Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-05

foul our CIVIC Ire. AOul L hb AAoS
to speak of these things for the reason
that thew are not the primary trouble.
1t is idle to treat symptoms and neglect
the disease.
Effect, Not Cause
political corruption is fundamentals
an effect and not a cause. Ii 1t exlsts II
is not the politicians, it is the people Who
are to blame.
mo man has any right to lift his voice,
even in a whisper, against the degraoa-
tion of any party, clique or community
who is not fulfilling the whole measure
of his duty to his party and to his state
mo man has any right to cry out far a
better and truer utterance of democracy
who is it not Filling to assume the run
responsibilities which such democracy
places upon its citizens
II am tired and sick of this useless
and juiceless babble about the corruption
in our civic life.
'sWhat is it all but an indictment
against every man of us who submits to
such political thievery and knavery rathe
than take the trouble to crush 1t?
There is a fine phrase with which we
are familiar. to the effect that All gov
ernments derive their just powers from
| the consent of the governed The state
ment it too narrow. All government de-
rives all its powers just and unjust, from
the consent Of the governed.
Get What They Want
''Tlhe people of any country, especially
/ in a republic, get the kind of government
they actively want. IL there is corruption
in American politics today it is because
we who are the sovereign, are more will
ing to let political debauchery have its
way than we are to fulfill our functions
as good citizens.
1.-The general politics of any community
under a democratic form of government
is no more corrupt than the active politi-
/ cal conscience of that community
80 long as men who are capable of be-
/ ing, and who ought to be, leaders in all
that is best in civic AFFAIRS are willing to
become the camp followers of the ma
chine and ring politicians, just so long
will the nation be c..eated of its divine
/ possibility, and the people come short of
their rightful heritage.
II have little use and less respect for
the man who is a politician for revenue
only; but 1 have a far greater use and
/ far more respect for the meanest political
boss that crawls than 1 have for the
sleek, intelligent citizen who is willing to
4 take all that the country gives him of
opportunity, protection and liberty. but is
willing to give her practically nothing in
return in the way of personal political
service-sometimes not even his vote.
Can We Wonder7
"Can we wonder that American politics
| is corrupt when, for instance, in an inn
portant election in New York city, three
miles OF brown stone front on a certain
fashionable avenue furnished but two
votes, while Cherry Hill and the Bend
furnished more votes than there Were
voters?
And when a business man will de.ib'
erately excuse his neglect of his political
duties by saying that he finds that ht
can make more money by attending tc
his business than the city hall thieves
can steal from him in the same length Of
time what can you expect?
what is there to choose, so far as
patriotism is concerned between the ma
chinations of the blacklist political Dos;
that ever conceived a black politica
scheme and the negative anarchy of sucl
a man?
Seat of Trouble
Here is the seat of the trouble: Tit
apathy of the educated. the indifference
of the men who could do most for thei
country if they would, the low politioa
ideals of those citizens whose highes
duty 1t Is, and whose chief Joy 1t ough
to be, to play their whole part in tn,
ciHc life Of the nation.
Talk about the corruption in American
politics, If you will, but bring the odiun
back where 1t belongs, to the shoulder
of the men who by their selhshness, b,
their political sloth, by their shameless
: negligence of their civic duties max
such a condition not only possible, blu
inevitable"