The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-10-29
SUPPLEMENT TO
BUTLER WEEKLY TINES
THURSDAY, OCTOBER %, 1908.
MISSOURI.

OF Macedon did the work the
treason of war had failed to do.
Greece fell because corruption
mad weakened her national life.
Rome attained pinnacle OF
greatness and was undermined by the
same insidious corruption that threat.
ems us. Jugurtha. after he had cor.
rupted the senate and bought the
palace OF Rome. declared that he
could buy the entire city IL he only
had money enough.
Since the beginning of history. gov.
ernments of all kinds have lived and
died. Republics as great as ours have
existed and gone down into oblivion
through the spirit Of corruption. Where
wars, pestilences and all other ca.
lamities combined have destroyed one
government. corruption has under.
mined a score. Yet some say that
boodling cannot be an issue. that we
ought not to get alarmed over a few
cases OF bribery. When ones house
is on fire he is in no condition to
argue about fine tapestries and orna-
ments; he is more concerned in put.
ting out the fire than anything else.
So the people when boodling breaks
out, as II has In Missouri, should make
Il their first and highest duty to put
q stop to 1t.
Selecting Of Good Committeeman I'm.
portant.
The Democratic party cannot be-
come corrupt until a majority Of the
members Of the party are corrupt.
Ninety.nine per cent CT the rank and
file of the Democratic party are honest
and want good government. There is,
however, vicious minority which is
ever active. No good Democrat can
afford not to take an active interest
in public affairs at this critical period
in the history of the. state. Every man
in a republic such as ours should be
u Ill Tie StllSt mat hC poi
ticipate in the election of the repre-
sentatives of the people. The trouble
has been there have been too few in
politics for the public good, and too
many for revenue only. The first
duty of every Democrat is to secure
the nomination of good men to office
The first action to this end Is to at
tend all primaries and to select dele
gates that will fully represent the
will Of the people. That this may be
accomplished it is necessary that there
should be an organization forming
committees 10 determine the time,
place and manner of electing dele
gates, and which, when nominations
have been made. will direct the can
vass of the people that the voters
may express their sentiments fkrly by
the ballot they cast. 1t Is. therefore
of great Importance to select good
committeeman, honest men DESTROYS OF
their party's succeSs-not seeking
their own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT or appoint
ment to Office, but the welfare Of the
people.
Organizations deteriorate into ma
chimes when they are controlled by
men who desire to use the party for
personal ends. regardless of the party S
welfare. Every party should have an
organization, but the best machine any
individual can have is the heart and
conscience Of the people.
Elect Honest Representatives.
Thomas Jefferson once said, THE
time to guard against corruption is be-
fore it gets hold of us. 1t is better
to keep the wolf from the fold than
TO trust to drawing his teeth and
claws after he gets in" One way to
guard against the wolf of corruption Is
to elect to the General Assembly only
men Of known integrity; men not pas
sively honest, but actively honest
Many men can be honest inactively
but what we need in public affairs
is men who can be honest in action
Evil always comes out sooner or later
II mans character or life shows
him to be susceptible to corrupt lobby
influences, he should not be trusted
no matter how capable he may be-
No capacity in public official
attones for dishonesty. We need in
our legislative halls more aggressive
honesty. Brilliancy and wit in a leg.
islator are well enough, but common
rugged honesty is better. Select Dem.
ocrats as Senators and Representa-.
tives who will not tolerate a corrupt
lobby; men who will not allow the
touch OF an unclean dollar to con-
taminate legislative halls; men who
will speak out and denounce corrup.
ton when they find It; men who will
expose venality. not conceal 1t. Sc
lect Democrats who will use their Of.
fetal functions solely for the public
good. Officials are trustees of an ex.
pressed trust to be administered for
the public good. not for private gain.
An of1clal has no right to use the