Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-26
THE OPEN SEASON FOR
PESSIMlSTS is STILL ON
And the Man Who Is Discouraged over
the Mayoralty Campaign Prospects
Would Better Keep Under Cover

the Mayoralty Campaign Prospects
Would Better Keep Under Cover
THERE are nearly 100000 men of vot
l. ing age in this city. About $4,000
of them qualify for voting by registering.
| About 25O.O0O of them vote. Last fall
Mr.. Sproul poled l52.446 votes and
Judge Bonnwel polled 59,347. making
total Of 1913 cast for the Republican
and Democratic candidates for the gov
| eInorship.
In elections for local candidates sub
stantialy the same relation exists be-
tween the number Of men of voting age
and the number of men who go to the
polls.
Local candidates are nominated at the
local primaries. The number of persons
actively Interested in the selection of the
candidates to be voted for does not exceed
25,0O0-that is the men affiliated with
the party organizations AS otficeholders
and ward and division workers. This 10
per cent of the voting population tell the
other 80 per cent what to do and the other
80 PEI cent do it.
If one were disposed to analyze the
system little closer it might he said that
half dozen men tell the 10000 what
to do.
The pertinence of this resume Of cleo
ton figures lies in its application to the
efforts of the Chamber of Commerce to
secure an expression of opinion from its
members on the type OF man to be elected
a. Mayor next December and on the kind
of government the city needs. A list
of questions was sent out many weeks
ago to the 1000 members of the chamOer
with a request that they answer them.
Answers have thus far been received
from "only 130O,' to use the phrase Of
Mr. Trigg, the president.
But why "only"? This is pessimistic
word when used in this connection. AS a
matter of fact Mr.. Trigg should feel en-
! couraged by the discovery that SO large
/ proportion of the membership has in
! terest enough in the subject to study the
/ list of questions and has already formu-
| lated opinions which it is ready to put
| in writing.
Mr.. Trigg invited the 400 members of
/ the council of the chamber to a luncheon
to discuss the situation and 100 of them
went. This is larger proportion than
he could reasonably have expected.
There is encouragement in it for those
who are hoping for better things.
These men do not belong to the large
group of 'professional" politicians. They
are the citizens who, although they do
not take any active part in the nomi-
nation Of candidates, have definite views
on the kind of candidates they would
like to have nominated. If there is
throughout the ranks of the voting pop
ulation the same proportion of men
with an equal interest in the subject they
can put their views into effect.
We have recently seen what a small
organized and active group can do when
it sets out to secure the adoption of an
amendment to the national constitution
against the opposition of large vested in
terests. The nation as whole is no
more anxious for prohibition than the
people of Philadelphia are for an eff
cient and businesslike administration in
the City Hall, and the professional poll
ticians are no more powerful here than
the distillers, the brewers and the con-
sumers of alcoholic drinks are in the
nation.
If 1900 representative business men
agree on the type of man to be nomi-
mated for the mayoralty and then agree
on two or three men Of that type in whose
integrity and independence the people al
large have confidence they can nominate
one of them and elect him. The task
would be as easy as persuading girl tC
eat a plate of ice cream on a hot day.
The people are hungry for that kind OF
Mayor But they cannot be fooled by
any stuffed image set up and labeled with
beautiful inscriptions. They know toe
much. They have lived here too long t
be ignorant of the character and affilia
tions of all the men of mayoralty size
They cannot be interested in any program
which involves nothing more than tn,
transfer of the control of the mayorat,
from one group of professional politi
clans to another group. That is why in
Vulnerable falsely called reform" move
ments have failed in the past. The peo
pie have preferred the evils with whic
they were well acquainted to IA new Sc
of evils to which they would have to groN
3 accustomed.
3 What is needed in the present crisis
= constructive, organizing leadership. TIL
voters are ready to follow any one who
: headed in the right direction, provided h
! proves himself qualified to carry thel
1 any distance on the way.
e We do not mean to discourage the a
/ tempt of the president of the Chamber {
Commerce to secure fuller eXpressio
t of opinion by its members. 1t would
+ splendid if every one of the 1000 shou