Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-10-30
BOSTON LETTER
Moral Status of Massachusetts,,
Decrease in Crime.
That Joint Debate--An Old
Time AneCdote, Etc.

slowly rs the years pass on. Here and
there is n moral ulcer, but it is not
large enough to affect the body polite,
and our sails are surely drifting
us on to the millenium-to that time
when, as the good book tells us. man
shall be but little lower than the angels
Here in Massachusetts moral progress
has been made within the past half
decade which is as gratifying as it is
assuring Within that brief period
the population has increased Is per
cent, vet crime has decreased, the num-
Der of prison commitments in 1885 be-
ing 4797, while those of 1890 show
only 43GS-429 less than in the year
first named. The 2jth inst. was
observed in many places throughout
the state as "Prisoncrs' Sunday" and
here in Boston it was generally
recognized by directing the attention of
Christian people at the Irious churches
to these subjects: The extent of crime.
the new methods of dealing with crimi-
nal classes, and especially the duty of
church-goers with regard to their refor-
nation. This social problem was
pretty thoroughly discussed and ana
lyzed last Sunday and the moral condi-
ton of the society was reported as in a
promising and progressive state.
OF course the all-absOrbing topi, here
is politics. and there are more country
savers, and those willing to be, than in
previous years. Every office-seekcr is
a dyed in-thc-wool patriot, and has no
ether incentive for serving the public
than that which springs from an in
herent desire to do good. The recent
Joint debate in fremont Temple between
Mr.. Russell and Nh Lodge is a current
topic yet, and the consensus of opinion
is that each of the dcbatcrs had the
best of it-just as you chance
10 ask Democrat or n
Republican. For my part l failed to
see anything particularly brilliant in the
speeches as reported in the daily press,
and AS tickets to the political show sold
at premium of from IS TO 500 each.
| modestly declined to attend AS for
| Mr. Lodges brilliant apostrophe to Mas
sachusctts, think it was altogether more
brilliant that deserved. We all admit
the glorious record of the old Bay State
in the trying hours for Independence
and her la'cr one in defending tho
Union of the states against secession.
But these are not issues today. and
| believe, with Sir Timothy Over
bury. that "the man who
has not anything to boast of but his
illustrious ancestors, is like a potato
the only good belonging to him is under
the ground" Our ancestors did well,
but unfortunately they are not in poll
tics now, and in their stead we have
men who are as dead to the needs of
the Massachusetts of the period rs n
smoked herring. In all the speeches
which have read during this campaign
not live state issue has been hintcd at
or touched upon by any ono of their
aulhors-Democra or Republican. They
utterly fail to see, or purposely ignore
the little speck that is beginning to rise
on the political horizon, now no longer
than man hand, which will some day
call them to their senses by demanding
state as well as national legislation in
the interests of the people. Clean hands
will be called for at the state house. and
the legislator who can unbushingly say
that he ,ddn't come here for his health"
will be relcgated TO the obscurity from
which he was brought. II is
undoubtedly the proper thing to have
protective tariff, but in enactlng the
present law no safeguards were thrCwn
around the American workman to pro-
tect hlm from the emigrGnts who are
swarming to this country by the thou
sands. The proper thing to do is to
stop immigration and then begin civil
lizing process with those who need
to be educated up to the
standard necessary for maintaining
intact the grand work of our forefathers.
Legalized swindlers and thieves of all
sorts, from the instalment shark to the
shvlock, need to be looked after here in
Massachusetts, and their calling made
odious. The Australian ballot is the
entering wedge 10 these reforms, and
when men become weaned from party
enou. n to exercise it properly we may
look confidently forward to better con-
dition of things.
James G. Blaine and his wife passed
through here the other day en- route for
Washington. The Herald, which can
not be accused of any very strong
friendship for the great statesman,
said that he showed unmistakable signs
of health and vigor, while the Globe
saw in him the shadow of man on the
verge of the grave. So you can pay
your two cents and take your choice of
newspaper liars.
There are some pretty good anecdotes
extant concerning early Boston mer-
chants, and George Ford, an old time
hardware dealer here, used to tell of m
adventure he once had IN Texas with a
good deal of pleasure to himself
and his auditors. lie had occasion
to travel in distant and thinly set
tied parts of that state just after
its admission to the Union, where some.
times he would not see a habitation for
80 or 40 miles. OF course his only means
of transportation was horseback riding,
and on this occasion he was told that on
reaching the Brazos river, at certain
point in Washington county, he would
find bridge; but when he arrived there
were no signs of one. Mr., Ford dis
mounted. undressed, and, tying hi,
, clothes in his handkerchief, he fastened