Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-01

that this Is not merely matter Of
business but also q matter Of morai6
government depends upon discriminat-
ing between men, not with reference to
whether they are rich or poor, whether
they follow one occupation or another,
but with, reference solely to whether
they act as honest and upright citizen9
shoulq act. Let the local attorneys Of
the big roads keep out OF politics; and
when they have to appear before the
national or any state legislature let
their names be put on a special regie-
ter, and let their business. be above.
board and open. There are blaclmail-
ers in public life, and the citizen who
is honest will war against the man who
corporation with the Same stern deter
mination to punish him as against tho
man who corruptly favors such corpor-
alton. But let the railroad man re-
member that to purchase immunity
in wrongdoing or to defeat blackmail
sighted Of politics. Let the plain people
insist on the one hand on governing
themselves and on the other aaand on
doing exact justice to the railways
Let the big railroad man scrupulousiy
refrain from any effort to influence
the duty Of every good citizen in fegit-
innate ways to try to influence politics
and government; let the people as 9
whole. In their turn, remember that IL
is their duty to discriminate In the
sharpest way between the railway man
who does well and the railway man
| who does i'll: and. above all. to remem.
Der that the irreparable moral harm
| done, to the body polite by corruption
| is just as great whether the corrup-'
| ton takes the form Of Matchmaking
big corporation or Of corruptly doine
It's bidding. What we have to demand
| in ourselves and in our public servants
Is honesty-honesty to all men; ana x
we condone dishonesty because We
think 1T is exercised In the interests Of
| the people, we may rest assured that
! the man thus showing 1t lacks onfy
| the opportunity to exercise IT against
the interests of the people. The man
4 who on occasion will corruptly do what
is wrong in the interests of a big cor
poration is the very man eager 70
blacknail that corporation as the op-
j portunity arises. The man who Is on
occasion corruptionist. is apt. when
i the gust of popular feeling blows hard
against the corporations he has cor.
a ruptly served. to be the loudest. mosx
reckless, and most violent among thoss
who denounce them. Hunt such man
out Of public life Hunt him out as re-
!. rnorselessly II he is q blackmailer as II
he stands corruptly for special privi-
lego, Demand OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, uA@
|, flfnching honesty-together with cour-
, are and common sense, in public ser
), want and In business man alike. Make
, it evident that you will not tolerate IN
: public life man who discriminates foi
or against any other. save as justice
and reason demand it; and that In your
attitude toward business men, toward
: the men who are dealing with the
a great financial interests Of the country
: while you intend to- secure sharp
q reckoning for the wrongdoers you also
intend heartily to favor the men who IN
legitimate ways are doing good work
! in the business communicable rail-
4 way presidents. the traffic manager. OF
: other official, high or low. who is dos
r ing all in his power to handle his sfare
q in vast and complicated business to
; the profit alike Of the stakeholder and
. the general public
q Let the man Of great wealth remem-
her that, while using and enjoying 1t
!. he must nevertheless feel that he Is
d in a sense a trustee, and that consis.
: tent misuse, whether In acquiring OF
!, spending HIS wealth, IS ominous Of evi
% to himself to others who have wealth
q and to the nation as whole. AS fo1
= the rest Of us. let us guard ourselves
q against envy as we ask that Others
:. guard themselves against arrogance
y and remember Lincoln's words of kind
70 ly wisdom: Let not him who |.
Is liouseless pull down the house OF an.
IS other, but let him work diligently and
J. build one for himself. thus by example
IA assuring that his own shall be SAT-
dv from violence when built"