Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-01-23
gresstional Church-Flere and There
About the Town.

AT the Sunday morning service in
the Congregational church. the pastor,
Rev. G. H. Ricketts,, delivered an in
teresting and forceful sermon, taking
as his subject, Approaching the Ideal
The text was taken from Phil iii: IA
/ press toward the mark for tie prize
of the high calling of God III Christ
Jesus
In speaking of the true and tie false
ideal, Mr.. Ricketts, mentioned three
ways in which we should improve our
ideals: 1, We ought to have q larger
of the Kingdom and God. 2, Higher
standards of morality ought to exist
in every community. Z. We need to
have new and better ideals of our po-
litical responsibility. Under the last
topic, he said in part:
We have ceased to be a government
by the people. IL anyone will look
with a little care into the way in
which our elections are conducted:
how caucuses are controlled and how
nominations are managed this state
ment that we are no longer a repre-
sentative people will seem mild state
ment. We are a government of the
machine. by the machine and for the
machine and the interests that the
machine stands for. Let any man pro-
test against machine politics and then
run on an independent ticket for al
most any office and see how he will
be knitted at the polls.
/ do not believe that the rank and
file of men that we send to the state
legislature are unworthy men: still
have faith enough in the manhood of
Connecticut, to believe that the ma
jority go IN to Hartford to serve the
best interests of the people But at
the same time I believe that they are
wheedled into doing unwise things for
hU "a <Ho ,,
are sent to Hartford in the interests
Of the machines and the great corpora
tons. AS an ex-member of the gener-
al assembly of this state I know that
all the business is planned and largely
done by a half dozen men and the
rest are expected to ratify their de-
cisions We send Isl representatives
to the house and we might as well
keep PAS of them at home as far as
exercising any influence is concerned.
1t is well known fact that 1t is
hard to elect man that is not ap-
proved by the machine. When a man
goes to the legislature his hands are
tied and his conscience fettered. That
does not mean that he is bribed, but
1T means that he goes under instruc-
lions 20 support such and such can
dfdates for the United States senate,
That he is expected to give his en-
dorsemeRt to such and such measures
Iou CGIlliOl nave representative gov
eminent unless you can send men + ee
to exercise their own Judgment as 70
the needs of their constituents
Now. as to the question Of bribery.
Does anyone believe that We have
strictly honest elections? What is
your frank opinion of the last po1iti-
cal convention in Hartford? Was il
not SO unspeakably rank as to change
the political leadership of the state
But how much worse is this than what
is going on in smaller way in our
towns and cities before everv cleo
ton? The Bulletin said last Monday:
You know they've lifted off the cover
from Adams county, O.. end are con-
victing men by the Wholesale for bri-
berry. But do you think that Adams
county is sinner above the other
counties of Ohio, or that Ohio IS a
that if we should lift up the politi cal
cover from New London county i,
wouldn't exactly remind US of the New
Jerusalem.
1 know that it is not populac 10 re-
mind people of their failings Men a
thousand times greater than / .ean ev-
err hope to be have found that .ney
had taken their lives in their cwr
hands when they assailed the prevAii-
ing sins of society. Martin Lutfes
tried ii and ne found the crown OF
thorns; John Wesley tried it and tn ~
hated him; Abra ham Lincoln tried i.
and they murdered him. But 7 firmly
believe that the political salvation OF
the country depends on the reincar-
nation of that patriotic spirit which
rendered the names of WASHINGTON
Jefferson. Nathan Hale and Abra ham
Lincoln, immortal.