Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-03
cocvrtoht 1913. by Public Ledger Co.
CHAPTER XXI
Election Day

fXEHRY. despite the StoutneSS or MS
u retort to Mallory's gloomy predic-
don, was in exceedingly thoughtful mood
. - he boarded street car for down.
town Headquarters 3; but once amid those
scenes of activity the hum of voices. the
music of telephone bells, the expression
Of confidence in every face and the opt-
tnistic reports that came in from all
quarters. together with the general feel
ing of the supreme justice of their cause.
raised his faith in victory to It's highest
level. While in this mood the young
man was permitted a glimpse into the
very innermost group of the Town Meet
ing party's campaign leaders and there
heard from the lips of Penrose himself.
shrewd campaigner that he was known
to be, his estimate of a majority of co.
, coo votes. Jerry went home and to bed
with sense of beginning already to
participate in a triumph.
But on election day the things that
Jim Mallory and Sandy Oakes had said
to Jerry, and the things he had observed
in Kensington, again got into the blood
of his thinking, He tried to talk these
out with several men down at head
quarters, but found them too busy. too
full of the idea that they couldn't lose,
to listen to what Jerry was trying 10
tell them or to attempt seriously con-
sidered reply to the questions he was
wanting to ask.
"They don't understand They won't
understand! he murmured to hlmseir'
and sat apart rather brooding over the
noon edition of the Courant when an
advertisement framed in the midst Of
reading matter caught his attention:
WANTED, A LEADER!
it announced and went on to specify.
Vote for whom you please. but re-
member that without organization the
body of voters will always be helpless
in the hands of political machines.
There cannot be neutrals in this fight.
You are either patriot or you are
not. You are n decent citizen or you
arc not. You are political stacker or
you are not All decent citizens should
unite in one universal organization to
maintain high standards in political
contests just as is done in our sports.
Are those who will not join in such an
association entitled to the franchise
Arc you willing to support bhl max
ing political service compulsory the
same as military service? DO you Know
any decent citizen with organization
ability who is willing to take the iead!
It struck Jerry, himself by profess
Nsion business organizer, that the ad-
vertiser was right. What the new move
nent of protest required was permanent
and thorough organization. and that TINS
organizaticn must await the appearance
Of a leader What the Town Meeting
party lacked was the presence within II
OF any one single outstanding character
that somehow incarnated the things for
yscyhich the movement was battling, some.
ltvody in the bigness and the integrity OF
Soyhose personality all Philadelphia hau
! Nth. There was no such man.
'sIt is a popular uprising" Jerry tried
Is assure himself. but was in a fault
Itnnding mood about the whole campaign
1lHe even went back in ms mind 20 Ensic tnac
Xtut of which the Town Meeting party
3Ihad been born, and criticized 1t severely
Home resolutions had been passed-ex;; ;
SIeellent resolutions, some speecheS haa
'ybeen made-excellent speeches-by IA
II taliant priest, by an eminent clergyman
land by the most distinguished civic pa
Ifriot Philadelphia had followed in gen
eYatfon, former Mayor Blankenburg-bu
6lergymen were supposed to make that
kind of speeches and the patriot was OLD
and broken; only his vailant spirit re-
4 N9ained and more than spirit was needed
Somehow, too, that meeting had missed
Gre. 1t was adjourned before the audi.
s3nce realized 1t had we'll begun, as II
/hose in charge were afraid to rouse this
Sfent power because they had no one
land who might guide and control IT,
moved outside unwillingly and mingline
With the crowd on the streets, still hung
round the vicinity, reluctant to dtsperse;
a few fltful impromptu speeches had
been made from doorsteps and automo-
6fles but no big striking note was
sounded. No leader had appeared-no
man strong enough and shrewd enough
and daring enough to seize the situation
Ind command it-no one to tell Phila-
delphia the whole truth. to rouse it to a
eense of shame. to .upbraid It, to scorn it.,
SCI will tell Philadelphia Jerry
t1urted out wrathfully. and then looked
about quickly to see if any one had
heard him, but everybody was too busy.
Nearing in that confused hum Of talk
and telephone bells was too difficult for
any to notice a remark not shouted in
ssWanted. a leader" Jerry had turned
again to his advertisement. And there
was no leader, he reflected pessimisti-
cally.
day demonstrations of politicians and
reports of the ward workers were power
: less to cheer young Archer. Nothing
{ Gould now remove from his mind the
eonviction that the campaign of the
4 Town Meeting party had carried in II the
seeds of defeat from the beginning
nothing except actual returns from the
, When the first of these began to come
IN at o'clock they gave doubtful
answer, but by their intonation was
clearer The Town Meeting az party SS WI. was
ing on the wall and gave up early,
though he fingered for another hour AT
Town Meeting headquarters, while men
about him were still tanning themselves
with false hopes. offering explanation
after explanation, talking about fraud
4 talking about intimidation, talking about
|. false returns, and talking about imme
E>6iate plans for judicial contests; but this
nfk only irritated Jerry. The fact was
Drkt the peopIe-the people had not
81 IA IN part, of course. Jerry's depression
/eag the mere physiological reaction from
q HAT vast strain of extra labor he hac
n Undergone for the business at the fac.
81 fory during these seven weeks he haC
6rfven along in his old irresistible way
S$ Often and often he had gone from his
g last political meeting. at night to hi:
K 4esk at the works, where daylight hac
q &aught him still grinding. Now, there
q fore.. he was physically -jaded as we'll as
tpiritually disappointed and felt III
hidden weight of the whole, combined
63ass crushing down upon his native
&Dfimism.
n Feeling an impulse to drink his cup o.
k6tferness alone. Jerry slipped away from
sadduarters and the company of th'
rieuds who had been fighting with him
~ take up a position on the curb II
~ 6r6ad street, where for two hours, from
}46 o'clock till 10, he stood wedged II
npn9 the mass of spectators. readiui
5[Scfton returns on the stereoptico,
N 6erkens on the tops of low buildings op
<oafte. while past him in the wide stree
II6Wed a stream of celebrants of victory
81 - vapid, yawping. redtlre-burning fol
~ Ewers of those political freebooters Z
I 11hom Jerry had opposed himself wit
|E>'0H his might.
q s IN endless, noisy procession, on foot
- wagons and In automobiles, large AM
{SnnIi that were loaded with humanit
rOm hood TO tire carriers, with bands
tffh transparenci-s. with hands stolidl
k6idsng sticks of Crock fire, with throat
0arsc from rauco,is cheering with race
- IN an expression of stupid exulta
ISn--so this procession of his victoriou
nonpnsg registered upon the mind o
|S@en1jah Thomas Archer at the end Q
0rst political campaign.
4phe crudeness, the triteness, the lac
fn,a gination in the transparencies-
1ooarth Ward solid for Salus Dav
- carries the old reliable Twentieth"
81 0bth stands by its ia