Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-27
SECRET
Legislator Says Busr.
Utterly Neglect Imporr.
tions of Citizenship :,
Bad Citizens

the City club at the Westminster yes
terday on How to Get Good Govern
ment' and incidentally paid his re-
spects to business men who receive secret
rebates without compunction.
People in the United States seem to
have awakened to the fact that upon
good government, especially in municipal
hffairs, depends the future happiness and
prosperity of our people" said the
senator.
Throughout the United States investi-
cation of the alleged crookedness of pub
lie officials is being had, in some in
stances indictments have been returned
by grand juries and the trials of the
grafters are in progress.
"All these events go to show that at
last the people have become aroused, and
that for time at least they intend to
make it very warm for the public Off
cia,s who have violated the public con-
fidence and trust.
Not Sporadic Reform
Let us hope that this desire for re-
form is not sporadic, but that we are
now entering upon a new era in polit-
lcal affairs and that henceforth the dis
honest office holders will be unpopular
while the honest official and efficient
public servant will be properly appre-
ciated.
THE reason for the deplorable condi-
ton of public affairs can be very large
ly and very justly laid at the door of
those who are considered our best citi-
zans.
"Sucn men, say as the merchants, pro-
fessional and business men, who have
p'enty OF time to find fault with the
state of affairs, have no time to give to
the betterment of these conditions.
These men are called good citizens.
presume because they do not steal. con-
duct themselves under the law and per-
form their social duties to the letter.
Calls Them Bad Citizens
''I call them bad citizens because they
utterly neglect the most important fupc-
ton of their citizenship, that of taking
an active intelligent interest in public
affairs.
'And it is a sad commentary upon our
boasted love of country that our off,
cials must become open and notorious
booders and thieves before our people
can be aroused in a slight degree to
recognize that they have duty to
perform.
'The great mass of the people are re-
| sponsiple for the government that we
| have, be it good or bad. If we are to
nave good government you merchants,
professional and business men must 90
| your full political duty
"You must make up your minds to de-
vote unselfishly at least a portion OF
| your time to attending to the business
| of your government.
Do Straight Politics
"In other words, you must do politics
straight politics-and see that others do
straight politics.
| "If YOU are successful you do straight
| business You don't have to do crooked
business. Yet there are crooked business
men, just as there are crooked poll
| ticians.
"One of the reasons for graft in poll
| tics is that there Is graft In business.
| And before graft can be eliminated from
poitics it must be eliminated from busi-
ness.
Education and the point of view have
much to do with our opinions as to
what is or is not graft.
Secret Rebate Criminals
The man who has been receiving
secret rebates from transportation COM
| paries for many years becomes to be-
lieve that not only is there nothing
| wrong in taking rebates, but that as a
matter of fact he is entitled to them
"The public official who is being con-
stantly importuned to assist in the
granting of special privileges by those
who are willing to pay for something to
which they know they are not entitled
after a time sees nothing wrong in taking
pay for granting favors to those who see
no wrong in asking for those things
which they know they ought not to have.
Yield to Supposed Friends
Many a public official, in my judg-
ment, has gone wrong through importuni-
ties of his supposed friends who urge
the granting of special favors.
Equal rights to all and special privi-
leges to none should be our watchword;
end if strictly adhered to would save us
an immense amount of trouble.
do not as, a public official to do
ANYTHING for you which is a special priv
ilege and which he could not with equal
propriety grant to everyone In other
words, do not put temptation in his way,
"Someone has said: Save us from
our friends This might well be para
pkrased as God save the political office
holder from his friends
''The great majority of those who are
elected to public office desire to do the
right thing, but in many cases they are
nor able to withstand the temptations
which are thrown in their way by those
VINO should rather be lending their sup
port for that which is right.
81 am led to this belief by my own
experience in the legislature for the past
twelve years.
"There are certain Of our legislators
who are said to belong to certain corpo-
rate influences, and whose actions seem
to indicate that this statement is true;
but | know that majority of the work
done by our Legislature has been done
In the interest of the whole people.
1T is only when matters affecting spe-
cial privileges for certain corporations
are under consideration that the proprie-
tary right of members of the-legislature
become apparent"
orrAIc IM uIc cI EEp.