Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-11
A PRUSSIANIZED IDEAL
is WHAT MR.. WARE PRAISES
Philadelphia Parallel to the kaiser's
Scheme in Germany

bthChC IA oOa"ohy
MO MORE lucid explanation of the
4 methods of the local Republican Or
ganization has ever been given than that
of which Representative Ware has deliv-
cred himself. The Organization is a ma
chine with wheels within wheels work
ing harmonously for a specific purpose.
1t is kept we'll oiled and moves with
little friction toward its goal And what
it is the piing up of majorites for Re-
publican candidates for office. If the
machine does it's work well for local cam
didates it will do its work we'll for ma
tional candidates. This is why Philadel-
phia gave Mr.. Hughes plurality Of
100000 when he ran for the presidency in
1916.
Representative Ware and his associates
regard the Organization as one of the
most perfect and efficient creations of
human genius. They worship it. They
regard any one who attacks it or criti-
cizes it as guilty of sacrilege. They
assume that when the Organization is
attacked the Righteousness of the rule of
the majority is impugned and that repre-
sentative institutions are in danger.
1t is because so many men think in
this way that it is difficult to correct
scandalous abuses in the city government
and in the State government. Many such
men are honest with themselves. They
are good citizens. They are your neigh
bors who 60 to the same church and are
members of the same club with you.
And every one knows that it is as i'm
possible to indict whole city as Burke
said it was to draw up an indictment
against whole people.
But we all know that something is
wrong. The unsatisfactory condition of
the streets, the increasing mortality of
infants, the rising tax rate, the shortage
of water in great districts of the city
all point to failure to do those things
which a city government should do.
Now, why has there been failure? If
some hints can be given toward an an
swer we may find ourselves on the way
to solution of the problems which are
perplexing the best citizens.
Let US consider for moment what the
Organization is and see if that will throw
any light on the subject A long study
of its methods of doing business leads to
the conclusion that it is a great soulless
body without conscience or morals. 1t
lives to preserve itself. 1t orders certain
men do them and still regard themselves
as honest. They have farmed out their
consciences to a machine with no con-
science and they shift to the machine the
moral responsibility of what they do,
when they think of moral responsibility
at all.
For instance, men who are decent in
other activities bend their business
ability to devising plans which make it
impossible for any officeholder to refrain
from paying an annual sum on per-
centage of salary basis to the party cam
paign funds in spite of the fact that we
have law passed in response to popular
demand making it penal offense to
solicit any political contribution from any
officeholder. The Organization needs the
money. 1t says it must be collected and
| its agents do their best to force the
officeholders to pay. The Organization
says that the money must be paid and
that if it is not paid those who refuse
must be punished.
Discipline cannot be maintained if
there is to be mutiny within the ranks
And the men who submit to discipline
are taken care of. Every officeholder
knows this. Many of them have rebelled
inwardly, but they have submitted
Many of them who think that they car
serve their city or their State have re,
luctantly conformed to the conditions
which surround such service and have
tried to forget the humiliating necessities
of the situation. Other worthy citizens
have refused to accept public Office be.
cause they were unwilling to submit tc
the discipline of the Organization anG
because they knew that if they were true
to their own private consciences the Or
ganization would use all its power tt
frustrate every effort they might max,
to serve the people in their own way
1t is not necessary to cite names or spe
cifc instances. There are thousands o.
men in the city who have only to ex
anime their own memories to discover
the truth of what we say.
If Representative Ware had said al
this his explanation of the methods O
the Organization would have been com