The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-07
CASE AND COMMENT
From the Indianapolis News:

II lOu1 TIC 1uuldudpOllS NEWS.
There are some very clear signs
that point to reaction from the gospel
of exposure, one of the clearest being
that even men who do not pretend to
keep particularly well-informed are
predicting turn of the tide. 1t is al
together likely that we shall soon
find that optismism rather than pessim-
ism is the fashionable thing. And the
probability Is that men will go as
much too far in this direction as the
extremist went in the other. There
Is nothing more difficult than to oc-
cupy middle ground. and it seems to
be more difficult for Americans than
for most other people. There is for
many of us only the alternative that
everything is all right or all wrong.
The more violent writer's in certain of
the magazines have denounced crimes,
or evils, or tendencies. as though they
were new or extraordinary, and thus
have created the impression that our
national life had touched a depth of
infamy that it had never even ap-
preached before. And now other men
are reminding us that matters used to
be worse than they are now, that the
senate is better than it ever was, and
politics are less corrupt than a genera
ton ago. When we learn that the
criticism has been too savage and un-
discriminating, we begin to feel a
sympathy for the men attacked, sense
of indignation against the men who
have attacked them, and before we
realize 1t we are altogether out of
the critical attitude. 1t seems well,
therefore, that the saner critics, the
men who were fighting wrong long be-
fore there was 10-cent magazine in
existence, should remind the people
that much of what has been said is
true; that it is poor consolation to be
told that we are no worse than our
ancestors used to be; that there is
still, as there always will be, work
for the reformer; and that wise and
patriotic men should not allow them
selves to be lulled into a sense of Sc
curity by those who are preaching the
gospel of reaction, and warning the
world against the dangers of pessim-
ism. There was, of course, bound to
be turn of the tide, If for no other
season than that the people were sure
to get tired of the revelations of the
country's disgrace The story has been
running for more than four years.
1T was in 1902 that Mr.. Steffens began
to tell us of 1.-THE Shame of the Cities"
Before he had got through Mr.. Thomas
Lawson opened fire, and in the sum-
mer of 1904 he was in full action. We
have also had Mr.. Phillips, Mr.. Adams,
Mr.. Baker and Miss Tarbell, and we
have had them, unrelieved, for several
long and dreary years. And now w,
are asked To read wh"r NJ. Upi.r
Sinclair has to say Ut lae crj les IN |
horrors OF one % the great businesses
of the country. In a, word t.la thing
has grown monotonous. People refuse
to be interested, not because they want
to cover up Crimes or are afraid to
know the worst, but simply because
they are weary of the reiteration of
the old story. They know that there
are other things in life, that most
men and women are honest, that there
is some honesty even in politics, that
most of us make good living that
love has not disappeared from the
world, and that truth. honor and Justice
are even yet somthing more than mere
empty names. But more even than
this, very many of us are beginning
to feel that the time has come for
change-possibly only temporary one
lin the method of treatment We
know that those ministers who do
nothing but scold have small influence
with their people. What we all want
is the cheer and inspiration that come
from the story Of great things greatly
done. We know sufficiently we'll BY
this time that there is superabund-
ance of wickedness in the world, and
much more insistence just now on
that fact will only discourage. Now
is the time to hold up before men
the brave examples of those who have
done their duty, to preach more of
the attractiveness Of virtue tha10e tn
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