Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-22

Lane, OF any Of the other gang" leaders.
They do not ask whether the person to be
voted for is a good, honest, capable citizen.
The result: Men beaten senseess, slain
women insulted and made the target for
abuse. This all this, is the result in q
contractor-ruled city. His Honor the Mayor
says "It is deplorabler'
Certainly it's deplorable, but whose fault
is It? His and his alone. Ever since he
has held the high office things have got
worse and worse until now they stink with
rottenness. The night Smith was elected
Mayor some of the worst sights ever seen
in the streets of the city were enacted
Women were attacked, the American flag
outside of Porter's headquarters was torn
down by negroes and trampled on, fights
were numerous This was but taste of
what the Smith Administration would do.
The good work done by the Blankenburg
Administration was undone. And now the
city is in a damnable condition.
The gang system of politics must 20, and,
God willing, 1 will help end It. The people
of This great city must wake up They
must arise, smite the giant of evil govern
ment, as David slew Goliath, and in its
place set up city government responsible
to the people only.
Can you tell me any good reason why
Carey or Deutsch should be the boss Of the
Fifth Ward? Why should there be a
boss? The boss sits in his house ana
orders his gunmen to do his work while he
gathers in the gain, Ithe graft, the political
offices, and his belly becomes protruding
with the evil gains of his work. He orders
his henchmen to vote for Jones OF Smith or
Doe. Why?
oh, we'll, he is a Ware man.
The people, too Indifferent to protest do
as he says. The result: A city ruled by in
capable, greedy INSCRIPTIONS men, bent
on their own welfare only "The public be
do cd And xNya In NYuA aIy
to it.
Have you any idea when we shall awake? I?
Can you foretell when Philadelphia will get
a good cleaning up, when the snakes in
the grass will be trodden under foot and the
lice that infest our public offices be crushed
between the hands of maddened people?
We have stood the insults, the petty fac
tional fights the graft In public offices, the
do-nothing policy of this system long
enough. Philadelphians will soon arise ana
smite the damnable contractor system of
city government. They will place in its
stead system OF government responsible
to the people only.
I am writing this to the EVENING
LEDGER because this paper has always
stood out and fought against gang politics
In your editorial of September 1s, plain
Facts Plainly Stated" you pronounce a
terribly bitter condemnation of this dam
nable system, Through the policy of con-
slant editorials on the subject and by giving
a vast amount of your space to news SINH
lar to that of the Fifth Ward fight much
good will be accomplished.
Your paper is capable and willing to
smite the system. Please do II as often ana
as hard as you can, and you may rest as
sured that you will have the support OF ali
good, loyal Philadelphians.
] am not voter as yet, but within a
year reach the legal age. Then my every
effort will be turned toward the breaking
OF the contractor or gang system OF city
government and replacing II with a really
good one. This may be rendered unneces-
sary because the people of PhiladelphIa
may do It before can help. Pray God they
do! w M p
Philadelphia, September 10.