The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-06-16
%0VERGOVERNED PEOPLE.
What We Want is Less Government,
Less Politics, More Honesty
and More Intelligence.
WHERE THE DANGER TO AMERICA LIES.
Not on the Broad Fertile Prniries of
Illinois. or in the Vest. Where
Patriotism Is Universal. hut in
the Great cities, with Their
strugaIing Restless Thousands.

Champaign, H., June 13.-Comptrol-
Ter Bird S. Coler, of New York, deliv-
cred the principal address at the COM
mencement of the state university.
and some of his statements created -
sensation. He said in part:
The Birthplace of Our Problems.
"The great civic and political prob
lens of this country to-day were born
of the social conditions that exist in
the cities, and there the fight for
intelligence and a higher standard of
public honesty must be fought and
o No serious danger to American
institutions turks anywhere on the
broad and fertile p~rairies of Illinois,
or the west, where patriotism is uni
v~ersal, and honesty the inherent birth
right of every citizen. But in the great
cities Of the east and west. with their
teeming, struggling, restless thou
sands, who, tasting liberty for the first
time, are prone to mistake it for the
intoxicating license of unreasoning
freedom, there are problems hat re
quire for their just settlement the
wisdom and patience of the best cTti-
zenship.
Corruption in Government.
Corruption in state and municipal
government has too long been accept
ed in this country as a matter of
course. There has been a growing tend
ency upon men VINO were otherwise
good citizens to shirk public duties.
They wanted to keep out of politics
and public life. but in keeping out
they made room in both places for
men who ought to be in jail.
The spirit of corrupt commercialism
has invaded politics and public life
in this country. and in some of the
larger cities the invasion has for a time
overrun the government. By the spir-
II of commercialism IN this connection
l mean that public feeling, far too pre-
valent in this country, that politics is
a business, and those engaged in il arc
entitled to make money out of it.
New System of stealing.
The old system of stealing from
the public treasuray has passed away,
and the safer and more profitable plans
Of bartering political influence for
stock in corporations has succeeded.
Bad political government mty be
tolerated for a time, but corrupt poll
ties and corporate greed in combina
ton call for prompt measures for the
protection of the rights of the people.
The rapid development of the vast
%esources of this country has been, in
a large measure. due to Legitimate
combination of capital, and the man
of influences who opposes corporations
without reason becomes 4 mere STUN
bling block in the path of progress.
The Time is Coming.
The time is coming, however, when
the grant by a state government of a
charter conveying to e corporation spe-
cial powers and privileges, will carry
with it the right 10 inspect and regu-
late the business created or carried
on under that grant. This can not be
a hardship upon legitimate business.
and it is no more hat a proper eX-
tension of the power and duty Of gov
eminent.
"Bue in legislating to corerct abuses.
and to better protect the rights of the
people as a whole, the greatest wis
dom Il be exercised to prevent over
legislation. We are now the most over
governed people on earth, and l fear
that much of the excess is due to the
efforts of educated men who mean
well, but are not practical.
What we want is less government,
less politics. more honesty and more
intelligence"
?rothewddsspE etaoi taoi tao itaoinet