Willmar tribune., 1909-07-14
x Gov Folk on Era Of Conscience" at the Chautauql1


plant like this he will usually find
that it is not because Of q desire
that reform be made more thoro,
but to discredit what has been done.
If one sincerely desires progress in
the way Of better things instead Of
criticism he will give his help in
the accomplishment of the things
wished for. Reform always pro-
crosses by degrees. Every thing
can not be done in a day.
One of the obstacles to the pro-
gress of Righteousness everywhere
is the mistaken view that it Injuries
a city or state to prosecute wrong
doing. l have heard men deplore
the exposure of public corruption
because it hurts a city; l have
heard men oppose the enforcement
of law against gambling and liquor
lawlessness because it Injuries the
state; l have heard men object to
prosecuting trusts and monopolies
in order to make them obey the law
because it hurts business. Such
views are entirely false. No city
can be injured by the enforcement
Of the peoples laws; to do other
wise is to substitute the will of the
Official for the laws of the people,
and that is tyranny. No state can
be hurt by exposing grating; to do
otherwise is to connive at it..
There is no secret remedy known
for evils of this character. Thev
cannot be cured by hiding them.
The disgrace is not in their correc-
tion, but submission to them with
supine Indifference.
1t is we'll for state to display
its virtues and not parade it's faults,
but it should not be forgotten that
the highest civic virtue is the over
throw of depravity. Grafters,
whether in St. Louis, Philadelphia,
Chicago, San Francisco or Pitts
burg, always endeavor to have it
appear that a fight against them is
a slander against the city in which
they operate. Criminal wealth,
when assailed, always tries to hide
behind the skirts of legitimate busi-
ness, and claims that business is be-
ign attacked. According to their
argument grafters should never be
assailed lest some assume that all in
that city are grafters; and lawless.
ness in business should not be
fought lest it be suspected that all
business is lawless.
But so far from injuring Mis-
souri,, the reign of law has helped
her, for during the past four years
immigration to the state has in
creased twenty-five per cent more
than in any other like period; lands
have advanced in value fifteen pei
cent more than in any other four
years; manufacturing and argicul.
tural productions have made unpre.
cedented strides; every city, town
and county in the state is increasing
in population and wealth. A com.
monwealth can have no better repa.
tation than to be known as state
wherein the people rule thru their
laws, and where corruption is not
countenanced. Let the movement
toward higher ideals go on. The
fight for the right is never quite
finished; the battle against wrong is
never over; iniquity dethroned will
rise again, if your vigilance is re-
laxed.
In the work before you there il
no use for the sword, but there is &
stern demand for that courage
shown by Americans on so many
battlefields. The spirit they exhib'
tied as soldiers of war should show
as soldiers of peace in the noblest
work to which the patriot can b&
called-the supreme and sublime
effort to bring a little nearer, day
by day. the time when brotherhood
and charity shall rule instead o1
avarice and greed; when special
privilege in every form shall be de-
stroyed and equal rights to all en-
throned as the ruling principle O!
public, and the guiding principle
of private life.
The most conspicuous fault O
municipal governments in the Unit
ed States today is that they ar
governments by the few and not b,
the people. There has been i'm
provement in the last few years
but there remains much to be don,
in the direction Of better things
As rule in all large cities there
a 'boss," or a set of ''bosses, an
by the word "boss =" do not meal
leaders that organizations mus
have, but one who dictates nomina
tions for Office, and controls official
after they get into office for per
sonal interest. These bosses ar
usually men of strong mentality bu
of feeble morality. They general
have behind them the public servic
corporation and the saloon. The
are the connecting links hetwee