When there is a lack of honor in government, the morals of the whole people are poisoned.

Hoover’s line frames public ethics as contagious: when leaders and institutions act dishonorably, corruption does not remain confined to the state but seeps into civic life, normalizing cynicism, dishonesty, and rule-breaking among ordinary citizens. The quote reflects a classical republican idea that a healthy polity depends on virtue and trust, and that government’s legitimacy is partly moral, not merely legal. It also implies a reciprocal relationship between rulers and ruled: citizens take cues from the conduct they see rewarded or tolerated at the top. In this view, restoring integrity in public office is not symbolic—it is preventative medicine for the nation’s moral culture.