The Progress., 1892-12-10
THE PROGRESS,
a THOUGHT FOR HOME.

Of
support of a certain cause, just in
proport ion to each individuals gene
rosity, public spirit and direct self
interest which the success OF that
cause will bring to him.
The average man desires good gov
ernment, and will exercise his best en-
deavors to obtain it. He readily sees
that the services Of all of the better
element is needed, and must be cen
tered in one direction in order that
this demand should prevail. He will
make personal sacrifices of business
and social pleasure in order that the
object sought for may be secured; all
this, besides contributions of money
for the campaign, in order that that
cause which he thinks is necessary to
secure good government should be
successful. We say that the average
man will give all this, and yet he does
not give thought scarcely TO his
home.
We do not wish to be understood
as stating that the average man does
not sometimes, aye, often-times,
think of his wife and the lear ones at
home. We know that the great ma
jority frequently, even in the midst
of their busy worry, bring before the
mental camera the scenes OF their
home circle, wherein the sweet faces
OF wife and children are brightly re-
fected and causes their hearts to beat
with rapturous pleasure, but we do
mean to say that these same men pay
little attention to the surroundings in
which their children are growing up,
or the numerous temptations which
they are subject to daily, and are
slowly changing the dispositions of
their boys and dwarfng and contract
ing their moral ma ures.
Many father W spend hours of
his time around ! plitical headquar-
ters who does not give ten minutes to
ascertain the quality of company his
boy is daily keeping. The church
going father will eat a semi-late
breakfast Sunday morning and haste
of to the postoflice to get his mail,
from there to the news stand for some
favorite paper, read that, and consume
the balance of the time before ser
vice in talking politics, business or
anything else with other fathers like
him, go on to church, hear the SER
mon with perfect composure and self
satisfaction, and never give thought
of whether or not his children went
to Sunday school, and if they did go,
did they know their lessons. All that,
If he ever thinks Of it at all, their
mother must look after. He will do
his best to send good men to the
Legislature, and will not give a mo-
merit of his time to the moral sup
port of the laws these same men
enact. He says it is LSs9 Of his bust
ness il drinking hells violate the law,
gambling saloons run with open
doors, liquor is sold to minors, and
the parish and city officials wink at
the demoralizing influence Of these
law debaucheries. He will attend a
political meeting, toss his hat and
shout out in encore to some telling
hit Of the orators, uncareful of the
fact that next to him and in pleasing
intercourse is man who owns one OF
these hells, and is criminal before
the very laws of his State. They are
both Democrats; the saloon man is q
good scbemer, can control small
of votes, gives his money
freely for campaign purposes, and
never shirks any duty imposed on him. |
The paterfamilias says the morals Of
this man are nothing ohim. He has
all of his time occupied when he at
tends to his own business, and thus
he continues on the course which is
sell i-prescribed, and thinks he is 3
good citizen because he does take in
terest in public affairs political, com
mercial and industrial; is well salts
fed with his own manner Of dealing
with such matters of moral nature,
nntil some morning, like thunder
clap bursting on summer sky, the
news is brought to him that his bo,
was principal in some disgraceful
scene in this fellow-D Democrats sa-
son or drinking hell, and then he