Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/355

 THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF PHILADELPHIA 339

which were managed by a central board of managers composed of twenty-five members elected at large, and one delegate, at first from each organized ward, and afterward from each ward of the city whether organized or not. The league's interests in organ- ized wards were looked after by a ward committee consisting of ten or more men elected at large, and delegates from each divi- sion, at first only from organized divisions, latterly from organ- ized and unorganized divisions alike. The work in the divisions was looked after by division committees consisting of ten or more members. In this way a municipal party, governed upon the same general principles as national parties, was built up. While the efficiency of this organization varied from time to time and from ward to ward, nevertheless it represented the first definite effort in Philadelphia to maintain a distinctly municipal party which would be recognized as such by the courts under the existing Pennsylvania statutes, and which would have a perma- nent existence. Moreover, it was effective in developing a group of men who have since shown the benefits of their training in the splendid work which they are doing for the present City Party. It created the skeleton upon which the subsequent superstructure has been built; it created an esprit de corps, and made possible much of the splendid work of the recent days and months.

While a detailed account of the various campaigns of the league might prove interesting, it would be aside from the pur- poses of this article to go into them. Suffice it to say that in a number of its campaigns its candidates were elected; but in the majority of them they were defeated, either because of the over- whelming odds against which the fight was conducted ; or because of the insufficient education of the voters; or because of the coalition between the Republicans and the Democrats for their mutual preservation; or (what was frequently the case) because of the frauds practiced at the election.

Indeed, one of the most effective lines of activity in which the league engaged was its exposure of fraud at the elections, and its unceasing campaign aimed, not only at its exposure, but at its correction. In 1896, realizing that the existing registration laws of Pennsylvania were totally inadequate, and that no effective