The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-13
Challenging UNIVERSAL ATTENTION.

.
Missouri is plainly articulauuG vita! propc>i
ton: that public welfare must he he primary cor
sderation with public servants proposition which
is equivalent to Saying that government must be for
the people The State IS raising its voice through
Its newspapers and various public forums. The pub
lie thought Is spoken by its writer's, preachers.
stump speakers and public men generally, down 10
the smallest streetcorner politician capable OF ut
terance And the sum and substance Of expression,
whether pro con. whether affirmative or negative
IS the issue which is IN the Missouri mind.
1t matters not whether given voice is applaud
ing OF denouncug 4 political movement or 2 set Of
politicians II matters not whether the individual
be reformer or the political enemy Of refOrIners.
He IS aGitator upon side or the other and his
voice blends with the other voices in uttering the
thing which is uppermost IN the mind OF the people
1t does not even matter whether he be sincere Even
q demagogue has his value. even the make-believe
reformer. for hypocrisy is the tribute which vice
pays TO virtue, the recognition Of the strength and
practical value of Righteousness. And the shallowes
demagogue shouting for the principle expresses II
none the less truly.
To be sure It is n trite enough proposition. 20
which all men agree-that the public servant must
be guided by principle of public welfare; but no
rality must every now and then get back to its fuu
damentals. Missouri's experience during the past
twenty-five months has caused 1t to give heed TO old
truths. Since the deeper chords Of its moral being
have been touched II is not strange that the State
sounds with precept and preachment 1t is healthfu
and Ifegiving and makes for the endurance Of the
body polite 1t tends 10 eliminate the bad from
within the civic system.
And it will have its response The principle which
Missouri utters is democratic in the broadest sense.
underlying not only the structure OF this Common
everywhere. 1t is bound up with human liberty the
world over and touches mankind intimately. Free
peoples will give an ear to the sound from Missouri
and peoples which are not free will listen wonder
ingy. Public interest is magic term, Quickening,
inspiring, powerfully moving.
Public interest" in Missouri has come TO I test.
Some persons adverse TO the agitation-but who,
nevertheless, as was observed, stimulate the issue
may say what they please about the absence Of any
question that score; but the great fact is apparent
that the public interest has been brought in queS-
ton in Missouri in late years. II has been threat
ened and seriously overriden by monopolistic and
capItastic influences. It has been beseged through
the medium OF lobby. Public servants have been in
struments in the hands of public enemies and prI-
vate grferS have preyed upon public interests. The
people have become cOgnzant OF the fact-the issue
in the peoples mind is 4 result OF the peoples OBJ
servation Of evil in the flesh and in the fact NatU
rally enough public utterance expresses the issue;
expresses the peoples apprehension and their resolu
ton. Naturally enough perhaps, the facts Of evil
have assumed exaggerated proportions in the popu-
lar mind but II exaggeration serves merely 10 In
crease the force of determination to vndicate pop
uar rights It Is to be welcomed This may be said,
that great moral demonstration following the ex-
aggeration Of evils do the body polite harm:
while an underestimation can work no great cura-
tive processes.
The world has had its attention drawn TO the ut
terance Of the Missouri Idea, and will intently
watch the test Of public interest the powers
that prey. The Missouri public has challenged the
world TO witness how it will acquit itself