Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-06
INVISIBLE GOVERNMENT BY
THE POLITICAL UNDERWORLD
The Mayors Raids and the Significance
Of Police Tolerance for Profes.
sionaL Gamhlers

WHEN Mayor Moore perceived that a
w few police raids were necessary to keep
the professional gamblers from doing bust.
ness with brass band accompaniment he
had to depend upon detectives outside the
Department of Public Safety for the infor.
nation he needed. He could not trust the
officials in the Police Bureau.
This news will gently shock lot of easy.
going and ingenious folk who seldom pause
to contemplate the destruction that their
own political negligence is doing in the
American system of government For
whom do the police work? Whose orders
do they take? If they are not willing or
able to recognize the authority of the Mayor,
what authority do they recognize?
Snch queries bring YOU face TO face with
the queer truth about municipal administra-
tion in general and the Administration of
Philadelphia in particular. For cities in
the United States are not actually ruled by
Mayors or other elected officials but by an
invisible government directed for and by the
political underworld. The pretension Of a
free administrative system is make believe,
folklore, romance
America still tolerates in city wards a
theory and practice of politics that haven't
changed or advanced since the sixteenth
century. A ~ard under boss control is a
feudal holding organized in the feudal
manner That is. its political action is not
pased upon intelligent theory or free opinion.
but upon allegiance to n personality or q
hope OF individual reward
The voters accept their patriarch and hail
him and do his bidding uncritically Now
and then one overload is downed and an
other appears. But tho system remains and
1t is altogether unrelated to any matter Of
general interest or concern. 1t is exclusive.
stubborn, unthinking.
These men and thousands of others Of
their sort in the United States distribute
largesse or withhold 1t; they reward or
punish members of their clans: they inspire
fear OF sentimental loyalty they make ro
intelligent appeal to the minds of their fol.
lowers. Their aides do all that the feudal
captains did 10 maintain order in the
baronies four centuries ago. They exert
themselves to befriend or aflict the worthy
or the unworthy. They throw bones They
even fight for or against particular groups.
Their methods alone have changed In.
stead of using visible weapons, they use the
machinery Of the magistrates courts TO ter.
r!fy. intimidate, protect or destroy members
of their group or others who mag be of use
or danger to them.
The feudal- minded leader laughs at nub-
lie opinion. He says there is no such thing.
Gradually the national political system is
being dragged down to his level. since the
| ward IS, after all, the ultimate source of
dominant political forces and idcas. 1t Is
from the associated feudal lords. the real
powers of government as We know it most
| frequently in American cities like philadel.
phia. New York and Pittsburgh. that the
police usually take such orders as relate to
| gamblers.
These leaders Of underworld politics have
no taste for abstract ideas, no knowledge Of
the science Of politics. no conception of
what enlightened men are trying to do in
governments which really aim to serve and
enrich the common life. They are self in
t"rested and aloof within the borders of
their allotted preserves. All that they do is
planned with an eye to the feudal treasury.
Since the modern political faction is n
tight association of these feudalists and
since all such interests unite automatically
when any exterior or progressive force
threatens them, they have It in their power
to choose the men who will be the figure :
heads of municipal government. What is
more, they dispense the jobs and the places
They put men in police uniforms. They can
take the uniforms away. Why then should
any one be surprised when policemen look
TO their ward leaders. rather than TO the
Mayors Office, for orders? The police can
not do otherwise-and remain in the service
The existence OF the ward machine Is n
practical ncgation Of the whole theory OF
politics which is supposed to prevail in tn,
United States. LEADERS are necessary,
the bosses will tell you. 'Without then
there would be no elections. Why. th,
people wouldn't vote II they weren't hcrdct
or harassed on Election Day or taken TO tn,
polls in motorcars.'
This is true only in part. Now and thel
, the people go voluntarily and in great mum
bcrs to the polls. That is when some un
usual emergency arises. Then it appear
that we have at last broken away from tn
feudal system OF government. But the root
5 of that system always remain and it Is on
on rare occasions that the people general
seem angered by 1t or even aware of its ex
istence. Ordinarily they seem content I
live under system Of government by ignor
ant, base and irresponsible groups whic
seized power in this country generations ag
8 when bosssm was first heard of and hay
r ever since issued orders to men in the place