried for order, so anxious
were all TO hear every word
I'D like to know" said Mr.. Blankenburg
what premium a bonding company would
demand to put Mr.. Smith on his good be-
havior. / am sure his own company would
not go on his bond. 1t is a mistake to re-
gard public office as a family affair. as
Mayor Smith does when he appoints rea-
tives to office. But we could forget many
things but for the fact that the ash cart
is really Mayor Of Philadelphia today. The
Mayor is Mayor Of a faction and he per-
mits that faction to rule him from morn
ing to night-the Ash Cart Philadelphia
Is not nearly as clean as IT was a year or
50 ago. And the last few months the fines
for derelictions in street cleaning have been
less than before II seems that the less
Again Mr. Blankenburg leaned forward
and with unutterable scoTn said simply
"Fifty-ffty."
Shouts hailed the sally at the Organiza-
tion "slate." Are We" asked the speaker
going to elect this ffty-ffty ticket? What
is 1t? Shoyer and Register of Wills Shee-
han, who gets prncely salary and wants
. collect the fees also"
Then Mr.. Blankenburg made what was
considered a significant stat ment, in view
of the fact that District Attorney Rotan IL
also on the fifty-ffty ticket.
II want" he said TO say a word for my
friend District Attorney Rotan. lie is doing
all he can to uncover the plot He is try
ing TO find out who hired the assassin I
didn't ; you didn't. VINO did? Tonight a
mother weeps for her son. Her SON. the
policeman, is in his grave. And yet the
Mayor OF the city and the Director of Pub
lie Safety did not attend the funeral There
IS great demand for the resignation OF
Director Wilson. lie is said to be Director
OF the Department of Public Safety. I
say that he Is Director OF the Department
Of Public Danger. He Is not fit to occupy
the office that Director Porte held"
Here there were calls for the former Di-
rector who sat on the front row of seats
on the stage and smiled acknowledgment OF
the compliment.
Instead" continued Mr.. Blankenburg.
"of the Director having battle Of ballots,
he had battle of bullets.
why didn't the police recognize the white
ribbons? They could not possibly have
made the mistake OF supposing they were
temperance men. Fifty-hfty Ed Ware is
anxious TO control two-thirds Of Councils.
Councilmen are supposed TO represent the
people. That is a mistake. They are elected
to represent Ed Ware.
Mr.. Blankenburg's peroration. so intense
was the sentiment conveyed, reached the
heights OF the dramatic. And he sat down
ofthe singing Of My Country. 'Tis OF
Thee"
Father Daniel ] McDermott. rector Of st.
Mary 8 Catholic Church, who for years has
fought for better political conditions in tho
Fifth Ward, bitterly arraigned the Ad-
ministFation aud the rule by murder for
which Il 4 Responsible
re stated the object OF )he mceling 10
br % make ne cliy free 70 live ~. free 10
toIt n and f|es Io| de \ natural dfafh IN.