The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-21
WHAT is NEEDED i'm CITY GOVERNMENT.
Theodore Roosevelt PrOpounds the Doctrine of Hon
esty and Common Sense i'm Municipal Politics.

I have spoken Of showing Americanism
In creed. Now show 1t In race. Remem-
Der that the one being abhorrent to the
powers above the earth and under them is
the hyphenatcd American-the German
American" the "Irish-American," or the
"native-Amercan." BE Americans, pure
and simple! If you don't act on the the
Ory that every man who In good faith as
sumes the duties and responsibilities OF an
American citizen in spirit of true Amer
icanism is an American, and Is to be
treated as such, IL youulo not act on that
spirit, you are yourselves unit to take
part In managing our government and yon
are bound to make failure II you try to
better the condition OF our cities. Let me
illustrate what l mean. The other day
spoke on the East Side with two of my
fellows in this administration, the presi-
dent of the excise board and the counsel
OF the excise board. We three all spoke
on precisely the same lines, on precisely
the lines that l am speaking to you here
tonight. The president of the excise
board Is a Catholic. born In Ireland.
The counsel OF the excise board Is He
brew, whose parents, or he himself, were
born in Germany. We are all three Amer
leans and nothing else! All three of us
believed that only the United States flag
should float over the city hall, and we all
approached the problem from the point
OF view OF common honesty, OF common
good faith, and believed that we could
solve most OF our difficulties in New York
-
remedies as the commandment that thou
shalt not steal." and others of similar sim
plicity.
The science of good municipal govern
ment isn't anything recondite. 1t Is not
like the higher mathematics or anything
~ that kind. Any moderately brave.
honest man. with common sense. who is
prepared to do what he thinks right, what
he thinks according to his lights is the
decent thing to do. without regard to the
effect either upon himself or upon the
party with which he Is connected-he has
got to disregard that. gentlemen. If he is
going to accomplish anything that Is
worth accomplishments man who Will
have those qualities can do something
decent; he can accomplish something In
our municipal life.
we doubtless shall from time to time
make errors. II we DID not we would
going to 'lead freely" you have got 10
take punishment" IL you will allow me
to speak In the language of those who
box: you have got to take punishment
win the battle by being aggressive. II
you stand off: II you stand aloof; IL you
never do anything for fear of making n
mistake, you won't get anywhere. AS l
say, we are bound to commit errors; but
on the whole we know we are raising
am tempted to say We are raising meal
culably h,gher-the standard Of public
morality, the standard of decency. We
have done Il absolutely without regard to
party. We have acted absolutely without
regard to creed: we have acted simply as
honest American citizens. and feel that
we have a right to challenge the support
of all other honest American citizens.
In closing I have but one thing to say.
We have at times been told. sometimes as
a threat. sometimes as a warning, some
| times with note of entreaty and de-
spair from the man who told us that our
course was jeopardiz.ng the reform move.
q. hat D. Ia hn fnrt, a
a Httle too drastic. To that ] can oily
| answer this: That II our people when
| they won this election did not mean what
| they said, they would better have lost II:
cost of doing exactly what we denounced
| our foes for doing. we would better go
out OF power. We may lose; nobody can
| prophesy exactly what will turn out al
ways In American politics: we may lose.
but we might have lost In any event. and
| II we had lost and not done what we
| deemed right. then we would have merely
been covered with snfamy. and II we had
| kept in and had not done what we thought
| was right we would have gained nothing.
I would rather. of course. see our system,
| the system Of honesty and decency. per-
petuated; I would rather see the people
| who think as we believe all honest OF.
flcials should think keep the reins of
| our people lose than see them finch one
hairs breadth from the course we have
| marked out.
have immense faith ultimately in the
| sober judgment OF the American people.
| believe that thev are a law-abd'ng and
| an upright people. and I know that Re-
| publican government is worth preserving
| only on the suppostion that In the long
!, run the mass of the voters will stand for
honesty and decency. but I admit that at
| some given election. under the influence
| OF some particular. demaRogue, or m;sled
by some particular emotion or chain Of
| events. they may 20 wrong. and I can
hover 'because OF having enforced the
| laws honestly than keen power at the
| cost Of corrupt connivance at lawJbreak-
| ing and corrupt association with law