Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-19
WE ARE BETTER NOW.
Bessie Bramble Says George Wash
ingtOns Are Plentiful and That
BISHOP POTTER is A PEsSIMIST.
ALI the Churches Are Growing in Numbers
and Influence and
PATRIOTS ARE NOT SCARCE NOWADAYS
WRITTEN FOR THE D1srArcH.l

| EOR THE DISPATCH.I
Judging by their printed utterances il
seems pretty plain that large number oil
the leading divines of the day are fully OF
the opinion that the people of this country
especially, and the world generally, are 60
| ing to the bad. The great virtues that were
inherent in the men and women of a hundred
years ago are, as they think, hardly to be
found in this day and generation. The pa
triots of century ago, whose hearts and
souls and mind and strength were devoted
to the good of their fellow citizens and the
advancement of the country are dead and
buried, and all their noble qualities with
them. Their sins have been visited upon
their descendants to the third and fourth
generation, but their greatness, honesty and
magnitude of mind have died out and the
management of affairs has thereby fallen to
tricksters, plutocrats and vulgar politicians
whose highest aim is to make money and
purchase power at the expense of both prin-
ciple and patriotism.
Ideas the people of to-day have, accord
ing to- Bishop Potter, but they are mer-
chantable ideas, and opinions as to affairs
OF State are for sale to the highest bidder,
while offices go to market like pigs in
poke Fitness and capacity and character
are no more considered the essentials of can
didates, while party fealty, fat fryings, per-
sonal favoritism and nepotism are the prin-
cipal features of politics to-day. Bishop
Potter meant all this in his Centennial ad-
dress in which he gave Harrison, the ad-
ministration and the political leaders such
going over on the anniversary of Wash
ingtOn's Inauguration. His idea seemed to
be that the Presidents in these latter days
were vastly inferior in principles and pa
triotism to the Father of his Country and
his cotemporaries.
A SLAP AT THE PRESIDENT.
This was direct slap at Harrison, and
yet, as reports go, the President is most
devout Presbyterian and a much respected
deacon in the church. The Bishops re-
proach that high officials nowadays bought
their offices was cut for Wanamaker, who
is a good church man, and an eminent SUM-
day school Superintendent, his arraignment
OF professional politicians was a direct dig
at Blaine, who is good Presbyterian and
member of the church. Such remarks by the
worthy Bishop would seem to throw dis
credit upon the church, and to give strong
indication, not so much that patriotism was
decaying. as that the church had not suffi-
cient influence to make its adherents live
up to their professions. If great danger
to the country exists, when the highest offices
of the Government are in the hands of good
church members and notable Christians,
it is hard to see what is going to be done
about it. If a good man who goes to church
every Sunday and fills the honorable
position of deacon, and passes the plate,
and has patriotic blue blood in his
veins, and martial hero and President for
a grandfather is not fit successor tor the
Immortal George" who, in Bishop Potter's |
opinion, could better fill his shoes?
Washington, by all accounts, was
sanity man-so is Harrison. Washington |
regularly attended church-so does Harri- |
son. Washington was distinguished for |
political wisdom, superior tact, successful |
sagacity, and courage beyond the common |
with all such is Harrison credited also |
In what lies the difference? The only point |
to be made, as outside surface knowledge |
goes, seems to be that in the case of Wash |
ington the Office very decidedly sought the |
man, while in these latter days the
MAN SEEKS THE OFFICE
with untiring zeal, unconcealed self inter-
est, and with PLAIN, ambitious, selfish intent,
not with an eye to the cause of the peo-
pie, the country, the ideal of humanity, but
to the turtherance of party ends, the preser-
vation of party power and the promotion of
personal and iactional interests. Washing
ton was patriot-Harrison is politician.
That a wide distinction can be made nat
urally follows Still even in Washington's
day real patriotism was as rare a virtue as
to-day among those in power. Benjamin
Franklin, one of the great men Of the times
then, writes, "That very few in public af-
fairs act from mere view of the good of
their country, whatever they may pretend,
and though their actions may bring real
good to the country, yet men main
Iy act on the idea that their interests
are those of the country and from motives
Of self interest, rather than from any prin-
ciple of goodness or motive of benevolenee-
Just as men do to-day. And the wise old
philosopher goes on to say that fewer men
still in public affairs act with a view to the
good of mankind.
From this opinion Of wise man concern
ing the public officers of 100 years ago, and
rom the history of the times, it may be seen
hat those so lauded by the Bishop for purity
md probity beyond any shown in the
present, were not q whit better than
he public men Of to-day. Party spirit
seems to have been even more viru-
ent, more bitter, more bigoted, more
'ancorous and given to mud-throwing than
,ven in these days. It would be hard to
IND PUBIC man as much abused, mallgned |
md vilifed as our beloved Washington
himself, who, by the friends of the opposi-
ion, was treated to such vile mouthings and
writings as shock the readers of political
history in these days. 1t would be hard to
ind in the campaigns Of. the present as
nuch of political bitterness, factional
Iatred and
MALIGNANT PARTY SPIRIT
S are shown in the history of the past. The /:
yorld has progressed in the matter of
weeter manners and purer laws, though
Bishop Potter seems to doubt it, and fancies {
hat politics now are in a state of wicked I
ess lar exceeding that OF the forefathers
ay, and that the world groweth in wicked -,
ess. ..t S
1t is little strange that Bishop Potter, q
'rother Morgan Dix and so many other
divines should take such
ark and pessimistic views of this country S
nd its people. Do they not remember that S
nch dire forebodings and such sorrowful t
.atements as to increasing evil are likely t
discount and discredit the teach r
lgs of the church? Is it not \
lain that if men and manners
ave grown worse: if society has become in