Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-16
"God bless the American people,
Foch's farewell.
AND so THE'LEAVEN WORKS


Anyhow, Jimmie is bads I am"
and Johnny did, too" are familiar
enough from the lips of children and
altogether too many when they grow
up do not put away childish things
They are those who believe every man
has his price, who are so busy with
the daily routine of life that they
don't bother their heads in making
discrimination. don't stop to consider
that, if every man has his price, in
the case of some it is too high to at
tract bids. They are, as rule, hon.
est in the main though not above in
directly sharing in spoils, and if they
have a narrow outlook on life con-
clude that those who get above them,
especially If through the avenue of
political preferment, get there by
devious methods. These are the peo-
pie, manipulated by a select coterie Of
manipulators, and assisted by those
different to go to the polls, who some
times nominate and elect the unfit to
public Office.
An outsider when recently visiting
a city where a municipal election was
being holly contested says that in
nearly all the discussions he over
heard the thing which impressed him
was: ''Well, supposing A is crook,
r is just as bad" or "They are all on
the make, and 4 is a good fellow" or
"a has it in for the ring that's get
tin a rake off on the public utilities
and he'll put the screws to 'em; the
other fellow is their man." and so on.
with many variations. but9 all based
on the idea that voting is making
choice between grafters, and not
even taking into account the differ
ence between the destructive and the
constructive CRATER.
Now, where do they get that idea?
Surely crookedness isn't the most
prevalent or popular accomplishment.
Perhaps they are reading about those
New York contractors who are in
prison but said to be carrying on their
nefarious practices the same as be-
fore they were convicted. Have you
ever been in Sing Sing?" remarked
one speaking of this report, and with
out waiting for an answer he con-
tinued: Il have. There are suites OF
rooms there and it's quite possible for
an inmate to live comfortably. Self
respect? Huh! Moneys all they care
for; and this was the comment of a
man Of superior intelligence and ex-
perience; too intelligent to suppose
everything is for sale.
How does it happen, then, that we
get as good government as we do?
To this there may be many answers.
For one thing one may hear OF
CRATER, elevated to office, who in
serving becomes aware Of a certain
pleasure in serving, qualification in
accomplishing something worth while.
We believe there are such instances,
as Of men who have firmly believed
they must first get money, never
mind how. but, not being inordinately
greedy, arrive at a situation where
they place some things higher than
thought to have been grafters were
Mt, and some thought to be tools of
the higher-ups prove to be only dis
posed to give them a square deal
without demanding a rake-off. 1t
may be admitted the higher-ups must
experience thrill of novelty on such
occasions, though probably those are
not SO rare as some of US suppose.
For another thing all kinds of peo-
pie are required to make up the world
but nearly every man Jack of them
will respond heartily to a square deal.
ouCS lie is convinced IL is square;
nearly all Of them, though their
heads be bowed low, hold in their
hearts the measure Of the man they
stand before. Were 1t not so the
power of Roosevelt could not have
been that tremendous influence it
was. The saving grace is yet in the
world, though wofully dormant at
times and in places. Honorable effort
allied with persistency inevitably
arouses it. though, too often, pitifully
late. We are becoming conscious,
however, that he who wins an uncon.
Querable soul need not look to the
populace for his reward. On the 9TH
Ell hand the populace. too, is arriving
at this conclusion, is getting restless
in IT'S eagerness to find and pay
homage to the winner. 1t yet loves
real hero.
And so the Ieaven works, these be-
ing only suggestions of some of the
many ways in which it works.,
The Japanese delegates dare not
agree to scrap the Mutsu and go
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