The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28
WHAT DO WE +

IL III VIZ NEED.
The specific moral pointed by St. L.ouis's ex
perience is that citizens should register and should
vote at the primaries.
For several years we paid the penalty of failing
to register and staying away from the polls. st
Louis became careless of its political affairs and il
was not long before the results began to appear. We
discovered Il House of Delegates composed largely
OF ward bosses and Il Council made up of men repre-
senting even a worse condition than that for which
ward bossism stands.
Over the State in those places where the people
had gone TO sleep and permitted corrupt courthouse
rings to usurp political prcrogatives. bad men were
found in legislative capacities. Suddenly both the
State and the city woke to the realization that IN
era of boodling was at hand. Investigations and
disclosures became the rule. Indictments and prose-
cutions followed. Boodling In Missouri became a
topic of universal interest-discussed in the great
cities of this country and the capitals of Europe, fill
ing the press everywhere: scarcely less talked about
than news of our great Worlds Fair project.
In the best and biggest view the advertisement
that Missouri had risen TO wipe out corruption was
good for the State. 1t placed Missouri foremost III
the public mind as n community alert to conditions
which threatened many States in common. set
Missouri up as the reform leader, and by causing
and stimulating reforms in other communities re-
fected back the credit due TO an honorable initiative
and example. The Missouri Idea came to ne
known as the expression Of the best aud highest
principle of government.
But the developments in Missouri are not COM
plete, and the world knows that they are not COM
plete. Universal attention is centered upon us. wait
ing for the final result of reform. The attitude Of
the outside world is expectant, curious. There must
be inevitably in the public mind an Interrogation
concerning US. 1t is for the people of this city and
the State to make the final result a vindication.
Thus far the people have had no hand in reform.
1t has been official, administrative and judicial
purely a matter for the laws officers and the courts.
Public opinion has manifested itself by the intensity
of its interest in the official reforms; but necessarily
the interest has been passive for the want Of oppor-
tunity for activity. AS it were, the people have been
mere honorary reformers.
The time has come for the people to be partici-
pants. 1t is for the people now to vindicate the sin
certify Of their concern over public service-to prove
that morality actually resides in the public as a
public and that our demonstrations of public mo-
rality' were something more than sensationalism.
In a word, and n slang word, it is up to the people to
make good.
The campaign is on between the people and the
forces which beset public decency. An opportunity
is offered which, if accepted, gives the people the
upper hand. With the whole force Of decent citizen
ship registered and prepared to vote, the battle is
half won. The primaries tell the tale: they will tell
either of an invincible purpose or of a somnolent
civic spirit.
1t cost the citizen very little in the way of incon-
venience to qualify for voting purposes and to cast
his vote. These are small costs. yet they are the
whole price of good government.
To pay these pittances of registering and voting
is better at times than paying any amount Of taxes.
The State is amply equipped to look after its inter-
in the matter of taxes; bat it depends wholly
upon the honor of its citizens for protection against
disagreement and official plumber. 10 be a tax
payer is one thing. To be a citizen and taxpayer
means far more. The mcanest of us may be q
1t requires the best of us, and all Of
the best, TO perform the whole duty Of citizenship. |