The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-19

neither fears nor scruples viii always
beat the men who have scruples. but wto
also have fears To beat him - f.e
should be beaten YOU have got 10 ma ?
shall the men who are scrupulous In
their morals. who believe in decency ana
right, and who, so far from having any
fear, are ready, If need be. 10 smite wis
the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. 50
it is with common sense. 4 corrupt po-
itical ring can only fasten itself upoa
community ii 1t exercises great
shrewdness, and if its opponents lack
either this shrewdness or else study NOR
al courage. nothing can avail against
the corrupt machines success.
In New York / firmly believe that the
decent people could combine to over
throw the civic corruption If they only
would; but. as a matter of fact they are
so apt to fight one another, so apt to
quarrel as TO exactly how high the ideal
of the rigovernment shall De, that they
too often throw the victory into the
hands Of those who have no ideal at ail
and who I'm addition 10 cynical belief in
the power of corruption and in mere
demagogy, also set about their work with
the practical common sense that you eX-
pect a man to show in managing his own
business. As long as good men are mere
Missionaries. they do not accomplish very
much. OF course. they have got t0 have
the good side Of the visionary in them, or
else they won't be good men. When
man ceases 10 believe in a higher ideal
and TO endeavor TO realize IL so far as
his own limited powers and the human
frailitv of those about him permit, Why
he ceases to be useful az all.
We should be ashamed of ourselves for
~. al =
" from the way we treat the unsuccessful
rogue. The bad man who rises high either
in politics or in business. 10 the extent
OF his success. is by just so much more
a danger to the whole community.
Practical politics must be the nolitics
of decency. but also the politics Of cour-
axe of common sense. of hard work. You
must have high ideals, but YOU must not
follow them with your head in the air,
blind 10 the practical methods by which
alone thew can be even partially realized
u this earth
Must at the moment the nation Is face
TO face with a duty that calls for hero
ism. I mean our attitude I'm the Philip
pines We put our pick into the rotten
foundation Of Spanish government both
i'm the East and West Indies We tumbled
the building down in as righteous war
as was ever undertaken. Now. If we are
worth our place among the great nations
of the earth we must see 10 it that the
ruins are cleared away and the temple OF
Justice and honesty reared in their places.
we shall be guilty OF a terrible wrong
10 humanity. II in the Philippines we re-
treat before armed savagery instead OF
Organizing suitable government which
shall guarantee Justice 20 every one and
an ever-mcTeasing measure Of liberty 10
those who show themselves worthy OF Il.
Tho whole history OF the world shows
,hot the wrong done by the mere senti-
,nentalist IS often Of larger proportions
ana more elastic than any other kind Of
wrong. and of this wrong we shall be
Guilty Il we fail 10 DO our task thor
oughly and well.
~ viii call for but the merest fraction
~ our strength. provided only we choose
IN exert that strength. IT, however, the
,,oo,,o LOT their representatives in Con
c,ess hammer the administration as they
Gid last winter when they refused 90 put
,ho ornv upon n proper footing as TO
sI,e performance and Organization, then
tho neonle have themselves 10 thank II
the war fingers. with difficulties and
dangers Increased. What the people
have 10 do is 10 resolve 20 back up the
President to the fun in seeing that the
outbursts Of savagery are repressed once
for all and (what IS even more impor-
tanO TO see that these new tropic Islands
IN the East and West alike are not left
20 be the prev Of oeri'ssns and spoilsmen,
but are governed primarily, and there
fore. ultimately for the honor and renown
OF America
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Executive Mansion. Albany, N. Y.