Mexico Missouri message., 1903-08-20
moht and guaranteeing Immunity from

ineriminati0fi q
Good gorsrnm6nt demands that there
be a constant search for corruption. |
Some think we should not hunt for
vice, but / do not believe in waiting !
until II becomes so fragrant as to be a |
stencil in the nostrils Of decency before |
taking action. II corruption exists |
the sooner It is discovered and checked |
the better for this state. Corruption |
does not come out In the open; II we
would find Il we must look for 1t. Ev-
cry engine that goes out over we'll
regulated railroad Is inspected before
II starts, to detect defects, IL any there
be. IL inspection reveals everything
sound, then no harm is done; II de-
feet is found loss OF life is prevented.
Il would be folly to wait until train
is wrecked by defective wheel OF
axle before making an inspection SO
there should be an unceasing searching
for official corruption in order that It
be stamped out IL 1t exists, before IL
endangers civic life. 1t is we'll enough
to display our virtues, but correction
Of public evils is the highest civic vir-
tue. If investigation shows all to be
well, then certainly there can be no
cause for complaint. If on the other
hand corruption is found, it can be
nipped in the bud before it becomes
strong enough to defy the people Of
great state.
While other cities no doubt have
been as corrupt as st. Louis, and the
officials of other states as venal as
some Of those in Missouri, it is true
that at no time has so much official
corruption been laid bare as here in
our own day. Those who believe in
free government are looking to Mis-
souri, to see it indicated by righteous
citizenship. Those who contend the
people are incapable of self-government
! likewise await the outcome to prove
their theory The indifference of cleo
tors has always been the weakness of
a republican form of government To
quicken them to action is question Of
supreme Importance.
The people of Missouri are confront
ing the gravest crisis of the history of
the state. Win the people take the
government into their own hands or
will they permit further opportunity
for plundeFing? If corruption is ever
to be annihilated in the state it must
he done now. The corrdptionists are
shrewd; there is nothing they fear so
much as an aroused public conscience
1t is always their effort to luH the peo-
pie into false sense of security by
honied words and high sounding
phrases. DemetTius, the shrinemaker
of Ephesus, saw in the gospel of the
true God an end to his profitable bust
ness as a seller of shrines of Diana.
He did not of course publicly put his
protest on this ground, but he raised
a mob against those who taught the
new doctrine, by appealing to the
Ephesians to stand by Diana, the
goddess of the Ephesians. His
real interest was mercenary, but
he craftily appealed to the re-
ligious sentiment of the people to
accomplish his purpose. 1t is always
so. Official plunderers and their allies
no not directly defend corruption;
they do not put their objection on the
true ground of self interest, but on
one pretext or other, and by subtle
and specious language, they attempt
to attract attention to something else.
When the people ask about corrRption
they answer by calling attention
gorgeous landscape; when the
demand political honestly they alrsvgSs
by pointing out the physical beauties
of the state. 1t is commendable to ad.
mire the beautiful, but let us not be,
come so entranced while gazing, as tC
be Oblivious to the hands of the thiet
in our pockets. The subject of iirst
Importance now is the vindication o.
civic honor by the overthrow of civi,
depravity,
The people of Missouri have beer
previously wronged by their corrup
legislators and they can not longer b,
fooled; they have been. Inundated
= enough. There are sufficient homes
I and patriotic Missourians to scourg,
: the money changers from the temple
: of legislation.
: 1t can not be impressed on Missouri
Y ans too forcibly that the good name O
: the state and her honor depends upol
y their action on official corruption. Thi
= is the paramount issue before the PEG
q pie Some who reflect upon the penal
: ty that has been eating into the civil
life Of our people are pessiIaistic as t,
e the future, but l say that when the!
g come face to face with the Missourian
Y and see him in his daily life of sturd!
! honesty and recognize the sterling vir
= tue Of his nature and the kind of char
d acter that sustains 1t, built on the rocl
: of principle transmitted to him by hi
= fathers, all doubts must disappear, 70
5 with that reservoir of virtue to draw
E from, the result of the fight for goo,
1 government can not be in doubt.
b In the history Of civilization, frs
: one nation rises and becomes the torcl
3 bearer of civil liberty, then anothe
q takes its place, Wealth can not pre-
serve state, only the integrity of tn
s citizens can. If we do not cherish tina
a civic character our forefathers left us
: we win go down as the other republic
3 have gone. during the flight of tim
0 through the ages. Man has more thar
v.aaogrva danttnwr 4 gv,srs. k,.....,