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sumcs to represent the President conveys the
idea that in tho President's opinion the Phila
delphia situation is merely "differences be
tween local politicians."
It -will ho remembered that a syndicate of
republican politicians obtained fourteen fran
chises through the favor of the republican city
council without giving to tho public recom
pense for thoso franchise. Before the mayor
had approved that gift, John Wanamaker
offered to the mayor to pay into the city treas
ury the sum of $2,500,000 for the- privileges
which had been given away to this syndicate.
In spite of this offer, the mayor approved the
franchises. Subsequently Mr. Wanamaker
offered to pay to the syndicate $500,000 for the
privilege which had been given-it, .and in addi
tion .to that sum, offered to pay to the city the
sum of $2,500,000, agreeing at the same time
to establish during certain hours a 8-cent fare,
and binding himself to sell to tho city thestroct
railway plants acquired under these franchises
within a period of ten years, at" the city's option,
by tho payment of tho money expended witli
six per cent interest.
Because Mr. Wanamaker's offer was spurned
and this valuable property deliberately given
away to a "syndicate of republican' politicians,
the people- of Philadelphia' iiave. expressed
their indignation and have organized a reform
movement, having for its purpose' the over
throw of a corrupt municipal machine. 'This
ma$Huo on one side and the taxpayers, regard
less of political projudicoH, on the' 'other!' rep
resents tho situation in Philadclpnia today.
And this situation is what "a ' close friend of
the administration" announces that Mr. Mc
Kinley regards as "local politics. " This situa
tion, this "close friend of tho administration"
announces, Mr. McKinley regards as only' the
"differences between local politicians."
It is to be hoped that Mr. McKinley will
cause another announcement to be made. The
American people would much prefer to have
tneir presidenc stand beside his postmaster
general in an effort to uphold public interests
in Philadelphia rather than to have him take a
position which gives aid and countenance to
an unscrupulous machine by dismissing a ques
tion of honesty as being merely a "difference
between local politicians."
Making Progress.
Mr. Warner, of Illinois, a republican mem
ber o congress, expresses the opinion that
there may be some important tariff legislation
during the next session of congress. " If the
tariff needs revising for the purpose of better
controlling tho trusts," said Mr. Warner "you
may depend on it the republicans will act ac
cordingly. The tariff is not sacred. When it
ig made evident that tho protection afforded
by the tariff has served its purpose,, then this
protection will be removed. It would not sur-
..... i
prise mo in uio least if the president should
make such a recommendation in his message to
congress. Other laws have been amended to
meet changed conditions, and why not the
tariff?" : l
Mr. Warner gays "when it is made evident
The Commoner
that -the protection afforded by tho tariff has
served its purpose, then this protection will be
removed." What was its purpose? If tho re
publican leaders of the -past twenty years stated
tho truth, then the purposd was to protect in
fant industries in order that tho owners of
those industries might compete at home with
foreign manufacturers, and thus be able to pay
the employes of those infant industries living
wages. For many years it has been a well
known fact that all ground for pretense 6n this
line has been removed. For many years it ha3
been well known that American manufacturers
arc enabled to sell their products in Europe
cheaper than European manufacturers can,
while at the same time the American manufac
turers enjoy the advantages of a high protect,
ive tariff in their own country v It is prob
able, however, that when the republican con
gress is asked to do away with this protection
that it will be made "evident" to the members
of that congress, by the trusts whose managers
supplied the fat for the 1900 frying, that tho
protection afforded by the tariff has not "served
its purpose." The purpose was to give to these
great corporations enormous advantages at pub
lic expense. The purpose was to accommo
date the trust managers, who have made liberal
contributions to th,e. republican oampaign'jfund,
and until ,the trust managers are willing- to sur
render these advantages, until they ,are willing
to have their hands removed from the public
pockets, it will not be "'made evident' that the
protection afforded! 'by the tariff has served its
purpose."
It is interesting, however, to hear a repub
lican congressman say that "the tariff is not
sacred." This is so different from what repub
lican congressmen have said in the past, that
one is bound at least to recognize the progress
that some republican congressmen are making
on public questions.
W
Mr. Wanamaker's Second Offer.
The American people are indebted to John
Wanamaker for the greatest practical demon
stration of the enormous values obtained by
corporations at the expense of the public. It
will be remembered that the city council of
Philadelphia gave to a syndicate of republican
politicians a franchise for the operation of
street railways. Before the mayor passed on
the city council's action Mr. Wanamaker of
fered to pay to" the city tho sum of $2,500,000
for the privileges which the coterie of poli
ticians had obtained without a fair recom
pense. In spite of this offer the mayor ap
proved the franchise.
In order to further show the immense val
ues which tho city council have given away
Mr. Wanamaker has made a second offer. He
proposes, first to pay to the syndicate to which
tho franchises were given the sum of $500,000
by way of bonus. Ho then renews his offer to
the mayor that ho will pay into the city treas
ury the sum Of $2,500,000 in return for tho
-street railway franchises. He also agrees that
between the hours of 0 a. m. and 8 a. m., and
between the hours of 5 and 1 p. m., ho will
give to the people of Philadelphia 3 cent fares.
He also agrees that he will sell tho street rail
way plant and franchises to the city at any
time the city may designate within ten years
on payment of the entire cost of expenses with
C per cent interest. The only conditions which
Mr. Wanamaker makes is that of tho $2,500,
000 ho shall. pay to tho city, $1,500,000 shall
be used for the deepening of tho Delaware
river channel, a matter of great public neces
sity, and that $1,000,000 be applied to tho
buildingof public schools and for tho purposes
of public education. ' '
Mr. Wanamaker says that it is not his de
sire to enter upon the' business of railroading
or to make profit out of any municipal fran
chise. "I merely desire the people to see,"
says Mr. Wanamaker, how badly they have
been wronged, and the magnitude of the value
of tho property of which they have been de
spoiled. If 'you should accept the offer of this
letter, I will cheerfully put the franchises up
at auction and give the city any sum bid for
them in excess of that which I shall pay under
this proposition. If tho proposition I have
made to you is not acceptable I should be glad
to know what sum will tempt you and your as
sociates to surrender the privileges you now
own, and which were obtained by methods so
unusual and defiant of the public weal as to
have' arqused the indignation of the people of
the entire nation."
It would be difficult to 'devisea fairer prop
osition than that made by Mr. 'Wanamaker.
From every standpoint it was the duty of tho
mayor in the presence of Mr. Wanamaker's offer
to have vetoed the franchises which were given
to this syndicate. From every standpoint it is
to the interest of the people of Philadelphia
that Mr. Wanamaker's offer be accepted. But
in the face of these generous propositions, prop
ositions which seek to protect the public interests
of Philadelphia not only for the present but for
the future, the republican politicians of that
city adhere to their determination to give away
public property and bestow public franchises
upon favored individuals without recompense
to the public.
Corporation magnates have been growing
bolder and bolder irt. their impositions upon
the public. It must be evident to every intel
ligent man that never in the history of our
country has the corporation magnate been
more arrogant in his demands, more unscrupu
lous as to his methods, more defiant in his at
titude than he has been since the campaign of
1896 Tvhen the American people were first in
duced to agree that the national honor and tho
public welfare depended upon the assignment
of the powers of government to the tender
mercies of trust agencies.
It may be that the people of Philadelphia
wiU yet awaken from their sleep. It is true
that even tho practical demonstration offered
by Mr. Wanamaker has not thoroughly aroused
that people to such an extent that no publio
official would dare to stand sponsor for the
great, imposition placed upon tho Philadei
phians by tho powerful syndicate now ja con"
trol.
