The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-08-23
UNCONsiDRaRD AGENTS OF
MORAL PROGRESS.

hihluB lpClueuS OF everyday
life, too commonplace to attract any
share OF popular attention, often have
great influence in shaping our social
relations ana in modifying popular
habits, and even popular morals. Most
people, in hot months, are accustomed
once or thrice each day to enter
crowded street car. Many persons of
all grades of society are thus brought
in close contact, and street car ac-
quaintance often ripens into enduring
personal friendship. But the admiv-
ture OF all classes IN street cars, more
commonly used where the sun shines
fercely through nine months in the
year than In colder latitudes where peo
pie walk to induce the circulation of
the blood, begets degree Of homo
geueity elsewhere unknown. People
give a share OF attention to dress
that would NOT otherwise be evoked,
and especially is regard had for per-
sOnal cleanliness. The ust-begrimed
stonecutter Is careful, If his shirt be
dIscoloreJ, that he is not personally
offensive TO the Olfactories Of the pret-
ty girl who may sit beside him in the
crowded street car. He may wear of
necessity the coarsest apparel, but
heaven-distilled wster abOunds in Aus
tin. A river clesves mountain to
make a gateway to the city, and the
glimmerng water may be forced into |
every dOmicil OF the capital. There
are baths everywhere, and that cardi-
nal virtue, cleanliness, commended as
such by the Great Teacher, is more
prscticed in Austin than in
any city Of the South. The people of
San Antonio are deemed almost am
phibious. A sparkling river, flowing
through the very midst Of the quaint
old city, invites children from infancy
TO age to baths more invigorating than
hose that the tawny Tiber gave to Ro-
nan patriciaus and plebeians. Here,
TOO, in this modern capital, steam has
diverted part Of boisterous river
rom its course and drives it into half
he houses of the capital. Suggestions
If comfort and health cooperate with
avs of decency and decorum and the
necessities of street car life induce ad
iictedness to bathing, and the people
If the capital will soon Ue as famed
iOr personal cleanliness as for con-
essed intelligence. The preachers of
Austin have failed to discuss this
,hase of morality involved in the sue
,ess Of the water works company.
Dur Savior, on the contrary, did not
orget the theme, and if the priesthood
would follow IN his footsteps we shall
Don find that the pulpit has demol-
shed those little hideous chimneys for
tenches that breed foul contagious
nd diffuse internal odors over capital =
which should be an elysium of physical
lelights. But the progressive cleanli- i
ess of the people, sooner or later,
Eill beget municipal purity of pur- |
------.i L-l,;s- c~------...iI 4 : -, I
tructed along Congress Avenue and ,
ustin will stink no more of the stu |
idity OF its government. But we
My proposed to say that progressive {
cleanliness and good morals are be- l
rotten by the injection Of abundant
supplies of water into every household,
lad this internal decency is demon
,trated and the necessity for it begot
ZEN in the street cars, and when we
,dd that well lighted becomes grad
nally an intelligent city, we see how
were the designs and
achievements of those enterprising
people who gave us boundless water
supply and gas works and street cars,
and how blessed will be that city gov
erpment IN posterity's eyes which re
moves from the corporation every |
hideous little monument to filth, |
making the body polite as cleaniy as
the people must speedily become.