Few politicians do as much harm as the newspaper editor, the clergyman, or the lay reformer who, day in and day out, by virulent and untruthful invective aimed at the upholders of honesty, weakens them for the benefit of the frankly vicious.
From an essay on public ethics, this statement criticizes public figures like editors, clergy, and reformers who, through untruthful attacks on honest people, inadvertently aid the truly corrupt.
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More from Teddy Roosevelt
I want every labor man, every labor leader, every organized union man, to take the lead in denouncing crime or violence.
The fate of the leader for the time being is of little consequence, but the cause itself must in the end triumph, for its triumph is essential to the well-being of the American people.
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