ness and of ruin. There is one phase of
our society, as Americans, which is more to be dreaded than all others
known to the philosophic mind, that is the reckless licentiousness which
characterizes many politicians during political campaigns.

In ancient times a grand safeguard against this debasing practice was
found in the law that said, "Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of
my people." This evil, like all others, when it becomes a strong habit,
is well calculated to stir up anger, and wrath, and hatred; to stir up
the passions, and destroy confidence, which is always and only
disastrous to the social state. This growing evil needs to be checked
by some means, otherwise our country will experience tumults growing out
of maddened party ambition, and party interests, which will cause
disaster and grief. The ballot-box needs to be guarded with wise and
severe laws, because it is the pivotal wheel in our government. And next
to this, because of the relation it sustains to our government's
welfare, is the reputation of our public officials. I would not screen
them from their just deserts, but I do say that the leaders in political
affairs should be, in common with all others, too high-minded to indulge
in slandering each other, as many are in the habit of doing. It reminds
me in some of our political campaigns of the cursing-matches of the
Popes, in some of the councils that were held during the dark ages. It
is possible that we have in Indiana, and perhaps in some of the other
states, sufficient law upon the subjects of slander, but law that is
disregarded, being seldom enforced, amounts to nothing. Then, there is a
disposition growing out of the pride of character to disregard the
slanderer's tongue. Yet licentiousness tends to civil and social ruin
all the same. That is to say, it destroys confidence, breeds retaliation
and corruption, and inflames all the baser passions known in the dying
agonies of a civil government. As an American citizen I would warn our
people to manufacture all the public sentiment possible against this
low, vile, and debasing practice, by pleading with our countrymen
against it. And let us never hold our peace until we shall have thrown
such safeguard around our ballot-box as will put an end to all the
abominable corruptions that now threaten our existence as a free people.
Is it true of us, that we carry the seeds of our own destruction as a
nation in our own bosom? Are we to die as a natio