The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-16

The out burst of popular condemnation
which has followed the close Of the baccarat
trial in England is a convincing indication
that the masses Of the English people are
sound and last in their ideas Of public and
private morality. The evidences of corrup-
ton among the members Of the aristOcratic
classes is no evidence that the moral senti-
ment of the English nation Is in a state Of de-
cline and therefore Of decay At no period in
the history Of that great nation have the peo-
ole at large been truer to the highest moral
stapdards, and the ominous sound Of popular
indignation which is now heard from one end
of Great Britain to the other is the stern pro-
test of virtuous public voice which demands
that the moraities shall be strictly observed
even in the highest places
The cause Of sound morals has made an
enormous stride in advance when the expo
sure of the frivolous and questionable habits Of
the heir apparent shakes the throne of Eng
land to its centre Such fact discloses that
the oldest institutions Of England are subor-
dinated to the moral health Of the English
community, and whatever serves TO lower this
moral health is regarded with hostility that
Will allow Of nothing short of the absolute
suppression Of the demoralizing agency.
1t is the fashion to speak of the corruption
of the present age, but it would be equally
apt to speak of its unbendng and uncompro-
missing integrity. Glasses that have become
enervated by a life of ease attendant upon the
possession of enormous wealth may think
that the end of existence is fulfilled when all
that this world has to offer has been enjoyed
or misused, but from afar the finger of repro
baton is pointed at them, and voice is heard
which says that corrupting idleness and
dalliance can 10 longer be INDUCED IN with
out risk of inevitable ruin.
Never was the public conscience of the
world more resolute or more definite in its
character 1t is for this reason that the new
doctrine Of the gospel Of wealth has been
enunciated in this country. IL is for this
reason that the very jewellers Of English So
ciety recognize that the dance in which they
have been engaged is dance that brings
! them nearer and nearer every year to the
| brink of a social and political precipoe.
The English world will no longer tolerate
farng disregard Of the fundamental morali-
ties. How wide gap between the age of
Stuart when the principle Of the divine right
Of kings prevailed and the age Of Victoria,
when the public press openly and boldly pro-
claims that the monarchy rests upon public
opinion and every shock which it gives to the
moral sense Of the people, to that extent
weakens the ground upon which it stands.
The tone Of the English people in this in
| teryal has risen individually Every century
has seen an astonishing advance, until now
the English people are prepared to sacrifice
even their form Of government to secure that
purity in high places which the improvement
in their own general moral character de-
mands. No other conclusion can be drawn
from the recent editorial expressions Of the
English press and the sermons of English pre-
lates and the resolutions OF the English dis
senters.