Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-25
is A BOND A SCRAF Or
PAPER:

WE ARE arerse, utterly a'erse, to at
w taclls that are merely factional on the
administration of municipal affairs. We
find no sympathy anywhere except among
chronic malcontents, with political warfare
against the President of the United States
The telegram of Governor Edge Offering
toga to Senator Baird will take it's place
among. the incunabua of patriotism, we
believe. expressing. as it does, the firm
conviction Of New Jersey that Gil faction
alsm and politics must be sidetraclied
until the great national business on which
we are now engaged is satisfactorily ter
minated.
We lament the statement given out by
Senator Penrose recently at st. Louis
wherein he declared that the Republican
campaign this fail would be an attack on
the war policies Of the nation and an at
tempt to discredit those policies. Its after
math is found in the equally reprehensible
Democratic campaign for the governorslip
will be an appeal to this Commonwealth
to stand by the President in his conduct
Of the war.
This is political camoafage pure and
simple. The war is not the issue. Mitchell
tried TO make it the issue in his recent
was quick to frown on such a division
and very promptly and properly took that
wind from the Mitchell sails. We DO not
believe the President will permit the Demo-
Gratis Of Pennsylvania to throw his policies
and reputation on the sreel table and
jeopardize thereby the unanimity Of sup.
port which has heretofore characterized
the conduct Of the war.
1t may be necessary, in the national in
terest, to combat at the polls some specific
policy or policies of the President, but the
country will not endure captious criticism
for political purposes only, !.-r will it tot
crate an effort Of pap-seeling partsans to
no towed into office by the presidential
toga, as il such action were a war ne.
cessity.
The government of Philadelphia for
two years has been peculiarly disgraceful.
1t has been featured by official lawessness
OF the worst sort and arrogant disregard
Of the proprieties and decencies Of official
life. But the condition of affairs was we'll
known to the electorate last fall and
equally well known two years previously.
Unless it can be shown definitely there.
fore. just what relief TO the public can
come from councilmanic Investigations of
one sort or another, of what use will they
be? Merely to stir up muddy waters will
November that the Mayor should not be
impeached nor his Director of Public
Safety disciplined. spasmodic political
skirmishes never accomplish anything
Crack the city administration over the
head, we say. when something can be
gained by so doing, but it is, on the whole
the national Government.
Instead OF hysterical investigations of
comparatively little final Importance, il We
must have an investigation why not a real
one to discover how many thousands of
dollars, If any, the city is likely to lose
through abrogation of contracts entered
into last summer? Why. pray tell, should
Philadelphia suffer loss instead of the con.
tracing company and the bonding COM
pany which last July guaranteed that the
contracts would be carried out and war
ranted to protect the city against any loss
therefrom resulting?
n Is a bond a scrap Of paper?