Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-27
THE KANSAS CITY JOURNAL. SUNDAY DECEMBER q, 1895

servants. that every citizen who enters
office would know unless he discharges
his duty he could never again secure public
employment. no matter through what party
he intended to secure it,
Il say you can remedy the evils of gov
ernment through legislation, through par
ties through political action. And instead
OF boasting that you are not willing to
cCntaminate yourself with politics. Just re-
member what one OF the anCients, think
Plato. said, that if good citizens neglect
their civil duties they are punished by
teing compelled to live under the rule of
worse citizens than themselves. If people
are not willing to exert themselves to Sc
cure good government, il will be a bad
government. But that Is only one way.
l believe that public opinion is one of the
most potent things in this country; and
public opinion can crush out any abuse,
as 1t can give license to any abuse; and,
my friends, no matter how Insignificant
YOU may think your influence is in poll
tics. your influence is not insignificant in
the formation of public opinion. The news
paper helps to form public opinion, but it
only helps. It cannot be relied upon to
do il all, and an intelligent people will
help to correct their newspapers, just as
the newspapers help to correct the people
All these things join in to make public
opinion; and, my friends, I want you to
remember that the public opinion of your
city, and of your state and of your nation
is part of the work of your hands. If
public opinion is such that mans con-
duct in office will have no effect upon his
candidacy for re-election,you need not COM
plain if your children grow up to believe
it will be just as well 10 be dishonest as
honest.
'If you throw your influence in the for
nation of public opinion upon the side of
strong, pure public opinion, it reacts upon
you and aids you in the training of your
children, and if you refuse, you must not
complain if the ideals you set them have
more influence than the advice that you
give them. against those ideals. And l
want TO touch upon n question here, my
friends, and in so doing 1 want to apply it
to all parties without distinction l want
to say to you that one of the most perni-
cious influences that has crept into our
politics-not into one party, but into all
parties that have age enough to have
abuses-ore Of the most pernicious abuses
that we have to contend with in modern
politics is the use of money in illegitimate
ways in politics. (Applause) Remember
what say; it is not confined to one party.
If it were we might consiccr ourselves for
tunate; but the communicating influences
of money in politics have reached all par
ties. And, my friends, think am speak
ing the truth when tell you that unless
we can crush out the influence of money
the corrupting influence in pohtics-we
have much to fear from its continuance
among us. If men spend money to get Of
flee, there is a temptation almost too strong
to resist to get money back after they are
in office. If We tolerate, If we encourage
if We permit it, it simply means that hav-
ing made the securing of office expensive,
we must permit ourselves to be plundered
to even a greater extent than the amount
spent in securing the election
Il can leave with you no better thought
for your consideration than this: That
every citizen who loves his country, no
matter what he may believe on political
questions. no matter what his convictions
may be on the issues which make them
divided parties, no matter what his party
name or his party history-there is no
better thought that can leave with you
than that every citizen should use his in
fiuence to destroy the use of money in the
politics of this nation, in order that the
public servant shall simply offer himself
as a candidate. leaving his citizens to de-
eide between him and his opponent, with
out each entering into a race with the 9TH
er to see who can most debauch politics.
I say, my friends. that these questions
which are affected by public influence are
questions which YOU must take your part
in settling.
IF I have succeeded in leaving with you
the idea that equality must be the test
of all legislation-if I have succeeded in
leaving the idea that every just govern
ment will protect every citizen in the en-
jcynent of life, liberty and in the pursuit
of happiness; If l have succeeded in leav-
ing with you the idea that as citizens of
the greatest nation on earth you have a
duty to perform in making your govern
ment good and your laws just. I shall have
accomplished all that l could expect to
accomplish in the course of lecture. If
d. hi,
determination to study ali public ques-
tions-to be able to discuss every issue that
arises, and a determination, no matter
what others may do. his influence will be
cast upon which side he believes to be
right, I will have done all that I could
hope to accomplish.
MY friends, we live here, and not only We
live here, but our children ere to live here
after we are gone. 1t is a short sighted
policy to attempt to care only for ourselves.
The Latin poet beautifully expressed the
idea when he said: We plant trees the
fruit of which we never expect to eat.
Lincoln expressed it in his Gettysburg
speech when he said that those who fell
on that battlefield left an unfinished work
to those who survived. 1t was an unfin-
ished work. Every man who dies leaves an
unfinished work. We labor here, we do our
part, and we pass away. We have done our
duty only when have advanced that
work as far as within our power.
Men say that success is necessary. My
friends. success is no measure of the work
that one does. The measure of mans
work is this: Has he done his best? If
he has, he has succeeded. whether he
lives to see the fruits of his work or leaves
those fruits to be enjoyed by those who
come after him. We can simply take this
government which has been handed down
to us. We can take this government that
has been handed down to us by the fathers
and we can perfect it, make it better and
remove some of the imperfections. We can
carry this civilization along on a little
higher ground and then turn it over to
those who come after us. This is an unfin-
ished work; we are now enjoying what
others did; we are eating the fruits of trees
planted by the hands of those who have
A Wonderful Medicine
mEECHAM'0