Evening journal., 1903-10-26
THE PRESIDENT
URGES HONESTY
Delivers Address at Mission
ary Service at Mount St.
Albans
SAYS We NEED CIVIL RIGHTEOUSNESS

uhlu UL NlLU bliiL tliuU lUVuHLVV
Washington. Oct 25-Intelligent SER
rice to God and to the state was
the subject of an address by President
Roosevelt to the 1000 people who at
ended the public open-air missionary
ervice at Mount st. Albans on the
lose of the Cathedral Of Saints Peter
nd Paul After a procession led by
he Marine Band in cassocks and
ottas of choir Of 500 voices, the
clergy Of tho diocese of Washington
and the bishops of the Anglican com
munions in America, the opening
prayers were read by Bishop Doane
Of Albany. The president was intro
duced by Bishop Satterlee. The pres
ident spoke in part as follows:
ITO an audience such as this ! do
not have to say anything as to serving
the cause of decency with heart with
with soul We must have the purpose
and the intention. If our powers are
not guided Alright it is better that we
should not have them at all: but in ad-
dition to being guided Alright we must
have the power also; we must culti-
vate the power also. In the second
quotation remember that we are told
not merely to be harmless as doves,
but also to be wise as serpents. Now,
we are not to be excused If we do not
show both qualities. It Is not very
much praise to give a man to say
that he is harmless. We have a right
to ask that in addition to the fact that
he does no harm to any one he shall
possess the wisdom and the strength
to do good to his neighbor; that, to.
gether with innocence, together with
purity of motive, shall be Joined the
wisdom and strength to make that
purity effective, that motive translated
into substantial result Small is ouI
use for the man who individually helps
any of us and shows that he does it
grudgingly. We had rather not be
helped than be helped in that way. A
favor extended in a manner which
shows that the man is sorry that he
has to grant It is robbed sometimes Of
all and sometimes of more than all its
benefit
"In closing, | want to call your at
tention to something that Is especially
my business for the time being. and
that is your business all the time, OF
else you are unfit to be citizens Of this
republic. In the seventh hymn which
we sung, in the last line, you all joined
in singing God save the state Do
you intend merely to sing that, or to
try to do it? If you intend merely to
sing 1t, your part in doing it will be
but small. The state will be saved, II
the Lord puts it into the heart of the
average man so to shape his life that
the state shall be worth saving, and
only on those terms. We need civic
righteousness. The best constitution
that the wit of man has ever devised
the best institutions that the ablesi
statesmen in the world ever have re
duced to practice by law OF by custom
shall be of no avail If they are moi
vivified by the spirit which makes Q
state great by making it honest, just
and brave in the first place. l do moi
ask you as practical believers in ap
piled Christianity to take part one wa.
| or the other in matters that are merel,
political There are plenty of ques
| tions about which honest men car
and do differ very greatly and very
intensely about which the triumph o
either side may be compatible with th'
welfare Of the state-a lesser degree
OF welfare or a greater degree of wei
fare-but compatible with the welfare
/ OF the state. But there are certain
great principles concerning which n'
man has a right to have but one opin
ion. Such a question is honesty. I
you have not honesty in the average
private citizen or public servant, theI
all else goes for nothing. The abler 1
man is, che more dextsrous an'
shrewder, the bolder, why the mor'
dangerous he is II he has not the roo
of right living and right thinking IL
him-and that is private life, anS
even more in public life. So in oul
civil life. the average public servan
shall have far more than honesty, ye
all other qualities go for nothing o.
for worse than nothing unless honest!
underlies them-not only the honest,
that keeps its skirts technically clear
but the honesty that Is such accordin;
to the spirit as well as the letter o
the law; the honesty that is aggres
sive. the honesty that not merely de
plores corruption-it is easy enough
to deplore corruption--but that wars
against it and tramples It under foot
l ask you for that type of honesty"