Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-18
LET SOMEBODY DO
SOMETHING

, IF TOMBSTONES were selling at a dol
lar apiece and one had to be placed
at the door of every dead one" who is
holding a public Office in Pennsylvania,
It would bankrupt the Commonwealth to
supply the demand. There is not enough
Initiative in our executive heads to start
a fivver, and If a concrete idea is hang.
ing around it requires a sledge ham
mer to drive it into the craniums of most
of the gentlemen who undertake to gov
ern this State and this community.
We do not know that Mr. Whitman
over in New York is an ideal Governor,
but his head is not cypress and he seems
to be aware of the fact that a war is
going on; nor is he altogether ignorant of
the abnormal food conditions and the
necessity for action, prompt action, by
officers such as himself. Mr. Whitman ap.
pears to have discovered also that selling
Liberty Bonds is matter of some i'm.
portance. and he seems to have found out
that the President has set aside October
"a as Liberty Day, for he has issued a
proclamation of his own calling attention
to the Presidents appeal for Liberty Day
meetings, and this has been supplemented
by similar action on the part of the New
York Commissioner of Education, urging
observance of the day in all the schools
ernor appears to be to "let George do it,"
We have hat no proclamation from Gov
ernor or Mayor. Perhaps the one is too
busy playing politics and the other too
busy making ready defense on criminal
charges to pay any attention TO matters
of such little importance as the financing
of the war.
This episode in itself would be of little
Importance were it not typical of the kind
of government we get all the time. There
is dry rot where brains ought to be. There
is a constant condition of nothing doing"
in a constructive way. There is plenty of
interference when some private citizen
tries to do something, for there must be
no peacock feathers unless they are
pinned on the coattails of the high and
mighty, but it is merely interference.
uting more to the war than Philadelphia
not one in which individual citizens are
more keen in patriotic purpose or more
efficient in their patriotic work. but the
amount of help they get from either State
or city officials is so minute that new |
microscopes will have to be invented be. |
fore 1t can be discovered. One has to or. |
ganize gumshoe campaign before he can |
get City Hall to give up the daily nap.
The Government needs money the
Allies need money, civilization needs |
money TO turn back the Hun. The United |
States has the money and Philadelphia |
has its share. Germany proposed to pick
our pockets. Uncle Sam wants to borrow
a part Of our wealth for time and pay
big interest. The great masses of peo-
pie do not yet realize the critical nature
Of affairs. They need to have it impressed
on them. The loan must be subscribed
and oversubscribed. The President has
set aside Liberty Day because it is
not because he wants the.
Atricals, Philadelphia's preparations for
that day and her method of observing it
should set the standard for observance
elsewhere. Arrangements should now be
well under way. Great mass.meetings,
a monster parade, the dedication of the
whole energy of the city on that one day
to that one purpose-all of these things
are necessary.
The Governor should at once arouse the
State. The Mayor should at once get
busy and sound the call for Philadelphia.
We urge on him the wisdom of so doing.
II we have no present officers who can
grasp the situation and do something let
bankers and independent citizens who be.
Iieve in activity take the matter into their
Own hands and get busy.
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