The Washington herald., 1907-02-27
Some Ole. fashioned Truths

Amid the loud snathemas Of the muck.
rakers who discover wrOngdoing oozing
at every pore Of our national life, and
the confused cries Of the Teformers, who
insistently demand more and more legis-
lation for the rectifcstion Of real or i'm
aginary evils, it is refreshing to hear
the voice of an old-fsshioned moralisl
like Mr.. Cleveland. who bids us bark back
to the homely virtues of public and pri-
vate life. Nothing but harmony, hon
esty. industry. and frugallty,' wrote
Washington 10 Lafayette. ARE necessary
to make US a great and happy people %
We have become a great and happy peo-
pie, yet Mr.. Cleveland hnds the requisites
TO greatness and happiness precisely the
same now as in Washingtons time THE
traits and faults of our people he OBJ
serves, must necessarily give quality
and color TO our national behavior" and
dishonesty and extravaganza i'm private
life cannot fail of their reflex in public
affairs William Allen White. in "a sUg-
gestive article. traced the beginnings of
graft and political corruption right home
to the individual citizen who beat the
county out OF a days work on the public
roads or engaged in devious politics in
his own township. Dishonesty at the
bottom of our citizenship can hardly be
expected to work out into honesty at the
top.
Common honesty-how many of our so
cial and industrial and political ills would
disappear Of themselves in a regime OF
universal honesty! How little legislation
would be needed in world OF honest
men, II fair dealing, in Washington S
phrase, or the square deal, in Roosevelts
were everywhere prevalent! Why is dis
honesty Il great national sin, and what
influences promote its commission? Mr..
Cleveland traces it to cupidity, selfish
ness. and a sordid atmosphere. Herbert
Spencer, some thirty-five years ago, laid
his finger on the trouble when, in a con-
sideration of the morals Of trade. he
asked why commercial morality was 50
low. by what potent agency it was that
the discipline Of education, of law. and of
religion was almost neutralized in the
actual affairs of life. and answered that
IL was the intense desire of wealth, re-
sulting from the indiscriminate respect
paid TO the moneyed classes. We are all
implicated, as Spencer said, in this evil Il
is rooted deep in human nature, for the
admiration Of wealth ard the alteration
of success are not of modern birth. As
for remedy, says the English philosopher
there is none save purified public opin-
ION. To inculcate such opinion. we fear
IS more difficult than at first seems.
For even the molding of public opinion
has become commercialized. Nothing is
more profitable nowadays than the ex-
ploitation and condemnation Of wrong
doing I'm high places. Fortunes are be
ing made out Of the denUnciation OF the
rich and the exposure of their folly and
wickedness. Our modern Jeremiahs are
clothed in purple and fine linen. They in
weigh against the evils of the time from
the vantage ground of luxury and pride
Of life. 1t pays to preachify, to point
the accusatory finger, TO lay bare the
sore places in our organic life. But of
what practical effect is this commercial
lied preaching; this morals-for-money
propaganda of press and periodical?
Meantime, a Rockefeller throws DE
wildering millions" to use Hannis Tay-
lor's expressive image, about the coun-
try, "shattering the ideals upon which
this nation was founded" A Carnegie
set UP libraries, foundations, and hero
funds. and from scores Of grateful ham
lets and from the threats Of hundreds OF
the benefced educators of our youth go
up the praises Of these multimilliOnaires.
Success in life is preached from the
housetops, and the chief examples Of sue
cess are those who have accumulated
large fortunes.
Against such pervasive influences as
these-the commercialization of literature
and of the agencies of popular agitation,
the enormous benefaetions Of the wealthy.