Evening star., 1921-06-14
Editorial Digest
Chicago Sets an Example.

SAS06V 6StO I'LL GlAhuApACs
Tho 'relevance to most American
cities" Of the defeat Of the ''high-pow-
| cred Thompson machine" In Chicago.
| which, as the Daily News (independ-
ent) of that city says. developed en-
gine trouble" in the judicial elections
just held in Cook county, probably ac-
counts largely for the widespread edi-
torial comment following compare
lively unimportant local election. The
many newspapers which discuss the
victory OF non-partisan coalition
against the municipal machine agree
that the big popular revolt" as the
Providence Tribune independent re-
publican) calls it, can be explained by
the fact that Mayor Thompson made
fatal error" in attempting to bring
the courts under political control.
Thompson has been tolerated. the
Philadelphia Bulletin independent re-
publican) points out, ''in spite or ao-
mlnlstration scandals, pro-German de-
nance of public sentiment during the
war: and a general misbehavior which
would have consigned the ordinary Of
ficfal to oblivion long ago" But when
"he went one step too far and at
tempted to extend his dictatlon to the
circuit bench the city which had SEEM
ed, the New York Post independently
the defense of the one safeguard left
it. and asserted itself in the spirit OF
its sometimes forgotten motto, I
WIFI"
''Bossism" in politics exists largely
because the people allow 1t to. the
democratic) thinks. and while every
voter is armed with a brick TO use X
he cares to, too often he does not care"
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (dem-
, ocratic) agrees that the American peo-
pie are usually too complacent and In
different to right and wrong when
party is involved" but they can never
theless usually be counted on to
arouse themselves when the bench is
the object sought by crooks" Accord
irgly, the Philadelphia Public Ledger
it's back to the wall when the judiciary
was about to become Thompsonized,"
which proved to the New York Globe
independently that "demagogery can
be cast out whenever the people are
given an issue that really concerns
them"
The greatest interest in the cleo
tion results to most writer's lies in
its demonstration of the effectiveness
OF coalition in smashing party ma
chimes. The Birmingham Age Herald
uetUOCTdtlCJ REFUGEES tHAt
democrats and republicans got to-
gether for the common good" and
| thus gave an inspiring example Of
the way partisanship can be set
aside to. beat powerful political
machine" and the Springfield Re-
not only has "bossism" in Chicago
been badly crippled. but the whole
fiction Of machine invulnerability has
been exploded"
The victory OF the coalition shows
clearly to the Boston Post dndepend-
cal name Is less potent at last than
the reform spirit that was back of the
fight" and in that, the Post feels.
lies encouragement to every city in
the land" because. after all. as the
Indianapolis News independently
xather ironically remarks, "there
really is no reason why the people
of a city should not manage their
own affairs"
The signal triumph for decency,"
as the New York World (democratic)
| calls the Thompson defeat. is also.
the Louisville Courier Journal (demo-
cratic) declares. "a triumph Of de-
mocracy over one of democracy's
evils that Of permitting the growth,
under a party banner, Of power
automatically at given sign from
| Its boss" And the moral of the
Thompson defeat is that the secret Of
the SUCCESS Of such political organi-
| cations is "the apathy that exists
among those whom politics does not
affect personally"
The New York Times (independent
democratic) draws this moral con-
Versely: This disaster OF a sordid
party machine shows the power of
! awakened civic conscience 1t shows
that only by union OF all the ele-
ments that desire clean. effective con-
duct and administration in all de-
partments of a municipal government
can such administration and conduct
be obtained"
This "arousing of a public con-
science" which worked such reform
| IN Chicago. lis an excellent sign for
the whole country" the Boston Tran
script independent republican, be-
ment for the people of all cities strup-
Cling under Similar conditions" The
defeat of the Thompson machine is
indeed the most hopeful thing the
country has seen." in the opinion OF
the Milwaukee Journal Undependent)
| because 1t proves that in one place
| at least 'the limit of reaction and
Indifference has been reached and
/ the tide has turned"
The Chicago Post independently is
generous in according full credit 70
| the new woman voters who contribut-
ed materially to the result IF it is
chiefly responsible" for that resnit
the Columbus tOhio) Dispatch (inde.
pendenO feels that Sswoman suffrape
! mas scored home run which car
nardiy fail to please even many OF
its opponents"