The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-08
ALBAUGH DoDGEs IT.
Talks Of Corruption in Public Life But
Doesn't Mention Kansas.


one of the addresses before the State
Bankers association which elected
great applause was the one by Morton
Albaugh, former state bank commits
sioner, on the subject, What Shall the
Harvest Be?'
that he would not talk banking, but
would say what he pleased. For three
successive years at your annual meet
ings," he said, Il have talked banking
to the bankers of Kansas. did not DO
this from choice nor because / thought
you wanted me to, for I have a hnger-
ing notion that your chief object in at
tending these meetings is to swap pros
perity notes and have good time, but
7 did it because I was told the dignity
OF the position I held demanded it, 1
have quit holding positions with dignity
as an adjunct and I feel that today, at
least, I am at liberty to say what
please.
when this subject first suggested
itself to me, our neighboring state, Mis-
souri,, had not taken that advanced step
in moral reform, which has resulted in
enforced good behavior for tWenty-four
hours during each week, not only on the
part Of her own citizens but on the
part of the stranger within her gates
as well Nor had our own Kansas gov
ernOr then made such specific state
ments as to ensure that in the future the
metropolitan, but wicked, cities OF Tope-
Atchison, Fort Scott and Wichita would
for the entire week have to eat of the
same meat and drink of the same drink
as the model villages of Kingman,
Pratt, Ottawa and Manhattan. It had
been my intention to devote my remarks
to the fruits of Sunday closing in Mis-
souri, and the enforcement Of Tho pro-
hibitiOn law in Kansas, but with these
questions forever settled, I had to turn
elsewhere for my application"
"a at
the United States and Kansas in gen
eral and the Kansas bankers in par
ticular, Mr.. Albaugh applied himself TO
answering the question in his subject.
There are pessimists,' he said, who
assume that conditions in our country
are constantly growing worse and that
the departure from the primitive sim
pdCity of our fOrefathers is an evidence
of retrogression, if not of dissolution.
The cry that the rich are growing richer
and the poor poorer has been heard in
every land since the pyramids were
built 1t viii continue, yet the fact re-
mains, that we live in the best age
known to history Luxuries are more
abundant and necessities are easier to
obtain Individual effort counts for
more than ever before. The man who
works receives more and it will secure
him more of LIES comforts. We have a
better government, better schools, bet
Ter banks, better churches and better
people than any other nation has ever
had in the worlds history. Our laws
protect the weak and curb the strong
more effectively than those of any other
nation ever did. There is more honesty
and patriotism and less IIiteracy and
criminality among the people than ever
before.
There are those who assume to see
nothing but corruption in our public
life They refer to the recent develop
ments in the postal service and to our
indicted senators and representatives.
Instead they should see in this the
surest evidence of the perpetuity of our
institutions The present is an era of
publicity Things that one, two or three
generations ago were covered UP entire
~, or whitewashed, today have the
calcium lights thrown upon them. Sem
ator Mitchell of Oregon doubtless did
what some other senators for a. century
have done. The public conscience in his
state was scared by the liberation OF
land frauds, just as in many cnmmuni-
ties in Kansas today you viii find GER
tain laws tacitIy ignored bv those as
Stunning to be the states best citizens
Ihere has been an awakening. 1t had
Its inception in the vigorous. rugged
and unrelenting honesty of President
Roosevelt The fact thar a thing has
been tolerated in the past is no proceed
ent Tor MIN. The sole question is. Is
II rlghtT Public place, nc matter how
nigh the rank, throws 10 mantle abort
public corruption. With him, the more
exalted the person or the position he
holds the less charity IS due him This
result has been these relentless investi-
cations these unpleasant disclosures
and the determined efforts to bring the
Offenders to justice It bodies well an6
not i'll for the country that these thi,7o,
are being done and Oregon. NsbrasITe
and other states will not make them
selves ridiculous in the eyes Of tbt
country by again honoring men caDabl,
OF such acts"