Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-10

civic cleanliness, civic good sense, in our
whole administration of city, state and ma
tion.'
MY friends, the value Of a sentence like
that consists exclusively In the way in
which we try to live up to 1t. The worth
of what / have to say to you and whether
or not 1t is worth your while to listen to
me, depends upon the way in which we
translate words into deeds 1t Is all right
to applaud a sentence like that in favor of
civic honesty. stating that civic honesty is
essential to the welfare of a nation. II is
we'll enough to applaud it, but woe to you
II you applaud the sentence in the alb
stract and fail to act up to it in the con-
crete.
TT has been we'll said that the progress,
the true progress of a people, can best be
gagged by their standard of moral con-
duct, by their judgment as to what conduct
is moral and what conduct is Immoral, and
by the effectiveness with which they make
their appreciation of the moral and their
disapprobation of the immoral felt
Each state of the union, each important
CITY of the union, has from time to time to
face this question. More than once we
have been brought face to face with 1t in
the state of New York. You are face to
face with 1t now in the state of Illinois.
Read Reports of Trial.
az have been reading the reports of the
Investigations of the two states attorneys,
which resulted in the Indictment of four
members Of the legislature and together
with that / have read the reports OF the
t,confessions OF four others. was advised
today by very worthy friend not TO talk
on this matter, because II was delicate
sibjeet, and he, added That no one had been
convicted. i, -%
Now ] feel most strongly that we make
the question OF public honesty sham II
we limit the use of the word honesty to
mere law.
'sThere are big business men whom
have counted as among the most insidious
enemies of the real welfare of this re-
| public, although they have been so advised
that it would be impossible to convict them
and there has been in the United States and
there has been in New York many public
men whose careers have been scandalized
| throughout. the country, although they keeT
clear of the courts,
! Read the confessions OF the four men
Read what was developed by the two
states attorneys one belonging TO one
party and one belonging to the other about
the four men against whom they secured
indictments and about other men also
Read that and l defy any honest man OF
Intelligence not TO come to the conclusion
that the legislature whose doings have
been exposed was guilty of the foules
and basest corruption, and, therefore, o.
the most infamous treason to American
institutions.
American Before Party.
Now. / am good party man, but an
an American first. But when we come L
questions affecting the vital principles o
life l know no party. take just this nue.
, account of party in such q case. While
will do my best to get hold Of the thief o
the opposite party, l will try II possible
little harder to get hold Of the thief of m
own party.
when l was president I endeavored t
act so that there should be no need of rails
ing the cry among my opponents of tur
the rascals out, because l turned them on
myself just as fast as / could get at then
Now. mark you, take my words as wort
less than nothing unless in looking bac
, you can see that they were justified by m
deeds. In making Investigations / strpc
two different sorts of cases There wa
, one set of cases where prosecutions woul
lie, In those cases turned the matte
, over TO the Department OF Justice. In az
dition there was the larger class of case
where there was not sufficient ground fC
, prosecution, but where 1t was evident this
the man was an unfit and improper publ
servant; and there turned him out; an
when now and then the man back OF hin
occasionally belonging to co-ordinat
branch OF the government, would come U
and say; oh, there 10 no conviction AGAIN.
him., l said: No, dare say he has pra'
ticed law honestly, but he is crook an
out he goes
Now, could do that with the appointiN
= officers, who held office under me; wit
the elective officers there is but one bod
that can do that and that is the peopl
1t depends upon you, upon the people
: America, whether you will permit man
= represent you because he has been a
quilted in a court of law, or that there HI
: been a mistrial; enough jurors have b
. leved in him TO get him Off; whether W
, permit that man To represent you
: whether you will take the stand that whe
u you have evidence OF a kind that may n
be legal, but which convinces every hone
IL man OF intelligence, whether you will su
&c NIT to the pollution OF American life
putting such a man in high official pos
> ton.
FlRtterers Always Exist,
In each nation, in every form OF COVER
ment, there are base flatterers Some
= dividual who in a monarchy would be
D. courtier and flatter the king, In a repub
At turns demagogue and flatters those who
u he thinks will cast the most votes. He
s just the same man, the one just as b
m as the other. only that they are functio
At ing under different conditions. II is IA
orits-I won't say argument-but favor
ne assertion Of that type OF public men VIII
ms some public servant has been found gull
re OF conduct that should disgrace him
on say; We win 90 60 the people for his VIM
~ alton, 80 uFfu 50 N Ne cant ae,tlra M