The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-05
BISHOP POTTER ON CIVIL
DUTIES.

Bishop Potter has the faculty of say
ing things that stir people up. About
the first evidence he gave OF it was
at the time of the celebration Of the
hundredth anniversary of the
adoption of the constitution of
the United States. 1t was then
he put forth the phrase, since become
famous, about Jeffersonian simplicity
having become Jacksonian vulgarity.
He made some remarks in New York
the other day on government and civil
duty, and while they have subjected
him to some criticism they are by no
means unworthy of consideration, for
there is much in them that is true. In
part he said:
But to get to the serious part of civil
duties, we will find that they cannot
be taken in the usual happy go-lucky
deepest study. To this country it is
fast growing to be more than serious.
Government in this country has be-
come a huge mechanism. Purity of
government, integrity, efficiency and
pure mindedness, the essentials that
should be in every official, are often
lacking.
lance and interest in the government
as the English people have. In Eng
land every man is interested in the
government. And what is the result?
Is there a better governed country in
the world than England?
Americans are deficient in their criti-
cisms of the various local governments.
l don't mean adverse criticism so much
as l do praise. They do not reward
meritorious service as they should. and
as is done in other countries.
Civil duties do require deep study.
deeper than is usually given them 1t
is to be regretted, but it cannot be de-
MED, that purity of government, in
tegrity, efficiency and pure mindedness,
the essentials that should be in every
official. are often lacking. Every OBJ
server of public affairs knows this to be
true. But it isn't so often lacking as
it is sometimes asserted to be.
There is much in the bishops criti-
cism that Americans are deficient in
their criticisms of the various local
governments. What is the explanation?
May it not be that Americans expect
public servants to be efficient and if
they are not then their disparaging
criticism comes in?
But the part of Bishop Potter's re-
marks that will attract most attention
is that referring to England The as
sertion that Americans have not the /
same vigilance and interest in the gov
eminent that the English people have /
and that every man in England is in /
terested in the government, we believe |
to be untenable. England has a con- /
stitutional form of government and /
now based on nearly universal suffrage,
but Notwithstanding this fact England /
is governed by the aristocracy and the |
middle classes. That the members of |
the aristocracy and middle classes ex-
ercise more vigilance and interest in I
the government than do Americans
is true perhaps. But why?
1t is primarily because of their direct
interest in their ranks and classes The
English electorate. aside from the aris-
tocracy and the middle classes, doesn't
take anything like the interest in gov
eminent that the American electorate
does. They regard the grand govern
mental problems as something which is
no concern of theirs.
There is no doubt that Englishmen
as rule are far more insistent upon
their legal rights than Americans are;
this is particularly SO in trivial mat
ters. 1t was matter of establishment
10 Herbert Spencer when travelling the
United States some years ago, how
Americans allowed their minor legal
rights to be trespassed upon He saw
things done every day, and no heed
taken of them, that would have sent
Englishmen flying to the county magis-
rate for the enforcement of their
lights. What is the explanation? 1t
s that Englishmen are very largely
Tom Touchys while very few Ameri-
,ans are.
Government in America is not per-
ect; neither is it in England What
.ver causes Americans to see imper-
ections in their government is a good
hing. as that is the first towards re-
orm. A people in their political ca
'acity should frequently become intro
pective as well, as in their Individual