Once upon a time there was a country whose political engine ran on a fuel of virtue, and whose moving members, the politicians, were lubricated by a universal and heart-felt obligation to avoid even the faintest appearance of impropriety. That was America long ago. Judging people in their times, arguably, George Washington was such a political adherent, his thoughts and actions the result of an intrinsic personal desire to avoid public indecency or shame, or even the appearance of improper motives, as were many of his contemporaries. There have been others along the way, who have chosen virtue over personal gain and power, some we might agree on and some we might not.