Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-08
THE DAY WHEN DEMOCRACY
SHOWS WHAT 1T CAN DO
viii the Result Of the Voting Justify
the Hopes Of Our Ancestors Who
Fought for the Right Of
SeIf-Government7

T7IilS is the day when we exercise that
right to secure which our ancestors
fought for hundreds of years.
The political orators cnll democratic self
government Il precious heritage.
And the political BOSSES exercising all the
lowers of the fcudal barons. sit with straight
faces on the platform listening to the glor
tication of that democracy which they ignore
in practice.
Who selected the candidates on the ticket
which is voted today?
In theory they were chosen by thca voters
at the primary in September. In fact,
they were chosen by n little group of men
sitting in private Offices, who decided on
their own initiative what names were to be
put on the primary ballot
The voters consent to this system In
that respect it differs radically from the old
fcudaliSm. 1t is 4 delegation of power to
irresponsible governors. When the power
is abused it can be conferred on others. and
it usually is. But the delegation of author
ity continues.
Because Of this some pcssimsts insist that
self government il n failure, and that the
people. especially in the large cities, are not
fitted to manage their own affairs. In order
to remedy the admitted evils, it has fire.
Qucntly been suggested that the privilege Of
voting be confined to those having certain
qualifications either of education or property
or both.
But this suggestion was never made by
any ono who hoped to get elected to office.
Citizens with political ambitions are aware
that the gentlemen who choose the Candi
dates always consider availability. and that
n man who had publicly declared that
large part of the electorate was not fit to
be trusted with the ballot would be de-
featcd by a man chosen By the opposition
who insisted that the poorest and most
ignorant citizen had the mukings of PreSi-
dent under his hat.
But for all this apparent -ConsdrratiOn Of
the susceptibilitics of the voters, we are
governed by Il highly organized and active
minority, composed of men who are willing
10 take the trouble to do the work. Govern
ment must be maintained, and because more
high minded men refuse to soil their
fingers in the mire Of municipal politics
we are governed by men not quite so squeam-
Sh. who in the process line their pockets
with the peoples money.
The small cotcrie Of politicians who gov
ern this city are expecting to strengthen
their hold on the official machinery today.
If their expectations are realized 1t will be
with the consent OF tne VOTERS.
The ballots cast for the Job Combine
ticket will be cast not so much for the
candidates named on it as for the political
machine which named those candidates
weeks before the primary election was held
They will be cast in favor of return to
the contract system Of cleaning the streets
and collecting rubbish and garbage, a sys-
tenn which yielded 81 900 900 or more profit
every year TO the contractors, n sum that
the opposition wishes to save for the tax
PAYERS. And the ballots will be cast also
in favor OF q revival Of n partnership be-
tween the City Government and the pur-
veyors OF vice of one form or another.
II there is no considerable protest vote
against this sort Of thing, the Job Combine
will conclude that it has received a mandate
70 60 ahead with its plans to levy tribute
on vice and to enrich its favorit"s by con-
tracts Of one kind or another.
And then the pessmists will say once
more that popular government OF the city
has broken down. But they Will not be
wholly justified.
Perhaps the best thing that can happen
| 70 this city will result from the nssump
ton BY the Job Combine that 1t has man =
| dete 10 do as il pleases. 1t Will then throw
nF nil restraint and exhibit in the open It's
greed and It's immortality. Then an aroused
| electorate, which always has the power to
| take the reins in its hands when it chooses,
| Will be likely to insist on a change.
Therein lies the great benefits OF democ-
racy. The power to do what it Wills can
| olways be exercised by the electorate. Ordi-
nartly it may delegate the functions Of
government to self constituted bosses, but
il has on numerous occasions, even in this
| city. rebuked the bosses and put men of IT.
| own choosing in Office.
But it never exercises this power unit
the abuses become fragrant and until it sees
IT'S way clear TO choose an adequate alterna
tive. When the issue IS merely between
| tweedledum and tweededee the voters
never become excited.
Democracy has not solved all its prob
lens. but even with the abuses that eIis
under it the self government for which ou
forefathers fought produces better result
than we're secured under the thing 1t dis
placed.
AN ANNIVERSARY IN RUSSIA