The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-30

field OF endeavor ample for the most exalted
patriotism; that good citizenship begins at
home ana that good government IS only
Spectacular action. but every day unobtru-
siye effort and example continued from
week 10 week and year to year.
AS 1T SHOULD BE.
.'The truth is that the nearer government
comes 20 us the more closely ought we
be concerned In it; ordinarily, with most
OF us, the process is reversed We lose
ourselves in the enthusiasm Of a general
campaign; we sometimes contend over Gues-
tons of national and international poll
tics, and permit administration under
our very noses in our excitement concern
Ing something that after all does not vitality
affect U.S. The truth is. my friends. that the
county courthouse ought to be quite as
great an object Of interest TO the citizen,
quite as constant center of scrutiny as
the Statehouse or the Capitol at Washing
ton; and that good government or oad
government VIII creep up out OF the court
mouse INTO the Statehouse, out OF the State
house into the national Capitol. much more
quickly than the process will reverse It
I'VE are much concerned at present. and
properly so. over the revelation of individual
cases or Official malfeasance in the national
civil service, and there Is a disposition III
some quarters to assert the theory that
what We call grating in public office mas
become national game. The fact is, take
national. are very pn much ike cs men in PHI
Vate HE; In fact the transition from
the one class 10 the other Is so constant
mat they are 10 degree identical. If
corruption creeps into the public service,
II Justice becomes a byword in our courts,
there should be something more than pun
ishment for the individual malefactor. there
should be criticism and correction OF that
caTSIeSSQcSS ClllOuSDpSS SolflShneSS
on the part of citizenship which breeds
every serious evil affecting the body polite.
county, but in every township and city
and county throughout the length and
breadth OF the land, by giving intelligent
attention TO local affairs, by according that
local authority which it deserves and hold
ing IT TO that strict accountability which is
the surest warrant OF faithful service, the
result would be something more than good
local government. 1t would be TO convert
into working principle. accepted among
american citizens everywhere, the theory
so well expressed by distinguished
statesman of our time In the statement
that public office is a public trust.
You remember how the streets of Jeru-
salem were made Immediately clean.
Every man swept the space before his
own doorway. Whatever accomplish in
the way OF reform in this country will
be brought about in the same way. We
can have the millennium in the United
States Tomorrow morning II every citizen
of this country wakes up willing, and for
the usEering in of the perfect state we
Will require only the machinery of gov
ernment provided by the founders of this
Republic.
Il am not here for the purpose of seek
Ing TO make you or myself uncomfortable
on an OCCASION so suspicious as this by in
discriminate criticism orr lame1tation over
the state of public affairs. My impression
is that the level of virtue in public, as In
private life. is higher to-day than Ii has
ever been before. / believe that there Is en-
tirely too much denunciation in this coun-
try for the countrys good; too much pessi-
mistic generalization based on insufficient
or unintelligent observation; too much neg
alive patriotism, patriotism that wastes
itself in criticism. The man who sits with
his feet on fender studying political econ
omy while persons more practical are en-
gagged in selecting committeeman and NAM
ing delegates from his precinct never cuts
q particularly heroic figure when he gets
into the limelight later on for the purpose
of denouncing the wickedness of other per-
sons who at least have the common sense
| to know what they want and the energy
to go after 1t.
NOT GOOD CITIZENS.
1.-THE individual who bowls himself hoarse
on the street corner advocating the brother
hood Of man as a principle of government,
| and then goes home to kick his children or
! quarrel with his neighbors, is not especially