F 158 a A Citizen's Reflections J5 FlF \ No. Philadelphia, June 16,1891 When the truth is suppressed by the machinations of the press or the perfidy of man, silence is crime "There is one art which every man should master — the art of reflection." — Southey. The reflections of a "Citizen" of Philadelphia since 1843, are freely given to the public without money or price by the author, "A CITIZEN" Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1891, By Joseph Tomlinson, In the office of Librarian of Congress, at Washington. No. i. June I, 1891. A Citizen's^ Reflections . . Truth crushed to eaxth by the machinations of the press or the perfidy of man will arise again. A citizen of this city since 1843, interested in public affairs to the same extent as the great body of his fellow citi- zens, while engaged in worthy efforts to gain an honest sub- sistence, sends his reflections to the public press of this city. The reasons actuating " A Citizen " is the public disgraceful exhibit of the crimes of John Bardsleyand many others, which has startled all citizens that feel a common interest in man- kind's honest purposes and acts. These exposed crimes would destroy man's confidence in mankind did not people have faith and trust in the citizens' devotion to the right, and a confidence in the mass of the class of citizens who can yet do the voting. They, it has been found in the past, are to be trusted to right a wrong, which is ever impossible for them to accomplish whenever their power is taken from them by special laws, as has been done in the case of the Public Building Commission. All citizens and taxpayers now know this special act has left them powerless to right the wrong. A few self-assumed " better classes," from their want of faith in the whole people, have been the cause of all such acts as in the case named. The public press is causing among the people a belief that they are mercenary*, and the fear is being expressed, "They are as ♦MERCENARY. One serving for pay, one who is hired ; a hireling. — ll'orct-stt'r. 4 much so as the cormorants who play upon the people's fancies, and the politicians who work the public for power and emolu- ments of office." All working men know those who compose the few of the " better class," so called — nearly all live off of the product of the labor of the masses of mankind, and that with- out their help by industrious and honest efforts, this commu- nity could not have prosperity. They are the cause and our city the effect, and, without the toil of the many, the " better classes " could have no place or existence. The great body of the people, the requisite and cause of the existence of this pros- perous city, are losing their faith in the now claimed " better class " of the public press, and they have long since had little faith in the political leaders or their followers, who, they see, are the active part of the machine that works the public money in the wrong direction so often. The great mass of the citizens desire honesty, and they are the only power that can be trusted to right a wrong. They can and will do so in the future, as they have in the past, if they are not robbed by special laws or intimidation. All right-minded men will trust the freeman, for with them only liberty is safe, for it is through the efforts of the many that this nation was preserved, and liberty to all the people maintained. This land of promise could not have survived without the devotion of the masses to the right, who were and remain its support, and give to this nation its wonderful prominence among the nations of the earth. Our material strength in agriculture, mining and manufactures, now the wonder and admiration of all mankind, never could have come to us as a people except by the toil of masses of citizens. There was a bill before the last Legisla- ture which aimed to take from the people the election of School Directors, and give the Judges the power to appoint the servants of the people. Citizens are seeing and feeling that all such acts are a great wrong done by the few " better classes " of citizens to the many. This is made plain by the teachings of the past. The few have done a great wrong to the many by the special law creating the Building Commission. All taxpayers now feel the effects of this wrong, 5 as it has taken from them their power to right it. This was the act of a few best citizens. The people have noticed such acts result in some one or more of the few gaining positions secretly desired, and, they fear, often promised at the time they were working for the so-called reform, which the few claim to be a great reform. The citizens notice men of the assumed " better class " posing as examples like John Bardsley, Kennedy, and, unfortunately, many others, and the great body of the people have come to judge men only by their acts. They have been forced to accept the proverb, " Acts speak louder than words." The great mass of working men and women of this city have held court, and their verdict is rendered and a sentence recorded, finding John Bardsley and Kennedy guilty of forgery, robbery of the people's money, and perjury, a verdict which can never be reversed, for it is a just one for the crimes they have com- mitted. Their numerous aiders in the wrongs done the people, the citizens are making up a like honest and just verdict, which, when rendered, will be found to be the people's just verdict, as much so as in the case of the criminals already sentenced by a just public sentiment. " A CITIZEN." No. 2. June 4, 1 89 1. The following communication, addressed to the President and Members of Select Council, was read : " A Citizen of Philadelphia since 1843, and a voter in the Republican party since its birth, submits respectfully for your consideration the following: I voted for Mayor Stuart, who, since coming into office, I and many citizens fear, has been instrumental in the passage (up to this time I believe only in one branch of Councils) of a bill to increase to $10,000 a year, which many citizens believe is an exorbitant amount, to two already over- paid offices. I have not spoken to one citizen (and I have spoken to many) that does not feel this to be a great wrong done to all taxpayers. I have been weakened in my indi- vidual hope and faith in the Mayor by this act to the extent that I now regret having voted for him, and could I have known that this wrong would have been done to the many, I could not have done so. The great mass of the people see but one thing in such acts, and that is, ' Grab and get all the people's money they can, whether they earn it or not.' "JOSEPH TOMLINSON, " 2020 Spring Garden Street, "A Citizen!' No. 2. June 4, 1 891. A Citizen embraces the undoubted right of all citizens to be heard in Councils, which body is the servant of the people. No citizen, knowing and maintaining his right, can become the servant of Councils. Note. Philadelphia, June 16, 1891. A citizen wrote No. 2 because he believed a thousand or more of his fellow-citizens \Vere in reach from whom two could be selected that would give their whole time to the faithful performance of their duties to the citizens for #3,000 a year as heads of Public Works and Public Safety. Another reason for No. 2 is contained in the fact that he looks upon high salaries as tending to increase the number of privileged classes, and has a tendency to remove further from the many all servants of the people that receive excessive emoluments of office. A CITIZEN. (No. 2 was suppressed by the public press.) Nos. 3 and 4. June 8, 1 89 1. Nos. 3 and 4 are referred to in Nos. 6 and 8. Clippings from the livening Bulletin of June 4 were pasted upon this ; the words it contained are found in full in No. 6: "A true history of what occurred June 4, 1891, in Select Council." June 8, i8ji. A Citizen offers the public press of this city a second opportunity (the first was freely offered June 4, [891, in Select Council Chamber) to embrace a duty they owe to themselves and the taxpayers of this city by letting the tax- payers know that which they all should know, and have an undoubted right to know, what transpired in Select Council June 4, 1891. The press of the city can accomplish this by the publication of the entire enclosed clipping from the Evening 11 idle tin of June 4, 1891. " Do your duty, there all the honor lies." " Truth crushed to earth by the machinations* of the press or the perfidyf of man will arise again." JOSEPH TOMLINSON, 2020 Spring Garden Street, A Citizen. No. 5. June 9, 1 89 1. To the Editor- of the Public Ledger : In your editorial of this morning is the following: " Had Mr. John YVanamaker as a witness yesterday, he appeared by invitation, and was very punctual% in putting in an appearance." Many citizens there congregated observed to their discomfort the untruthfulness of the above quotation ; for they were kept by his non-appearance, even punctually over an hour in a crowded, unpleasant position awaiting his appearance on the witness stand. JOSEPH TOMLINSON, 2020 Spring Garden Street, A Citizen. No. 5 fully commented upon in No. 8. *MACHINATIONS. Artifice, a plot, a trick, a strategem, .1 malicious scheme, a hostile design. tPERFIDY. The breach or violation of faith or trust, treachery. \ PUNCTUAL. Prompt, punctilious, exict. precipe in observing an engagement; occurring at the appointed time. — Webster. No. 6. June 10, 1891. A TRUE HISTORY OF WHAT OCCURRED JUNE 4th, 1891, IN SELECT COUNCIL. After the reading by the Clerk very distinctly, the protest of A Citizen of Philadelphia since 1843, the reporters of many, if not all, the morning newspapers of Philadelphia were anxious to have the type of the letter read. Two of the reporters came to the writer of the protest by A Citizen, and they requested a copy. Most all the reporters already possessed it. As so many of the reporters had, the writer knew, A Citizen thought the disappointed ones could be relieved of their apparent dis- appointment, he told the two reporters asking for a copy that they could copy from the type of those who possessed it, it being generally possessed by the reporters. The citizens of this city are requested to notice the following facts : First, the Evening Bulletin of June 4, 1891, printed in its edition of that date the following : " A Citizen's Protest. " Mr. Tomlinson doesn't Believe in Increasing the Directors' Salaries. "The following unique* communication addressed to the President and Members of Select Council was read : " ' A Citizen of Philadelphia since 1843 and a voter in the Republican party since its birth, submits respectfully to your consideration the following: I voted for Mayor Stuart, who, since coming into office, I and many citizens fear he has been instrumental in the passage (up to this time I believe only in one branch of Councils) of a bill to increase to $10,000 a year, which many citizens believe is an exorbitant amount, to two ♦UNIQUE. Sole, unequaled, single in its kind of excellence. — Webster, A thing that exists without a parallel, R. — Worcester. SOLE, being without an equal, without another of the same kind known to exist. uncommon, F. already over-paid officers. I have not spoken to one citizen (and I have spoken to many) that does not feel this to be a great wrong done to all taxpayers. I have been weakened in my individual hope and faith in the Mayor by this act to the extent that I now regret having voted for him, and could I have known this wrong would have been done to the many, I could not have done so. The great mass of the people see but one thing in such an act, and that is ' Grab and get all the people's money they can, whether they earn it or not.' " JOSEPH TOMLINSON, " 2020 Spring Garden Street, il A Citizen." [The above from the Evening Bulletin of June 4, 1891.] All the morning papers in Philadelphia June 5, 1 891, so far as A Citizen has investigated, make no mention of anything occurring, not a word of the above, excepting the Public Ledger, which contains the following only : " A communica- tion from Joseph Tomlinson, 2020 Spring Garden Street, was read protesting against increasing the salaries of the Directors of Public Works and Public Safety to $10,000 a year, which was laid on the table." It will appear to many taxpayers very strange how the above protest was blotted out of existence by all the morning papers of June 5, 1891. This unanimous action must have been accomplished by concert. It could not have been accomplished in any other manner. A Citizen's right to protest to Council is a right that never can be justly taken away. For it in a manner is denying the taxpayers their right to be heard. The newspapers have no right to suppress such protest, when it is like the above, in the interest of the taxpayers. JOSEPH TOMLINSON, 2020 Spring Garden Street, A Citizen. IO No. 7. June 1 1, 1891 " Truth crushed to earth by the machinations of the press or the perfidy of man will arise again." " When silence is crime," — Philadelphia Star, May, 30, 1 891. A " Citizen's Reflections," * handed the reporters of many of the Philadelphia papers in City Council Chamber June 5, 1 89 1, having met with the same disposal as his protest read in Council on June 4th, by the press of this city, have resulted in a " citizens's calling the attention of the readers of the public press and also its editors, to the quotation in the ' reflections ' above referred to." " The public press is causing among the people a belief that they are ' mercenary,' and the fear is being expressed that they are as much so as the cormorants who play upon the people's fancies, and the politician who works the public for power and the emoluments of office." The following reasons for the above expression, and, it is feared, the growing belief in the term used, " mercenary," cause all thinking persons to realize that the public press of the day cannot thrive upon one, two or three cents usually charged, and that they can have no continued existence except by public and private patronage. Thus it can be seen that they cannot afford to offend their patrons. "The great body of the people are losing their faith in the now claimed better class of the public press." This result is reached from examples like the following : sometime since the public press, in giving to the public an account of a local fire, a " citizen " noticed the following : " There were ten cars of lumber burned, containing one million feet of lumber." Lumber men are aware, and many citizens know, that the usual car of lumber is 10,000 feet, and ten cars would have contained but 100,000 feet. So it is comprehended at once that this item contained but 10 per ♦REFLECTION, Attentive consideration, meditation, deliberation, contemplation. 1 1 centum of the truth. Thus we hear the common remark that the papers contain too much that is not true; some say, too many lies. This condition, and the want of exact truth in so many other directions, leads to the damage or destruction of the people's faith in the public press. Recently " Honest John Bardsley " was the only sermon preached to the people by the whole public press. The people have found to their sorrow that this was an untruth, and, to their shame, that " honesty " was very far from the truth, as used in connection with " Honest John." Editors conducting the public press, it is in order to ask yourselves how far you are accountable for having created in the minds of the people a faith in the " honesty " of John Bardsley. Self-preservation, which is known to have no law, may have forced you to adopt mercenary motives that belong to the existence of the public journals of the day. There never can be a result without a cause. The people believe the public press of Philadelphia is largely accountable to its citizens for " Honest John's " elevation and control of the people's money. Now we have the disgraceful exhibition, how far greed of money has disgraced our city, and many of its assumed " best citizens," who have, it is known, been instrumental in helping John Bardsley in his greed and love of money and aiding him to gain possession of the money of the people by stock speculations or interest. Every dollar gained through the complicity of the banks, brokers and others that reached the greedy maw of the treas- urer should be returned to the people, its rightful owner. By so doing right only can be done to the outraged community. JOSEPH TOMLINSON, 2020 Spring Garden Street, A Citizen. No. 8 may contain valuable information for the citizens of Philadelphia, and also may interest the people of the country. 12 No. 8. June 12, 1891. Accompanying this you will find facts in abundance. No. 1 contains no word that is not true. New facts respecting No. 1, received per mail June 10, 1891, reads as follows : " Mr. Joseph Tomlinson, " 2020 Spring Garden Street, " Dear Sir : " Your excellent communication was put in type last week, but was unavoidably crowded out. It will appear in our next issue. " Yours, etc., "JOHN S. TAGGART." No. 1 contains nothing but facts. No wind can blow truth away. No. 2 is a fact, and contains no words not true. No. 3 another fact, which explains itself. Fourth Fact. No. 3 was sent June 9, 1891, to the follow- ing by mail and marked "private: " Geo. W. Childs, Ledger .Office. Chas. H. Hustes, Inquirer Office. Editor Philadelphia Star. Editor North American. Editor Evening Bulletin. Editor Philadelphia Press. A. K. McClure, limes. Evening Telegraph. Col. Taggart, Editor Taggarfs limes. June loth. Editor Philadelphia Record, and with it a copy of No. 1. June 9, 1891. To His Honor, Mayor Stuart and Mr. Gates, President of Select Council. All were marked "private" on the envel- ope. Here you have twelve facts, and, in addition, every word in No. 3 is a fact that explains itself, and will show the 13 citizens of Philadelphia that A Citizen has but one profession— the Golden Rule, " Do unto others as he would have others do unto him." As the persons and editors named have not seen proper to observe any part of the Golden Rule, and as they have not in one instance done their duty to A Citizen or themselves, this is sent you as an important fact connected with No. 3, which contains no malice aforethought. No. 5 is a fact that is known and proved by the edition of the Ledger of June 9, 1891 ; by its long detail of the evidence of Mr. Drew, who was called because Mr. John Wanamaker did not appear punctually at the time his name was called (which was done once, I know, and 1 think twice). Thus No. 5 contains no distorted fact, but understates the truth, which is contained in the fact that Mr. Drew was under investigation one and three quarter hours before Mr. J. W. could be called again. Thus, you see, No. 5 is all fact: excepting a supposition that the over an hour named can be used to shield J. \V. a little. Fact No. 6 in connection with No. 5, which was directed to George W. Childs only, marked "private." Mr. G. W. C. has known the writer as a citizen of repute many years, and A Citizen believes he is aware of the fact that Joseph Tomlin- son was connected as a partner with the most successful dry goods jobbing house in Philadelphia from 1856 to 1880, and that he retired December, 1880, at which time the house went out of business. No. 5 is sent you because the Ledger, up to June 12, 1891, has not corrected its editorial clause " Very prompt." By this it does appear to .1 Citizen, and he fears that it will appear to many citizens, that the Ledger has not done a credit to itself or treated justly A Citizen of 48 years' stand- ing. No. 6, June 10, 1891, contains the facts in detail presented by A Citizen, and explains to the common understanding oi men the passing events of the day. No. 7, June 11, 1891, contains facts in abundance, which are, it is to be regretted, all true. H Fact. No other citizen has a part or connection with the matter or reflections now in your hands only in full to date, June 12, i8o,[. The facts in No. 5 are only in possession of the Ledger and World. " Truth crushed to earth by the machinations of the press or the perfidy of man will arise again." Another fact. The world and all the public journals of the world cannot destroy the type of the job printing offices. And you may rest assured, life being spared to A Citizen, little time will elapse before the citizens of this city will have an opportunity, in pamphlet form, without money and without price, to read the facts here submitted to you. P. S. — Should you not see proper to use the facts as pre- sented, you are not at liberty to present any one of them in a disconnected form, which would be an injustice done to A Citizen, you must know without being told. Yours truly, JOSEPH TOMLINSON, " A Citizen" No. 9. May 28, 1 89 1. This A. M. in its editorials says in justifi- cation for its advocacy of the Porter Bill, that all the papers in Philadelphia are for the change. I called to inform the editor in a friendly way that nearly all the papers in Philadel- phia advocated John Bardsley's election, and now we have evidence for a belief that they were all possessed of private information which was suppressed. As for myself I had enough private knowledge at the time of his election to pre- vent me helping to place in the City Treasury one, who I feared, was a dishonest man. My then fears, I now regret, have been realized. John Bardsley's dishonest methods have never before been equalled in this city. P. S. — The quoted editorial makes no account of citizens. It assumes because the public press is for the change that the 15 bill should have been passed. Citizens are not servants of the public press, for many believe the public press should be their servant. All good citizens hold fast to their right to think upon public matters for themselves. No public press, political or mercenary, has the power to take away their right to judge for themselves. The belief "private information which was suppressed " has become very prevalent among the citizens of Philadelphia. No. 10. Philadelphia, June 13, 1891. George S. Graham, District Attorney : Citizens of this city and the people of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania were startled on learning that at the hearing and binding over of John Bardsley, that the official oath required to be taken at the time this servant of the people assumed by law the charge of the people's money could or was not produced. This has caused grave reflec- tions in the minds of the people. You are their trusted and highly valued servant, and they are trusting that you will defend them by a proper execution of the law made for their protection. Laws are, you know, intended to punish all criminals, and that the people demand for all its servants who transgress, the law's proper penalty. The laws were all made to protect the people. Your full duty to the people requires this, for your office was created that they could be sure of reaching all criminals. Leave nothing undone. You are looked to as the proper person to vindicate the law. John Bardsley, late the trusted custodian of the people's money, has acted the part of the most criminal servant of the people. His perfidy is unknown in the history of the state, his acts show no parallel. Let all who aided him in robbing the people feel the just penalty of their acts, then all will be well; for, by the just execution of the law only will others be deterred from inflicting in the future, other wrongs on the i6 community. The confidence of the people in their servant chosen as District Attorney, and their faith and trust that he would do his duty still remains, and that he may be trusted to enforce the penalty of the law on all guilty persons. This public trust in a sworn officer of the law I fear will be weak- ened if John Bardsley is not convicted of perjury. This, the people know, should follow as a just penalty of his guilty acts. They feel and know his guilt has disgraced him and the people, and caused a feeling of shame never equaled in this community. I trust you will receive this in the spirit intended, as it has no other purpose or intent than to strengthen the hands of Justice. Yours truly, JOSEPH TOMLINSON, 2020 Spring Garden Street, A Citizen. P. S. — This true history begun June I and ending June 15,1891, is given to the public without money and without price by a citizen who believes he has done unto othere as he would have others do unto him. The public press has shown no respect for the Golden Rule, and they thus have made themselves responsible, by forcing a citizen to let the people know that which they have the undoubted right to know by this pamphlet. A CITIZP2N. Note. Philadelphia, June 16, 1891. Mr. George S. Graham, District Attorney. Dear Sir : Your favor of June 15th is at hand. Contents noted. It is pleasant to notice that you respect the Golden Rule. In answer to yours I have, and no doubt many fellow-citizens have, " followed up the case of John Bardsley as published in the daily papers." They are no doubt possessed of all the facts so clearly given in your communication. Your 1/ " It would be useless waste of time, energy and money to try John Bards- lev upon any other charge." My answer to this is : " By the just execu- tion of the law only will others be deterred from inflicting in the future other wrongs upon the community. This public trust in a public and sworn officer of the law I fear will be weakened if John Bardsley is not convicted of perjury." You say " is a very idle suggestion." This quo- tation from yours does not calm the fear known to exist and given to you in the best intentions. As to the law point possibility of convicting J. B. of perjury, I know little. I only know the laws of Pennsylvania contain the following : " Persons convicted of perjury shall forever be disquali- fied from being a witness in any matter in controversy." In this law provision is made for their protection from future trouble coming to the people from persons convicted of perjury. John Bardsley's case up to date reads as follows : " A confessed criminal was at his hearing charged with robbery and perjury. At his hearing the first charge was made out. The second charge, perjury, the greater crime, was postponed to the I2th of June, 1 89 1. Absence of proof was shown to be in the fact that the official oath required by law to be taken before he could legally enter upon the duties of his office could or was not produced. The people have reason to believe that sundry persons were present and saw John Bardsley take the oath of office ; thus, no wonder the peo- ple were startled at John Bardsley's hearing. John Bardsley, now in Moyamensing under charge of robbery only, the future history of his case is becoming very important, for John Bardsley has so far escaped from the grave charge of perjury. My letter of June 13th to you has so far escaped notice by the public press. Should your answer of June 15th find place in the newspapers, I wish you to observe the Golden Rule and not allow it to appear without mine of the 13th appearing in connection with it. In a very few days a citizen expects to have in print an eighteen-page pamphlet which will explain itself. I shall remember you in connection with the public as soon as the pamphlet is completed. Yours truly, JOSEPH TOMLINSON, 2020 Spring Garden Street. (A copy of this was mailed to the District Attorney June 16, in answer to a letter received from him same day.) June 17, 1891. The following old definition of a politician came into existence over two hundred years ago, and A Citizen fears its truth is applicable in 1891. Worcester, — " Politician : A man of artifice or deep contrivance." " The man who can make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass grow on the spot where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and render more essential service to the country than the whole race of politicians put together." — Swift. A Citizen has noticed that since June 12, no servant of the people, politician or the public press, up to June 18, 1891, have demanded that John Bardsley shall, like all other citi- zens, stand his trial upon the charge of perjury. The citizens have impartially convicted John Bardsley of perjury by a just public sentiment. Citizens may form a correct conclusion who will be responsible if he escapes the just penalty for perjury in our courts of law. This pamphlet, which the machinations of the press and perfidy of politicians could not prevent, contains nothing but that which is unfortunately true, and which the people could not learn except through private type of the printer, which the writer knew all the public jour- nals in the world could not destroy. A CITIZEN. Here the duty of A Citizen to the public ends. LIBRARY OF CONGRES 014 314 113 5