The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-10
TALK ON GOOD GOVERNMENT
BY REV. w. n. DICKEEMAN LAST
EVENING.

Cogent Reasons Urged why All Should
Enlist In the Cause of Good Government
Things to be Avoided and Things to be
Sought After-splendid Opportunity for
Young Men.
An able and practical discussion of
the subject Good Government" was
given by the Rev. w. f. Dickerman at
the Church of the Messiah last even
ing. At the outset the various theories
of government were taken up and
briefly considered. The conclusion
drawn by the speaker was that that
government was best that ruled the
least.
I'm government constituted like
ours" he said, "the officers should be
in close touch with the people Espec-
tally Is this true in municipal govern
ment, where all the members of the ex-
ecutive boards and commissions should
be appointed by the mayor without
confirmation and be directly responsible
| to him, the mayor himself being re-
| sponsible to the people. 1t is through
| the bureaus and departments that dis
| honest men rob the people. All city Of
ficers should regard themselves as city
| fathers, and have constant interest in
the welfare of the city. The reason why
the people of Holland were so prosper
Gus is because all men in power look
upon themselves as standing in the
place of father to the people from Will
liam the Silent to the simplest burgo-
| meister in the land.
| zone way in which men can help good
| government is by attending jury duty
| There is to-day amongst intelligent men
| a tendency to evade their duty as citi-
| zens and avoid Jury service, leaving our
| juries to be made up from the hangers
| on around the court and the less desir-
| able classes. In these days of shrewd
| jury manipulators and jury fixers
there can be no justice unless honest
men are willing to perform jury duty
| AS it is rarely that prominent criminals
are brought to justice, SO many are the
ways Of avoiding the law. The exam
| pie set by Hamilton Fish is worthy OF
imitation in this respect. He served his
state and the United States in the high.
est official positions, yet he never shirk-
| ed his duty as juror.
| Another way in which we can ai6
good government is by protecting the
purity of the ballot and not leave the
control of primaries and elections to the
| ignorant and dishonest. When our bal
lots are cast our duty does not cease
| We must see that the men we put ir
| office execute the laws. The Lexow
| committee did great amount of gooc
in this direction and secured a bettei
| enforcement of the laws. Again, goo6
citizens should exert their influence tt
prevent corruption Of legislators in the
interest of corporations and spectators
| and the entire brook Of money sharks
| the trespassing on the right of citizens
| by street railroads and public robbers ii
/ general. All of these call for an exhibit.
| tion Of patriotism. There is an unusua
opportunity at the present time for uncor.
| rupted young men to take noble stan6
4 for righteousness. The time has come
for Christian citizenship that can rise
| above the nefarious caucus and party
bondage into the pure atmosphere OF
honest and independent administration
| of public affairs"