The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-04-22
sRhIsE FOROUR MORALS
u;oher In America Than In Eu-
rope, Says James Bryce.
nrc1AREs BUSINESS Is KING HERE

s,,tes Leads In Condition of the
people-Absence of PaupA.ism Re-
uar.abie, He Says - Universities
p,nk With Europe's Best-Grovth
-. Aesthetic Sentiment Noted.
The Right Hon. James Bryce, the
English historian and parliamentarian
who a quarter Of century ago visited
America and produced as a result of
bis study Of America and her institu-
tions that remarkable work, 1.-THE
American Commonwealth" again visit
cd America short time ago, and now
in a recent issue of the Outlook he
snms up the changes which have taken
Mace since his visit in 1883. What
will appeal to most readers most
strongly is what Mr.. Bryce has to say
on American morals.
1.-THE general moral standard Of the
United States" be writes, still ap-
naars to Inc, as it did twenty years
ago to be, on the whole, higher than
that of western Europe. Even in the
vealthiest class, where luxury weak
ens the sense Of duty and lays men
and women most open to temptation,
there are apparently fewer scandals
than the same class. shows elsewhere.
Nor is the morality of any country
TO be measured by the number of di-
vorses. Its condition may be really
worse if people cynically abstain from
attaining divorces where there are
grounds for obtaining them.
THAT which most strikes the visitor
10 America today" he writes, "is it's
nrodigious material development. In
dustrial growth, swift thirty or forty
wears ago, advances more swiftly now
The rural districts are being studded
with villages, the villages are growing
into cities, the cities are stretching out
= long arms of suburbs, which follow the
lines of road and railway in every di-
rection.
The increase of wealth, even more
remarkable than the increase Of pop
ulation. impresses a European more
deeply now than ever before because
the contrast with Europe is greater
In America every class seems rich in
comparison with the corresponding
class in the old world. The huge for
tunes, the fortunes Of those whose in
come reaches or exceeds 81 100000
year, are Of course far more numerous
than in any other country.
But the absence of pauperism is
still more remarkable In 1870 1 care
fully examined the poor law system Of
two great eastern cities and found
that, although there were very few
persons needing or receiving support
at public expense, the number was ex-
pected to grow steadily and quickly as
the cities grew Today 1 am told
that in these cities pauperism, though
Of course absolutely larger, increases
more slowly than population.
Business is king" Mr.. Bryce OBJ
serves little further along. And he
continues.
with this extraordinary material
Development it is natural that, in the
- United States, business-that is to say,
industry, commerce and finance -
should have more and more come to
overshadOw and dwarf all other inter
estS, all other occupations. Every
European who visited the country
since the beginning of the last cen
Jury seems to have been struck by
THIS fact 1t is more striking now than
II was thirty-tive years ago. But the
contrast with Europe Is not greater now
lhan 1t was then. Rather is it less, for
Ii THIS respect England and Germany
nave been following in Americas foot
steps"
Mr.. Bryce also makes this observa-
uoh with regard to the trend Of the
population Of the country:
Ihey are ceasing to be a folk of
country jewellers. 1t is not only that
Tue greater cities extend themselves
win amazing speed and that many Of
uie mineral areas are becoming SO
covered with villages as to differ little
from cities-there is q general DISPOSE
uoh 10 migrate from rural districts to
Uen'ers or population, where a brisker
NE and more amusements can be en-
Io!@. The change is all the more re-
markable because agriculture continues
~ De Prosperous
Il. Bryce also notes a decided i'm
poyement In our educational facilities.
lhere has been within these last
mlr1g-hve years." he writes, "a devel-
pplnent OF the higher education in the
Inited States perhaps without paral
.el IN the world Roughly speaking
.Ot II IS impossible to speak with ex-
%.tneSS-America has now not less than
n.'een or perhaps even twenty seats
VI learning fit to be ranked beside the
Universities of Germany, France and
Lnsland as respects the completeness
" he instruction which they provide
aim.
Inc Improvement in the range and
Gu"iity OF university teaching is
- se scarcely more remarkable than
Le increased afflux of students, and
a"ereas in England the vast majority
students go to prepare themselves
some PROFESSIONALLY, journalism,
90 engineering or the ministry
ule established church-there is in
america q conSidorohIo ,,ro,>or+;o,, I'm