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democracy。　These　good　citizens；　busied　with　the　anxieties　and
excitements　of　their　private　concerns；　discovered；　in　the　decade
following　the　Civil　War；　that　their　city　had　slipped　unawares
into　the　control　of　a　compact　oligarchy；　the　notorious　Gas　Ring。
The　city　government　at　this　time　was　composed　of　thirty…two
independent　boards　and　departments；　responsible　to　the　council；
but　responsible　to　the　council　in　name　only　and　through　the
medium　of　a　council　committee。　The　coordinating　force；　the
political　gravitation　which　impelled　all　these　diverse　boards　and
council　committees　to　act　in　unison；　was　the　Gas　Department。　This
department　was　controlled　by　a　few　designing　and　capable
individuals　under　the　captaincy　of　James　McManes。　They　had
reduced　to　political　servitude　all　the　employees　of　the
department；　numbering　about　two　thousand。　Then　they　had　extended
their　sway　over　other　city　departments；　especially　the　police
department。　Through　the　connivance　of　the　police　and　control　over
the　registration　of　voters；　they　soon　dominated　the　primaries　and
the　nominating　conventions。　They　carried　the　banner　of　the
Republican　party；　the　dominant　party　in　Philadelphia　and　in　the
State；　under　which　they　more　easily　controlled　elections；　for　the
people　voted　〃regular。〃　Then　every　one　of　the　city's　servants　was
made　to　pay　to　the　Gas　Ring　money　as　well　as　obeisance。
Tradespeople　who　sold　supplies　to　the　city；　contractors　who　did
its　work；　saloon…keepers　and　dive…owners　who　wanted
protectionall　paid。　The　city's　debt　increased　at　the　rate　of
3；000；000　a　year；　without　visible　evidence　of　the　application　of
money　to　the　city's　growing　needs。

In　1883　the　citizens　finally　aroused　themselves　and　petitioned
the　legislature　for　a　new　charter。　They　confessed：　〃Philadelphia
is　now　recognized　as　the　worst　paved　and　worst　cleaned　city　in
the　civilized　world。　The　water　supply　is　so　bad　that　during　many
weeks　of　the　last　winter　it　was　not　only　distasteful　and
unwholesome　for　drinking；　but　offensive　for　bathing　purposes。　The
effort　to　clean　the　streets　was　abandoned　for　months　and　no
attempt　was　made　to　that　end　until　some　public…spirited　citizens；
at　their　own　expense；　cleaned　a　number　of　the　principal
thoroughfares　。　。　。　。　The　physical　condition　of　the　sewers〃　is
〃dangerous　to　the　health　and　most　offensive　to　the　comfort　of　our
people。　Public　work　has　been　done　so　badly　that　structures　have
to　be　renewed　almost　as　soon　as　finished。　Others　have　been　in
part　constructed　at　enormous　expense　and　then　permitted　to　fall
to　decay　without　completion。〃　This　is　a　graphic　and　faithful
description　of　the　result　which　follows　government　of　the　Ring；
for　the　Ring；　with　the　people's　money。　The　legislature　in　1885
granted　Philadelphia　a　new　charter；　called　the　Bullitt　Law；　which
went　into　effect　in　1887；　and　which　greatly　simplified　the
structure　of　the　government　and　centered　responsibility　in　the
mayor。　It　was　then　necessary　for　the　Ring　to　control　primaries
and　win　elections　in　order　to　keep　the　city　within　its　clutches。
So　began　in　Philadelphia　the　practice　of　fraudulent　registering
and　voting　on　a　scale　that　has　probably　never　been　equaled
elsewhere　in　America。　Names　taken　from　tombstones　in　the
cemeteries　and　from　the　register　of　births　found　their　way　to　the
polling　registers。　Dogs；　cats；　horses；　anything　living　or　dead；
with　a　name；　served　the　purpose。

The　exposure　of　these　frauds　was　undertaken　in　1900　by　the
Municipal　League。　In　two　wards；　where　the　population　had
decreased　one　per　cent　in　ten　years　（1890…1900）；　it　was　found
that　the　registered　voters　had　increased　one　hundred　per　cent。
》From　one　house　sixty…two　voters　were　registered；　of　sundry
occupations　as　follows：　〃Professors；　bricklayers；　gentlemen；
moulders；　cashiers；　barbers；　ministers；　bakers；　doctors；　drivers；
bartenders；　plumbers；　clerks；　cooks；　merchants；　stevedores；
bookkeepers；　waiters；　florists；　boilermakers；　salesmen；　soldiers；
electricians；　printers；　book　agents；　and　restaurant　keepers。〃　One
hundred　and　twenty…two　voters；　according　to　the　register；　lived
at　another　house；　including　nine　agents；　nine　machinists；　nine
gentlemen；　nine　waiters；　nine　salesmen；　four　barbers；　four
bakers；　fourteen　clerks；　three　laborers；　two　bartenders；　a
milkman；　an　optician；　a　piano…mover；　a　window…cleaner；　a　nurse；
and　so　on。

On　the　day　before　the　election　the　Municipal　League　sent
registered　letters　to　all　the　registered　voters　of　certain
precincts。　Sixty…three　per　cent　were　returned；　marked　by　the
postman；　〃not　at；〃　〃deceased；〃　〃removed；〃　〃not　known。〃　Of
forty…four　letters　addressed　to　names　registered　from　one
four…story　house；　eighteen　were　returned。　From　another　house；
supposed　to　be　sheltering　forty…eight　voters；　forty…one　were
returned；　from　another；　to　which　sixty…two　were　sent；　sixty…one
came　back。　The　league　reported　that　〃two　hundred　and　fifty…two
votes　were　returned　in　a　division　that　had　less　than　one　hundred
legal　voters　within　its　boundaries。〃　Repeating　and　ballot…box
stuffing　were　common。　Election　officers　would　place　fifty　or　more
ballots　in　the　box　before　the　polls　opened　or　would　hand　out　a
handful　of　ballots　to　the　recognized　repeaters。　The　high…water
mark　of　boss　rule　was　reached　under　Mayor　Ashbridge；
〃Stars…and…Stripes　Sam；〃　who　had　been　elected　in　1899。　The
moderation　of　Martin；　who　had　succeeded　McManes　as　boss；　was　cast
aside；　the　mayor　was　himself　a　member　of　the　Ring。　When　Ashbridge
retired；　the　Municipal　League　reported：　〃The　four　years　of　the
Ashbridge　administration　have　passed　into　history　leaving　behind
them　a　scar　on　the　fame　and　reputation　of　our　city　which　will　be
a　long　time　healing。　Never　before；　and　let　us　hope　never　again；
will　there　be　such　brazen　defiance　of　public　opinion；　such
flagrant　disregard　of　public　interest；　such　abuse　of　power　and
responsibility　for　private　ends。〃

Since　that　time　the　fortunes　of　the　Philadelphia　Ring　have
fluctuated。　Its　hold　upon　the　city；　however；　is　not　broken；　but
is　still　strong　enough　to　justify　Owen　Wister's　observation：　〃Not
a　Dickens；　only　a　Zola；　would　have　the　face　（and　the　stomach）　to
tell　the　whole　truth　about　Philadelphia。〃

St。　Louis　was　one　of　the　first　cities　of　America　to　possess　the
much…coveted　home　rule。　The　Missouri　State　Constitution　of　1875
granted　the　city　the　power　to　frame　its　own　charter；　under
certain　limitations。　The　new　charter　provided　for　a　mayor　elected
for　four　years　with　the　power　of　appointing　certain　heads　of
departments；　others；　however；　were　to　be　elected　directly　by　the
people。　It　provided　for　a　Municipal　Assembly　composed　of　two
houses：　the　Council；　with　thirteen　members；　elected　at　large　for
four　years；　and　the　House　of　Delegates；　with　twenty…eight
members；　one　from　each　ward；　elected　for　two　years。　These　two
houses　were　given　coordinate　powers；　one　was　presumed　to　be　a
check　on　the　other。　The　Assembly　fixed　the　tax　rate；　granted
franchises；　and　passed　upon　all　public　improvements。　The　Police
Department　was；　however；　under　the　control　of　the　mayor　and　four
commissioners；　the　latter　appointed　by　the　Governor。　The　city　was
usually　Republican　by　about　8000　majority；　the　State　was　safely
Democratic。　The　city；　until　a　few　years　ago；　had　few　tenements
and　a　small　floating　population。

Outwardly；　all　seemed　well　with　the　city　until　1901；　when　the
inside　workings　of　its　government　were　revealed　to　the　public
gaze　through　the　vengeance　of　a　disappointed　franchise…seeker。
The　Suburban　Railway　Company　sought　an　extension　of　its
franchises。　It　had　approached　the　man　known　as　the　dispenser　of
such　favors；　but；　thinking　his　price　（145；000）　too　high；　had
sought　to　deal　directly　with　the　Municipal　Assembly。　The　price
agreed　upon　for　the　House　of　Delegates　was　75；000；　for　the
Council；　60；000。　These　sums　were　placed　in　safety　vaults
controlled　by　a　dual　lock。　The　representative　of　the　Company　held
one　of　the　keys；　the　representative　of　the　Assembly；　the　other；
so　that　neither　party　could　take　the　money　without　the　presence
of　both。　The　Assembly　duly　granted　the　franchises；　but　property
owners　along　the　line　of　the　proposed　extension　secured　an
injunction；　which　delayed　the　proceedings　until　the　term　of　the
venal　House　of　Delegates　had　expired。　The　Assemblymen；　having
delivered　the　goods；　demanded　their　pay。　The　Company；　held　up　by
the　courts；　refused。　Mutterings　of　the　disappointed　conspirators
reached　the　ear　of　an　enterprising　newspaper　reporter。　Thereby
the　Circuit　Attorney；　Joseph　W。　Folk；　struck　the　trail　of　the
gang。　Both　the　president　of　the　railway　company　and　the　〃agent〃
of　the　rogues　of　the　Assembly　turned　state's　evidence；　the
safe…deposit　boxes　were　opened；　disclosing　the　packages
containing　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　1000　bills。

This　exposure　led　to　othersthe　〃Central　Traction　Conspiracy；〃
the　〃Lighting　Deal；〃　the　〃Garbage　Deal。〃　In　the　cleaning…up
process；　thirty…nine　persons　were　indicted；　twenty…four　for
bribery　and　fifteen　for　perjury。

The　evidence　which　Folk　presented　in　the　prosecution　of　these
scoundrels　merely　confirmed　what　had　long　been　an　unsavory　rumor：
that　franchises　and　contracts　were　bought　and　sold　like
merchandise；　that　the　buyers　were　men