Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-16
SUNDAY MORNING TALK.
Crookedness and It's Cure.

1t Is Interesting to note how the events
of life are continually reinforcing the words
of preachers and teachers of Righteousness
A man lying prone in the gutter is an OBJ
ject lesson touching the evils of intem-
perance, more potent than tons OF pamph-
let's on the subject. Century after century
preachers have been hammering away on
the inevitable trouble that results from
stealing, classifying and other varieties OF
evl-doing. Some people have looked upon
these pulpit sermons as shop talk The
big world has Wagged along, and Smith
has been putting his hand in Jones pocket
while the latter was not looking, and AL
derman Brazenface has stood in with
contractors for municipal supplies, and the
fifth vice president of the 1nequitabie Life
Insurance Company has drawn big sal
airy simply for holding down plush chair
In the company's office about two hours 4
day for five days in the week
But, presto change, the crash comes. The
public wakes up, the newspapers TEEN
with charges and counter charges. 1nVes-
tigating committees get at work. The faint
of evil-doing attaches itself to this and
that man high in authority, and the trail
of evil-doing leads on and on into circles
of many hitherto respectable and respected
citizens Why, it begins to look as if al
most everybody was in for what he could
make, If not by honest business methods,
by hook or by crook.
Then DeSlnS a 1unt IOr men 10 StTdlSuteii
out the tangles, and the cry Is not for
some multi millionaire, but for man of
the Cleveland or Roosevelt type who has
moral insight enough to see the right, ana
moral courage enough to do 1t when ne sees
it. The essential thing now is not so much
skill in financiering, ability to consummate
great deals, power to project bold CONNER
cial undertakings, but honesty, conscien-
tiOusness, justice, perseverance in righteous
courses.
Ind cf1ro oil a d.
fashioned virtues upon which the preach
ers have been harping for many day. IS,
all the world Is coming to see that 1t can
not do without these qualities. that they
are as necessary in forfending scandals and
complications as they are in probing to the
roots of deranged conditions. The simple
man naturally asks this question: why
not put honest men at the head OF our
municipal affairs, and of our great hdu-
ciary agencies to administer them from
the start instead of trying to reclaim
them after they have fallen into the hands
of sharks and robbers?"
And as for the future, what outlook IS
there In this or any country for progress
IL decency and honor are going by the
boards? How can any real progress De
made toward an equalizing of the burdens
of manity, toward municipal ownership,
and operations Of public utilities toward a
happier and healthier Industrial situation,
and a nobler national life II there is al
ready so much poison in the fountains. so
much dry rot MA away III inc Huci
Of the people. Scotch expert on NIL
nicipal ownership comes over and studies
American cities and intimates strongly that
the obstacles to the imposing of larger
functions on the city or the nation are the
lack of sturdy character in the men de-
voted to public service and the baneful in
fuence Of politics.
1t begins to appear that we have been
starting at the wrong end, trying to de-
wise some outward system when the first
need is that Of personal and public righte-
BUSINESS We are all more or less votaries
Of Mammon; we have all gone after the
god Of success. The time demands men
who are ready to fail rather than to cheat
and lie, and steal, and to covet. But, as
a matter of fact, there never was so good
chance for a man to succeed In public
life today, who really wants to do the
straight thing to be decent, to treat his
feIlow-men fairly. The public is begin
ming to clamor for more such men. 1t
cannot get enough of them for the respon-
sibilities which it would place upon them.
So, after ALL the preachers have been
right all this time, while so many of the
people have gone after false gods. And
the power of the pulpit and the church are
not to wane, but to increase, and the help
of religion is to be invoked as never be-
fore, now that people by the very exigen-
cies of modern life are being forced back
upon morality and upon God.
THE PARSON.