Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-11
BONAPARTE ON POLITICS
Secretary Of Navy Talks on Purity in
Administration of Government.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM NOT IDLE DREAM
Duty of People to ray More Atten-
ton to Political Affairs and
Place Honest Men
in once.


BALTIMORE Nd. July 1o.-At the con-
Nehtlon OF the Young Peoples Society Of
Christian Endeavor this afternoon the prin-
eipal address was delivered by Charles J.
Bonaparte secretary Of the navy.
secretary Bonaparte said IN part:
M HhaIy years ago story was told of
Wen known professional politician in this
ehurch on Sunday was met by a news
PAPER reporter, who remarked to him In
now so regular an attendant at church as
sstmf7 are can ne also so great an adept in
witnesses and plugging CORPORATIONS"
Alr' s. replied the statesman; Il never
mix up politics and religion
or late years the American people has
shown a disposition sufficiently pain TO
be widely remarked to act upon a different
beginning to mix up a good deal Of
what my late fellow townsman would call
politics" and the result of the mixture
is SO unpalatable and unwholesome to those
Of his ways Of thinking and acting that a
few words as to the real nature causes
and consequences Of the phenomon may
be timely and not without Interest
In truth, the mixing up of politics anG
religion to which my deceased friend re-
TERED, constitutes one feature Of a very
notable popular movement, in progress for
some thirty years throughout our country.
After the civil war and the period Of re,
time to take stock. We were reminded
by our tax bills that we had a government
more than half forget during the two gem
erations space OF steady internal colonial
ton; and, with this reminder, same same
TO the practical merits in sober truths and
/ in not Fourth OF July oratory, of all
that government under which we lived.
Evils Not Easily Corrected.
As always happens, it proved easier to
recognize evils tuan to discover remedies;
and, In like accord with all human ex-
DeTlenCe, our search for the latter was
hampered by the protter of all sorts or
WONDERFUL nostrums, warranted by tIh1 elr
age. But, with that plain, hard, common
sense that distaste for sound and froth,
and theories which have ever been the
| portion OF English speaking folk, the peo-
| fairly clear insight into the nature OF our
| ills and are gradually but steadily learn
The underlying evil in the administration
| of our public affairs Is simply dishonesty;
our pubic offices are too often held by dis
means, too often used for dishonest ends.
! OF course, 1 do not mean that all or u
officials will take public moneys or fraud
| ulenty waste pubic property, or In any
way cause Pentitenit lota1,s to yam nl
deed, much more frequent than they
should be, but It ina, may Of be 1 NnrISGt
larger larger than among those Of private mas
| ?
lie employ wish and intend to do, their
duty, but a grave and Miscellaneous though
| is their duty makes the best of them
| sometimes fail to do IT and permits the
worst often to p P9sieS NJ %n and
| immoral theory as to the nature of the
position they hold In law and ,Si morals morals
its duties are fixed by the peoples laws;
its salaries is paid with the peoples money;
openly the truth Of the doctrine thus laid
| down 1t is practically contradicted every
day and in all parts Of the union d Tor
| public Offices to be treated as mere loot
and in a political warfare, not as trusts
belonging to- the.Seople. out as spoiis'
| Moreover, since the peculiarly Value OF
many offices can be largely increased SEQ 1 ~
lines of Official conduct, an absence OK
prejudice is soon cultivated against ups,
and other practices with conventional and
euphemistic names which cloak such Dald
terms as extortion and bribery. h LFpee
our state senate as to corrupt practice
act, advocated by the Baltimore Reform
openly stated by one of the most exper-
fenced politicians of the state, wltho,ut
dissent from any one, that certain weiatsiImy
corporations habitually contributed iiber-
ally to the campaign funds of both the
leading parties in return for an Implied,
il not an express pledge that they should
dictate Legislation affecting them in case
of The success Of either; and the fact that
! the bill in question made criminal any
contribution for a political purpose by a
| CORPORATION was universally admitted 10
have been the principal reason OF It's
defeat.
Public once Private "GrHft."
Civil service reform. in fact, applies a
! caustic to the very ulcer In our politics, In
the application Of morality and common
| sense 10 the choice Of public servants. The
, ! typical American politician. as developed
by the spoils system of politics, earns ms
living, by holding, when he can get II,
| ! public ONCE in return for past or expected
, party works; to get rid of him and his WORK
we must thoroughly eradicate from our
own minds and those OF our Fellow citizens
p the absurd and wicked notion that offices
| are "spoils" This must be our first steI
il we would purify our politics, and so Iona
a step that il will go far to render needless
any further steps In the work of purihca'
TO understand, indeed, how the spirit OF
3 Christianity anything else can operate
TO purify our politics we must nrst dennt
Politics is simply Greek word, natur
allied in English and meaning orlglnallS
) hcafce has widened with time and with
l changes in human society the ahcleh
Greek knew no country as we use ~
term except or beyond his city; ana M
. name for its affairs means, for an Amerl
! can of today those OF his state or nauoi
as we'll. Nevertheless; every man VINO II,
terests himself actively In the good gov
Eminent of his city,, who tries 70 sec9 9
for II a sufficient police force ana nre os
partment well paved streets, Judicious reE
6uiidings in FOOD repair, public schools Il
good working order, and with an ioF
taxes and dwindlnE debt VINO doSs c Vim
prosperity OF the community, so far a
e these are entrusted to public ofiiees' ever