Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-21
THE SHEEHAN SPIRIT

vLIHILE Robert NJ Griff1th. president of
w the Civil Service Commission, was
urging the abolition OF useless city jobs
before Councils Finance Committee in
one part of City Hall, James B. Sheehan
In another part of the building was fight.
ing tooth and nail in legal battle for
100000 in collateral inheritance fees In
addition to his $4,000 salary. Faced
with the necessity Of holding the tax rate
for 1918 within bounds. Chairman Gaff.
ney and his fellow committeeman were
pinching and pairing departmental bud.
gets, even those relating to health. And
all the while Sheehan was proposing to
put into his own pocket sum, which il
It could be legally transferred would pay
the salaries of hundred new health
bureau workers.
The two incidents. taken together, show
how difficult it is to reform the Organza
ton from within. What is saved at the
tap is lost at the bunghole. For every
man like Controller Walton in the Or.
ganization there are a thousand men Of
the Sheehan spirit. TO save itself from
ruin the Organization has put wise men
like Walton and careful men like Gaffney
at the financial safety valve. But the
Organization as whole demands that
al city funds be put in its hands The
chief part of our funds must perforce
be returned to the city in some sort OF
service. But there must be a generous
margin of unnecessary jobs and over.
payments to keep the Organizations
rank and file contented and its campaign
Golfers full. a crisis in municipal finance
brings from some Organization men pro-
tests about extravaganza that for a time
make them appear almost as reformers.
But there would be no such crises and
no need for hysterical reforms" had
public.spirited men refrained from going
along" with the gang in happier times
II now.
The Sheehan fee case, which like the
brook goes on forever. is the permanent
and monumental example Of the Organ.
ixation spirit of putting public welfare
beneath private interest. 1t must be re-
nnembered that Mr.. Sheehan has for
years been an integral part Of the Or
ganization, so much so that he was re-
nominated for Register of Wills on the
factions compromise ticket, the "ffty-fifty
slate" He is thus of the very essence
Of the Organization. combining at once
al the virtues of the Wares and Penrose.
His salary is $4,000. the same as the
Governors. Formerly the Register got
mounted above $4,000 a year even Or.
ganization men saw trouble ahead. The
1918 Legislature abolished the fee sys.
tenn and. to reimburse the Register,
dol >led his salary. Mr., Sheehan fought
on ais on for the fees. In the latest
court procedure he reserved the right to
attack the validity of the act of Legis-
lature. Mr.. Alexander Simpson contends
that Mr.. Sheehan cannot say the ect is
invalid and at the same time take the
$4,000 salary created by that act, and
observes that
Mr.. Sheehan in this case reminds me of
the little boy who went into the bakery
and wanted both the penny and the cake.
But it is this spirit that runs through
the whole fabric Of the Organization. Ask
any ward or division leader what he
thinks of the Sheehsn case and his an.
swer is. who wouldn't do the same thing
in his placer" The nauseous argument
was used time and again in the recent
campaign: I'VE are all, Organization men
and reforrhers alike, equally unscrupu-
lous. Only hypocrites talk reform" A
fAlse and cynical philosophy. yet with a
Urain Of truth implied in it. Reform
. must start in the heart of the individual
= Il Is to be lasting.