Ill 



THE MANLY VIRTUES AND PRACTICAL 

 POLITICS * 



SOMETIMES, in addressing men who sincerely 

 desire the betterment of our public affairs, but 

 who have not taken active part in directing them, 

 I feel tempted to tell them that there are two gos- 

 pels which should be preached to every reformer. 

 The first is the gospel of morality; the second is the 

 gospel of efficiency. 



To decent, upright citizens it is hardly necessary 

 to preach the doctrine of morality as applied to the 

 affairs of public life. It is an even graver offence 

 to sin against the commonwealth than to sin against 

 an individual. The man who debauches our public 

 life, whether by malversation of funds in office, 

 by the actual bribery of voters or of legislators, or 

 by the corrupt use of the offices as spoils wherewith 

 to reward the unworthy and the vicious for their 

 noxious and interested activity in the baser walks of 

 political life, this man is a greater foe to our well- 

 being as a nation than is even the defaulting cashier 

 of a bank, or the betrayer of a private trust. No 

 amount of intelligence and no amount of energy will 

 save a nation which is not honest, and no govern- 



* The Forum, July, 1894. 



