The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-23
A HIGHER AVERAGE.

An Olu observer, after q recent
visit to Washington, wrote letter to
the New York Sun, in the course which
he said: 81 was struck by the
superior intellectual average of the men
encountered in the hotels and on the
streets. Very much has been said of
recent years about the decadence Of
Congress, but, after all, view of the
heads and faces of these men suggests
that generally they are in their places
by the right of ability, and that they
have not been picked out by their con-
stituents haphazard. Contact with the
representatives of the people from
every part of the Union gives the i'm
preston also that morally they are of
much higher average than the slap
dash criticism of Congress represents
them to be; and 1 question if ever in
our history the average was so high as
it is now. The drunkenness and coarse
dissipation of the Washington of nv
earlier days are no longer apparent. A
more orderly capital does not exist in
the world"
AS we get away from the "old times"
we are apt to exaggerate them, and es-
pecially the goodness of them. We are
prone to regard the giants of congress
sional life half a century ago as typi-
cal members, whereas they were no
doubt so prominent because they stood
so high above the average. That we
have no towering giants among our
public men of the present day is due
in greater part to the fact that the
typical, the average, public man has
become so much larger in mental and
moral stature. AS the correspondent
of the Sun suggests, it is within the
memory of men yet vigorous when
drunken and dissipated congressman
ton. 1t was regarded as no disgrace
for a cong. essman to frequent bar
rooms, drink himself full, visit a gam
bling room and play until the morning
hours, and be hauled to his hotel or
boarding house in a carriage, in a state
OF unspeakable intoxication. Are such
sights seen in Washington these days?
They are not, for two reasons; first.
the men who are sent to Congress have
been educated to a higher plane of
morals. and, second. their constituent
cies would not stand it. If any con-
gresham wishes to procure his own
political death warrant, he has only 10
get drunk or conduct himself in an nm
seemly manner in Washington. The
people will not permit themselves to
be disgraced in any such manner.
And in this matter Washington re-
fleets the moral Improvement OF the
country. The congressman may be
taken as representing the people So
uially and morally as well as politi-
cally. There has been a general up.
lifting In the moral tone OF the whole
people-an uplifting following patient
and persistent education along right
lines. Drunkenness and excuses are
tabooed IN all leading lines of business.
The great railroad systems will Hot
take into their employ men who in
dulge IN strong drink. Some Of them
VIII not permit the smoking OF cigar
cites. Bankers, merchants. manufac.
turers ana others viii not give work 90
men who drink Or play cards or keep
questionable company. The eject b
10 force men. and especially young
morn iusi starting in llfe 10 cultivate
only correct habits and rhun those in.
dulVenoes that afe dangerous or o..
shading
ronEreaF 81 poe deradeut THO roun-
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