Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-10-07 | Page 6 | Mayors on Trial

MAYORS ON TRIAL. r The mayor of Philadelphia and the mayor of EasC St. Louis are involved in a way which may land them behind prison bars. So far as we can see there is little excuse for either of them. The East St. Louis mayor made no attempt at-tempt to stop a race riot until there had been a great slaughter. The Philadelphia Phila-delphia mayor allowed tho police force to be used at a primary in one of the wards of the city. The policemen were under instructions to "crack heads" and thugs were imported to help them. The opposition Bepublican candidate was black.jacked by one of the thugs, who killed a policeman who endeavored to prevent his escape. Evil conditions in this ward had been reported to the mayor by detectives, and he cannot plead ignorance. He has, however, refused re-fused to produce the original, reports in court on the ground that he cannot can-not be compelled to furnish evidence against himself. But as official reports re-ports are public records, we do not believe be-lieve counsel for the mayor was justified justi-fied in advising that they be withheld. with-held. We never want to hear any more about crime in New York or vice in Chicago until Philadelphia has been cleaned up. It is rotten to the core and has been for more than a generation.