The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-19

Washington, April 19.-To The Fo-
rum: Let me quote the following gem
from the mouth of the lamented Lin
coin. as basis for some remarks al.
propriate rs l believe to the present
time:
Let the reverence OF law be breath
ed by every mother to the lisping babe
that prattles in her lap; let it he taught
in the schools. seminaries and colleges;
let 1t be written in primers, spelling
books and almanacS; let it be preached
from pulpits and proclaimed in legis-
lative halls and enforced in courts OF
justice; in short. let it become the
political religion of the nation"
When Lincoln was boy, and lay in
front of the wood fire blazing on the
hearth. he read stories of patriotism
and of the heroes of the revolutionary
war; Even fifty years ago our school
libraries land in Ohio. where l spent
my school days, every district had its
school library the favorite works were
stories OF Revolutionary war heroes.
Even the cheap literature of those
days the dime novels. were of that
class. The great papers were patriotic
and leaders of thought. There was the
question of state rights. it is true and
of African slavery, but there was line
of patriotism running through every
channel of thought expression. And
it was the boys born in those days who
were the heroes of the civil war, and
who have become the real statesmen
of the country.
The policies of men were attacked,
but generally they received credit for
integrity of motive. There We're no
anarchists with blatant mouth preach
ing treason. The editors and public
speakers were generally men of char
acter who believed in their government
and in the integrity of men. There
were few millionaires and few paupers,
and the few of the latter class were
provided for by the local government.
There was bitter partisanship, and If
a man changed his party allegiance
then he went from honest motives,
convinced that the party policy was
wrong, and like the men Of the revolu-
ton he was ready to stake his fortune
and his sacred honor in support of the
cause with which he had become
allied.
Almost without exception the men
chosen to represent the people nova
days represent the better thought. The
great heart of the people beats in uni
son with the high and holy aspirations
of men, and is seeking by lawful means
to bring about better conditions, and
to correct errors which may have crept
into public administration of the laws,
or into the laws. But ignorance, an
archy, and avarice have invaded this
country and these are joined in a cru
sade against almost everything that is
decent, and those in official position, or
those who by reason OF their superior
power of organization have prospered,
are shining marks, and every little cur
OF anarchistic tendencies who happens
to be running an alleged paper goes
shipping at their heels. This has gone
on to such an extent that almost every
man in Office who has any spirit within
him begins to show his mettle and to
strike back as the whelps deserve.
On Memorial day President Roose-
welt will have some things to say of the
scarlet journals, as they are now prop
erly classed. and are as disreputable as
the scarlet creatures in the slums,
which are seeking to create the i'm
preston that practically all public men
are corrupt 1t is not true that dis
honesty is rampant in public places.
A small percentage of men are bad: a
small percentage of women are vile,
but that is not the rule, and the man
who seeks to convey the impression
that his representatives in congress,
his state authorities are rascals is
himself, most likely, just what he
claims to think others are. The villain
sizes up practically all others as be-
Ing in his class, only he thinks he is
the smarter.
Representative Longworth recently
gave some red hot remarks on this
line, and insisted that one would think
from reading the kind of newspapers
herein referred to that politics means
graft and graft politics. He repud-
lated the idea that men like Knox,
Spooner, and Foraker are traitors, just
because they disagree with him on the
rate bill, or others because they see
things in q different light. He said:
1T seems to me that the fashion of
assailing public men is amounting to
almost hysteria. If the government Of
our cities, OF our states, is shameful;
II our judges are corrupt; if the
United States senator's are traitors,
what hope is there for this country?
How is it to continue to grow and
prosper?
II am one Of those who believe that
instead of everything getting worse
things are getting better. l am one
OF those who believe that the standards