Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-10
Charles J. Bonaparte Addresses
Endeavor Convention To
day at Baltimore
EVILS IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Dishonesty tho crestest Msnaos 70
Our Government-Ths Need of Bet.
ter Moral Tone in the Conduct Of
Public Affairs Pointed Out General
News Of the Day.

Baltimore, July 10.--Charles J. Bona
parte, secretary of the navy, addressed
the Christian Endeavor conventtorlthiS
afternoon OH Pure Politics and Re-
ligion.'
Secretary Bonaparte said the UNDER
lying evil in the administration OF our
public affairs was dishonesty. Our
public Offices" he said, ARE too oftan
held BY dishonest men, gained by dig
honest means and used for dishonest
ends. or course, do not mean that
the majority Of our officials take pub
tic moneys or fraudulently waste pub.
lic property or In any way cause the
penitentiaries to yawn for them. The
great bulk of Americans In public ems
ploy wish and intend to do their duty
but grave and mischievous, though
very common, confusion Of ideas as to
what IL their duty. makes the best Of
them sometimes foil to do 1t, and per-
mits them often to neglect 1t with i'm
punity."
He said the doctrine that every Office
created either by the constitution or.
the law that public trust was cree
ated for public benefit" was being con-s
tradicted every day In all parts OF the
United States and For seventy five
years we have permitted our public
Offices to be treated as mere loot and
In political warfare. not us a trust be-
longing to the people, but as 'spoiis',
belonging to the victor The typical
American politician. as developed by
the spoils system OF politics, earns his
t>,, an1I x,,txn l. r,ax - epnk
public office, in return for past or ex-
pected party work. TO get rid OF him,
and his work, we must thoroughly
eradicate from our minds and those Of
our fellow citizens the absurd and
wicked notion that offices are 'spoils.s
This must be our first step II we would
purify our politics, and 10 long q step
that It wifi go far to render needleas
any further steps in the work of ptirl-1
fication. TO have good popular gov
ernmert we must first OF all. and be-i
fore all else have good citizens. We
cannot too steadily remember that,
as Burke said. there never was long q
corrupt government Of virtuous people,.
When we find any self governing CONF
munity affected with misgovernment,
we can safely and fairly believe that II
does not deserve a better fate. Be-
cause we cannot expect perfect govern
emnt until the people governed are
also perfect, which is not likely to hap-S
pen, the conclusion is not infrequent-
ly drawn that in the meantime any inn
provement IL hopeless; but this as =
grave mistake The true lesson liz that
the question Of good government IN
America is essentially moral and only
incidentally political one. This Is
indeed true Of all governments. but
more clearly and emphaticallY of q
popular government than Of any other.
mean by this that the friends OF
good government In America have to
do is much less to devise methods for
efficient. and economical administers
ton OF public affairs, than'to clearly
and frequently set forth and constants
~ and forcibly impress on the atten-
ton of their fellow citizens the true
and admitted ends and principles q
government. and daily manifest disap-
proval Of grievous dereliction OF duty
on the part OF public officers ana q
voters"