The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-04-12
PUBLIC MORALS RISING.
SENATOR DoLLlVER OF IOWA
PLEADS FOR OPTIMISM.
HAS SEEN COUNTRY IMPROVE
Brings to Northern Nebraska Teach
ers a Message Of Hope-Asks That
They lnstilI In Young Minds Whole
some Regard for Government.

some Regard for Government.
North Nebraska teachers were told
to instil the spirit Of national optim-
ism into the minds of their pupils
Thursday evening at the Auditorium.
They were told In straight direct Ian
guage that the government and nsti-
tutions of America were more firmly
planted along right lines today than in
the past 1t was United States Sen
ator j. p. Doliver Of iowa, speaking
Thursday evening before he North Ne
braska Teachers association, who
brought the message of confidence to
Norfolk
"There is one lesson that you Ne
braska teachers ought to teach over
and over again and 1t forms the basis
of my remarks tonight" said Senator
Dolliver. ut is: That our institutions
are all right and that American public
life is alright and that there Is no
excuse for despairing as to those in
stitutions or as to their administration
by the government. firm faith in
the integrity of our institutions and,
on the whole, in the integrity of our ma
tional life Is necessary If we are to
contribute to progress"
Senator Dolliver spoke as a for
mer school teacher to the teachers of
today His speech was plea for the
America of today and he wanted the
spirit of hope and confidence
| Ih,,atIAI ;,>
Dolllver made a plain direct talk to
the teachers. His words were fol-
lowed closely by the big crowd that
filled the Auditorium, his humorous
sallies bringing smiles and his telling
points applause.
Watched Him Rise.
The speaker of the evening was in
troduced by Hon. John r. Hays, whose
acquaintance with Senator Dolliver
dates over a period of many years, dur
been known successfully as Mr.. Dol
liver, Hon. J. p. Dolliver and now Sen
ator Dolliver. Mr.. Dolliver said in
part:
II do not believe that ideal moral
conditions once flourished in our coun-
try but are now lost. do believe that
the standard of morality and the integ-
rity of American public life was never
more worthy of the confidence of the
American people. 1t is a 'humbug'
proposition that the old standards and
the old ways were altogether holy and
: pure and that we have now fallen into
; evil ways. We must combat those
, men anxious to impeach the public
morality of their day.
"The truth is that we of today know
better what is going on in our country
than the people of 1885 did. We even
know better what went on in those
days than did the people of the time
Private conversation as a method of
communicating and discovering facts
has given way to an organized press
The dark lantern has been thrown on
the standards of those early days with
results that will not bear out those
= who contrast the libels and hearsays
of the public life of these days against
3 the moral standards of those far-ofi
days of alleged moral perfection.
: Drunk Senators Gone
. 81 am a humble but willing witness
to the gradual rise of moral sentiment
, in the national capital. Twenty years
. ago both house and senate had theiT
, saloons. Drunken men staggered
through the hall of the house and be
: fore the bar of the senate. We have
= lived to see drunkenness practically
abolished at the capital and have seen
!, drinking places driven from every pub
- lie building in the United States.
"The national character of our peo
pie is going upward and forward. The
whole attitude of the public mind has
. undergone a radical change. The sit
: uation is viewed from a new angle
. The moral uplift of the American peo
pie finds expression in its congress.
Senator Dolliver said that the uues
= tions engaging attention in Washing
ton at this time were not the tariff
- money or railroad issues but othe
". questions hitherto neglected but nov
y vitalized by their human connections
: The government has been striving t.
- send million and a half children from
~ the mines and factories to the schools
~ to protect the interests of the million
, young men in railroad service, to pre-
a tect the health of the people from aduI
- terated and poisonous foods, drink
10 and medicines and to prevent fraud
,f ulent and unlawful agreements be
~ tween railroads and corporations init
= rious to the welfare of the people.
O. No Niche For Pessimst.
at These things indicated, the senate
ID said, that the government had becom
I'd responsive to the conscience and wi
le of the people. The signs of the time
r. were encouraging and the cry to tn
n pessimist should be put aside.
lie You who teach the young shoul
re communicate your confidence in tn
lg institutions of your country" was Sci
n, ator Delivers message to the teacl