Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-10
Citizenship Lecture-Dr. Peters on
"PoIitIcS and Principles"


By an unfortunate misunderstanding
the bell of the church was rung az 73O
o'clock, although the lecture of the Rev.
DR.. Peters had been announced for eight
o'clock, and many persons who went
thither at the ringing of the bell were
compelled to wait for nearly half hour,
until the lecturer appeared.
DR.. Peters was introduced by the
chairman of the lecture committee, the
Rev. G. L. Richardson, and entered uDon
the discussion of his subject, "Politics
and Principles" by reading an extract
from Washington's Farewell Address, in
which the Americans are warned against
permitting mere blind craftsmanship to
take the place of principle, as motives
for action in their civic life.
In a rapid and mastery historical
sketch, the lecturer contrasted the par
ties of principle as they existed in the
early days of the Republic, with the par
ties for the distribution of patronage, as
they seem to be to day. He said that in
political purity and in the administla-
ton of our civil service we were behind
the leading nations of Europe. The doc
trine Ito the victOrs belong the spoils,"
is responsible for much of the corrup-
ton of to-day. Such men as Hill and
Murphy and Platt and Quay are Demo,
Gratis or Republicans not from principle,
but merely for personal advantage DR..
Peters showed what this system had led
to in New York City, and stated that
there were other parts of the country
quite as corrupt. The greatest failure in
our system of government is in the con-
duct of our municipalities. He de-
nounced vote-buyiug, whether the COM
pensation returned for votes was in cash
or the promise of patronage; and made
clear the civic crime of which the direc-
tors of our great corporations. such as
the Standard Oil Company, are guilty,
in the purchase of legislatures or the
evasion of laws.
The positive principles for which the
lecturer contended were: the election
and appointment of men to office not be-
cause of their party utilization, but be-
cause of their fitness for the positions;
the clear definition of party lines in
questions of principle, instead of mere
scramble for the right to draw on the
public treasury; the rigid holding of all
public officers to the fulfllment of their
duty in the enforcement of the laws,
without fear or favor Claw must te en-
forced and observed at all hazards); the
provision of every possible safeguard for
the purity of the ballot; and last and
most important, more general interest
and more real feeling of responsibility
on the part of those who were endowed
with the privileges of citizenship. In
connection with this point the speaker
outlined the purpose and value of the
GOOD Government clubs" in New York
and other cities, and paid warm trib-
ute to the honesty, manliness and unset
fish courage of Theodore Roosevelt, who
though rich man who had no need to
work in order to live, gave himself I'M
sparingly to the service of his fellowmen
and in every crisis stood for the highest
possible ideal of citizenship.
The lecture was delivered without
manuscript and was heard with careful
attention and interest by an audience
which filled the body of the church.