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This quote is from Lincoln Steffen's 1904 book The Shame of the Cities. In this excerpt, Steffens describes a speech given by a corrupt Philadelphia official who was trying to counter charges that his ward was "low down":

"[The orator] reminded his hearers that his was the ward of Independence Hall, and naming over signers of the Declaration of Independence, he closed his highest flight of eloquence with the statement that 'these men, the fathers of American liberty, voted down here once. And,' he added, with a catching grin, 'they vote here yet.'"

Which statement expresses the irony of this particular kind of corruption to the democratic process?

A) The founders of American democracy would not have expected corruption in Philadelphia.
B) The descendants of the founders of American democracy were the leaders of corrupt political machines.
C) The voters cast their ballots in a building called Independence Hall but they were not free to make their own decisions.
D) The men who once stood for democratic ideals and fair government now support corrupt political machines.

The correct option is C. The voters cast their ballots in a building called Independence Hall but were not free to make their own decisions this statement expresses the irony of this particular kind of corruption in the democratic process.

The Federal Reserve was established due to the Shame of the Cities' portrayal of Wall Street's unethical business practices and the corruption of local politics. Lincoln Steffens was undoubtedly a product of his day, and his life was impulsive, energetic, inventive, and striving.

Why is Lincoln Steffens important?

The most prominent American muckraker journalist of the years 1903–1910 was Lincoln Steffens (1866–1936). His investigations into corporate and governmental wrongdoing increased support for reform.

The Shame of the Towns, a muckraking masterwork by Lincoln Steffens, documents political corruption in America's most renowned cities around the turn of the 20th century. His collected pieces paint a picture of each city's political and social scene and the various impacts of urbanization.

Learn more about Lincoln Steffens here:

https://brainly.com/question/4449023

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