The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-20
CIVIC GRIMES ARE
NATIONS MENACE
Rabbi Wise Outlines Problem
Of Nation As, It Now
Exists

Kansas City, NOV. 2O-Dr. Stephen
d. Wise, rabbi of the Free Synagogue
of New York, was one of the speakers
at the annual dinner of the CONNER
cial club last night. He said in part
"The problem of the nation is not
that of fifty years ago. At that time
the rational problem was the problem
of state rights Today the problem OF
the nation is the problem of civic du-
ties, a problem which has not grown
out Of state rights but, it must be ad-
mitted, out of civic wrongs.
"The solution of the civic problem,
Of the nation is to be found in. a re-
ed spiritual patriotism or civic re-
ligion.
"The most deadly enemy of the re-
public, what must be met and over
come, is the city CRATER, the munich
pal cOrruptionist. If We must have
"a bigger navy and a bigger army, these
ought to be employed not against
imaginary foes across the sea but
against those real enemies of the re-
pAhlie. Who are undoing the. work
[d6fs 81 s,ls fathers and blighting; the hopes
Of democracy BY ,demoraliztng and
degrading the civic life Of the nation.
The nation must learn to honor its
civic heroes, its civic leaders of char
acter and worth. But, it must also
learn to despise and to smite it's civic
criminals. its civic bandits.
"tf civic patriotism Is to become
a civic religion, the pitfalls of re-.
ligion must be avoided. For one thing.
civic religion must avoid the danger
of scapegoatism. Tammany hall, by
any other name, or any other party,
would smell as sweet. The power of
Iammany halls, not Tammany hall, of
New York. Philadelphia, Chicago, San
Francisco, is made possible by the
corrupt leadership of a few, and the
inert acqufescence of the many. The
dinerenc ebetween most political cor
ruptionists and the average political
-purist is that the former are dead in
earnest and the latter are in earnest
dead.
Civic reform must be a matter of
continuous and ceaseless striving. The
civic reformation will not be attained
II municipalities grow tired after a
few years Of earnest effort, as San
Francisco has grown tired. The lead
ers of the cause of civic reformation,
like the. churches ,spend too much
time and strength in fighting each
other instead Of waging united war
fare uponSth common enemy.
The leadership of the civic relig-
ion that is to be must. be unselfish and
consecrated. Civic reform must be
furthered and championed not as a
game but as holy cause. The civic
conservation Of which we dream will
not be possible unless men put aside
the spirit, Of partisanship. the OBJ
structive prejpdices and the immoral
regard for private interests when
these conflict. with the common in
terest. The appeal to partisanship
is oftenest made by those who base
ly utilize partisanship to serve their
own ends.
Those most insistent upon partisan.
ship unite from time to time in BIZ
partisan betrayal, in Washington to
perpetuate the reign of Cannoniem, in
Albany to oppose a governor with a
conscience and q will, who is more
bitterly fought by the politicians of
his own party than the politicians OF
the opposing party. In Illinois we
have another illustration of the
lengths, or depths to which bi-parti-
san infamy will go In .electing to the
United States senate q man worthy
of the worst traditions Of that august
body.