Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-24
BOUGHT AND PAID FOR

ITO WHAT depths do men sink when
hypocrisy dominates their public ut
terances and their pose is forever lie?
Citizens Of this city have been deceived
and some are deceived yet, when pious
nar, who happens to occupy lofty posi-
tion, itself obtained by guile and fraud.
talked about high purposes and, in the
manner OF the Kaiser called on God as
his witness and support. Those who daily
the municipality do not have to go far to
traffic in human life. If they have ruined
one man by bringing unholy influences to
bear against him, why should they not
put another man out of the way by the
simpler expedient Of murder? There have
been goings-on in City Hall since Blank
enburg left just as mean and conscience
hess as those recently revealed Hypocrisy,
however, is subtle. and there are always
many minds easily to be confused and led
nstray by the vernacular of hypocrisy.
II boasts a vocabulary of holy words, and,
as we pointed out on another occasion
when the Governor of this Commonwealth
was attempting to extricate himself from |
the entanglements Of guilt. phrases have !
begun to lose their meaning since the |
evil use the tongue of angels to disguise |
their righteousness. But when words fail /!
there is still left the old trick. Respecta. |
bility, on more than one occasion, has |
been seduced and trained to carry the |
banners of the wicked.
We are now told that the "gunmen were |
hired TO shoot Carey at murder auction
in the Bronx" that Fifth Ward rep
resentatives outbid New Workers for the
brought to Philadelphia, wlned and dined
and told to ego the limit because if
anything happened to them they would be
granted immunity and the cops are all
Fixed" There is nc reason to doubt the
accuracy of the above description Of facts.
Readers Of the EVENING LEDGER are not
ignorant of the conditions that made them
possible. For months we have been shout
ing from the housetops that never We're
affairs in a more "deplorable"
condition than now. We possessed in
formation that was reliable. We knew
that a carnival OF wrongdoing was
planned and under way, but we could not
get the legal proofs The most we could
DO was TO cry cut almost every day in
protest. and we were not in the least de-
solved. nor were our readers, when the
Mayor and his subordinates continued day ,
by day to utter pious phrases, 1t did not ]
uccur to us that a man who cashed in on
his occupancy of office by filling his
pockets with bond fees would be above
.actlonal contracts. We rather guessed ,
hat the debauchery Of the police arm Of 1
ne city government was known TO him, {
Ior he had not given evidence of being a
IooL When, year ago. after the sensa-
Iiopal and vicious police raid early in the /
summer, he kept Wilson in office and'i a
Iailed utterly to carry out his promise to
% something worth while, we realized
HAT a political revolution would be needed
u straighten matters out
II IS doubtful If legal proof to convict
The Mayor can be found. Voters how.
,ver, need no legal proof. They can goIto
he polls in November and give "a moral
verdict" That is what they must do if
~ yestige of political prestige and honor
y ~ be lSft to this great city.