s natural position in society is in a safely guarded
home; and the evil consequences of meddling with this position must show
themselves, sooner or later. Humanity is of one general quality
everywhere,--and that not so high as she apparently believes. Changes in
social ideals are more or less dangerous and indicate decadence, often,
rather than advance. Yet the atmosphere tonight is charged with joyous
triumph. Let us see what she is going to say."

For amidst deafening applause, the new mayor had begun to speak to the
assemblage around her.

"I am not going to announce any definite line of policy," she was
saying, "because, as yet, I have none. I shall take up the work as it
comes to me and shall not forget that I am after all only the city's
chiefest servant. But, there are many thoughts which I would share with
you. There are many things I would have you be thinking over, that we
may see alike, perhaps, in the future when our work develops,--for it is
yours as much as mine, this work of making a better city. Instead of
accepting a written code of first principles in municipal ethics (and
why not municipal ethics as well as moral and medical ethics?) let us
learn to trace and connect, explain and apply, so as to make our
accepted truths into a working principle. Every trade, every profession,
has a basis of ethical knowledge; all conduct, public or private, has
its ethics. Get the people to study the science of conduct, the
development of the ideal into everyday life, and our public morality
will rise and spread every year. We have separated too much those two
closely allied things, religion and ethics. Let's try to bring them
together right here in Roma. We can't reform the city in a year,--but we
can begin. No religion is alive until--unless it works. We want no
varnish religion,' as somebody called it; we want no ethics that won't
strike in and uplift humanity as high as is humanly possible. God is
still busy in Roma. It is our business, as private citizens, as well as
public officials, to take right hold and help. Let us all set ourselves
to studying the ethics of city government. What have been our especial
hindrances, and why? What can be done to improve matters, and how? What
are our first and most crying needs, and who are our best men and women
to help them? We are set here together to help on the good work. I'd
rather see the people of Roma loving each other in dollars and cents'
and reaching out to help, r