The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1894-01-26
Public Morals.

/
question of myself, and of the public,
as consequence resultant of the daily
nerusal, of embezzlement, defalcation,
bankruptcies, and partisan vitupera-
ton.
A recent English writer has ad-
vsnced the argument, that we have
reached the zenith, political and social
Of our development, consequently
there must soon follow period of
retrogression; civilization will be
thrown back upoL itself, individual
effort will cease, personal character
will deteriorate, and moral stagnation
ensue. If the assertions of this writer
he true, it is important that we exam.
inc their bearings and influence on
the present Society is governed by
the prevailing type of character 10 the
community; and character is the result
Of heredity, circumstances, and habit.
Hence the inquiry prompts itself,
whether the influences of the present
times are such as to improve our NOR
ais or to detefiorate them. When it
comes to public peculation, it must be
confessed, we are abnormally lax. The
use OF public office and public funds for
private gains, the eageruess to get hold
OF subsidies, fat contracts, an6 unde-
served offices, does not speak of a high
moral tone in our public affairs.
Railroads are forced into the hands
OF receivers by fraudulent manipula
tlon OF their affairs, and the ho' or of
our courts is travestied by the appoint
ment Of receivers, whose sole purpose
is to complete the ruin of the road. No
more glaring instance could be cited
than is shown in the case of the Read
ing railroad, of Penn, yet the North
ern Pacific, the Santa Fe, and our own
o. p, differ from it only in degree.
turning from public to private insti-
tullons, let us inquire how many of
our recent bank failures were due to
culpable dishonesty, on the part of
bank officials. The silver bill, the tar
III, and the change of administrations.
had nothing to do with it. Take our
own bank for instance, will any one
deny for an instant that it was the re-
suit OF culpable negligence aud crimi-
nal carelessness, on the part of the
officials. | do hot impugn
the private honesty of the gentlemen;
On the contrary believe them to be
honest enough in private affairs; but
private honesty was overthrown by
political greed on the part of Cowan
ana his henchmen, and the depositors
loot the bill, You may call this mis-
placed confidence, but call it robbery
The man, who, on the public highway,
presents pistol to your head, with a
iemand for your money, is entitled to
De considered an honest man and a
when compared with one
)f these.
But let US examine another phase of
his question. 1t is extremely doubt
ul II crimes against property are on
he increase. Too many dangers beset
he pursuit of the robber TO render il
Crimes against social order
ire infrequent, especially so in our
mall towns, where the standard of
morals is higher than in our large
lties, But on one point / am not so
ertain we are improving;-I speak of
he crime of drunkepess. 1t is urged
" many this evil is disappearing, but
he fact remains that we consumed
hree millions more barrels of beer in
o9S than IA the preceding year, the
unl total being half q barrel for each
'erson in the U. S. This is discourag
ng in face of the war way st
ntemperanee by prohibit.
emperance societies everywh
GEMS to me that here is the 4
'hich we are retrogradn
anger calls for earnest az
on on the part Of eve
oter in our broad !