Evening journal., 1902-03-04
TEACHING EVIL

IllAAHlNb EVIL
The Republican, a newspaper pub
Ished in this CITY, and which still -
tains a part of its former clientage,
voices the following sentiment:
The talk about using money in Della
ware Is perfect rot. 10 is used and
has been used in every State in the
Union for years by both parties II
has been used in Delaware as long as
the writer can remember. and that is at
least forty years or more. Even the
owners Of this paper have put up money
that has been used for campaign pur-
poses. The man or the editor who
writes such rot about the use Of money
in politics. is either a fool or a knave.
You could not run party organization
successfully any more than you could
supply food for your family on market
days if you did not have the money
10 pay for what you purchased.
That is a most remarkable utteranoe
for a public journal, issued in a COM
munity where standards Of mo-
rality are supposed TO be
high. and where ordinary mo-
tives OF dccency prevail. No one has
condemned the use of money for legiti-
mate campaign expenses, but there has
been much condemnation Of wholesale
bribery. The Republican is evidently
defending the latter and is denouncing
the persons who are trying to break
up the practice that is our shame. 1t
deems the talk about the matter per
feet rot and yet admits the existence
ofthe practice. If it's diagnosis is correct,
then the pulpit, the decent press and
every honest man must continue TO
utter rot" II IL is rot TO fight cor
rupton Of the ballot. then 1t is wrong
10 enact legislation against it, and we
should repeal such laws and
give every man a chance to go into
open market and buy his fellows.
We are told that the owners of the
Republican have put up money for this
purpose What purpose? If for legiti-
mate campaign expenses, there is no
objection. II for vote-buying, then
crime was committed We have wit
messed some peculiar newspaper de-
fenses recently; political corruption
has been defended on the grounds that
it has always existed, and the recent
arrests Of the inmates Of questionable
resorts were denounced because these
have tainted every community. and
the conclusion is reached that they
must continue TO exist
No argument could be more falla-
cious or demoralizing Every crime
may be justified on the same grounds.
There has always been lying,therefore
don't rebuke the liar; theft has existed
ever since the world began. therefore
leave the thief to ply his trade Fol
low this out. and our clergymen will
lose their occupation. and every form
OF evil will go unrebuked. because it
has always existed, and II follows that
It always viii exist.
There has always been political cor
ruDton in Delaware. but since Addicks
entered the field it has increased ten
fold Do we want this increase?
Shall It be an unavoidable incident,
or the basis upon which TO build a
party's strength? The preacher does
not expect 10 eradicate all evil in the
world. but he fights to keep it at the
minimum. The true ideal recognized
by ethics is ultimate. II is content
with nothing but absolute virtue It
never expects to attain its goal; but
its aim is at nothing less. Whenever
we are satisfied with less than ultimate
good. and fold our hands. we go back
ward. This is true Of individuals and
Of communities Preach the gospel of
content with admitted evils, and there
is a false prophet whose voice results
only in leading men astray