The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-19
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1905.
A Whit at Optirnicisrn.

In spite Of the startling disclosures"
In political and financial circles within
The past several months. The Tlmes-Dis.
patch has taken the optimistic view, ana
mas warned It's readers not to lose their
faith in public and private officials. We
arc pleased that Mr.. William Allen White
takes the same optimistic view in an arti-
cIc contributed to the current ssue OF
Tho Outlook Mr.. White declares that
while there are dirty spots, American
politics IS, on the whole, fairly clean;
that the most corrupt city councils ana
State legislatures pass more good laws
than bad laws. and that In the average
Legislature the number of iniQuitous meas
ures passed Is infinitesimal as compared
with the gross amount Of good work
done, and that If it Is hard for poor
man TO get justice In the courts. tho fact
is not due to corruption there. but rather
to the red tape and the high price for
good lawyers. He refers to the postal
scandals, but says that of all the thou
sands OF men at work in the department,
less than one hundred were stealing;
that every guilty man is now in the peni-
tertiary or is going there as fast as u
dilatory, but inexorabe Inv can send
them.
a3 He agrees with Tho Times-Dispatch
that tho moral perception OF the people
has grown, and with 1t their standard OF
Righteousness He says that public senti-
No nh
ard from politics; that the bribc-takcr
hides his ill-gotten gains, whereas twenty
five years ago he splurged and was not
ashamed. Thatithe ''Barqulsite of office"
Is disappearng:' that honest men are
scornful of congressman who take un-
earned mileage. unused stationery and
unnecessary clerk hire; that tho leglsla-
tive junket has been reformed consid-
erably, while the "big drunk draught"
OF tho senatorial funeral has been prac-
tically abandoned.
He notes distinct manifestation of this
growth of moral perception OF the pco-
pie in State government, and cites several
, notable examples to show that the Gov
crnor Is no longer regarded as figure
head, but that the people have made
him part.of their government and that
he Is making it his business TO sec that
the laws Of the State are enforced, and
that the interests of the State and of
people are conserved,
Moreover, he makes bold to say that
the people are no longer afraid of the
use of money grossly in politics. because
events of the past five years have taught
them that wealth Is not success, and that
money does not prove that its possessor
is either q good or great man. He as
seris that money is losing its political
power and that as The power Of money
in politics goes down, respect for the
law comes up. There have been times
in tho history of tho world" he CON
tlnues, when the law was more of q ter
ror than II Is to-day TO the poor and igno-
rant; but in this country there has never
been Il time before this when the law
has reached into high places with such a
stern hand as 1t is reaching to-day Not
merely have United States senators been
indicted for common crime, but the men
who make United States senators, the
trust magnates and their serving men.
are being hauled into court for alleged
violations of law. Business methods and
motives are probably no moro greedy and
d!sEonorable now than they have beer
since the organization of commerce. but
the people are acquiring tho moral sense
and moral courage to restrain tho gree
and punish the dishonor OF business
without respect TO the worldly station q
tho business offenders; and all this, too
without anger, without vicious envy
without malicious class feeling. but will
n fine spirit Of American fair play an
love Of equity that prbyes the stabllii!
OF the movement
That Is a fine phrase. and We pelsey
It TO be literally true. Never has civl
righteousness been preached SO earnestl
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