The Tupelo journal., 1907-08-02
TUPELo MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY AUGUST 3 1907.
Not Yet Gone to the Dogs.

In commenting on "The Haz-
ards Of Politeness, the N. 0.
Picayune says in part:
There is no question that the
notion is widely held and is be-
ing rapidly propagated that the
time has gone by when there is
any special demand for courte-
sy and politeness to anybody,
not excepting women, in the bat
tie of life. Of course, if there
is valuable business to be got out
of any individual, no amount of
politeness, nor OF f1aLtery, nor of
wheedling should be spared to
| get it, but as a general rule the
entire huc1an race is engaged in
a strug sac for life, and each per-
son is entitled to take any ad-
vantage he can secure, and as
for women, they are entering so
generally into business in COM
petition with men, and so many
of them are claiming and seek
ing for political and social eman-
cipation that even in the South
the old-time courtesy is being
relaxed and disregarded.
! Human nature is no more self
ish today than it ever was, but
there is a great falling off in the
sentimental restraints that for
merly exerted such influence up
on people, of every class. A GER.
tain respect for the aged and for
women was taught by those who
were. looked up to as leaders,
and whose examples as well as
precepts were generally accepted
as authoritative. The youthful
came to believe that it was a
divinely-enjoined duty duty to
treat with special observance the
women, the aged and the public
authorities, and many who did
not believe in the divine character
of these duties were compelled by
public opinion to give heed to
them.
But that sort of sentiment is
rapidly going out of vogue, and
as to divine connection with it,
that would have little effect on
the average fighter in the race
for life.
But while truth, honor and
justice are supposed to be held
in less esteem than formerly,
there is as much Of the divine
essence in human nature as eve.
there was. Not a day passes
without furnishing Gaphatic
testimony of this fact. Every
day we see or hear of men and
women who freely risk theil
lives to save those of others, ano
most commonly of those in whom
they have no personal interest
and whom in many cases the
saviors and benefactors do not
even kdow, and in this way
from even the .humblest condi.
tions, spring up heroes and de-
votees to truth and honor, anC
martyrs to some cherished cause
or creed as brave, as faithful
and as noble as any whose names
are inscribed in history or or
the rolls of fame.
The world is not going head
long to the dogs, nor is human
society given up to the devil anC
his ways as so many seem tt
think. 1t is related in sacred his
tory that in a time when it haC
seemed that righteousness ane
truth were no longer to be found
in a community that had gone
after false gods. the authorita
tive declaration was put forth
that even where all seemed lost
there were seven thousand mer
who had not bowed the knee t
Baal.
And this, there is good war
rant to believe, will always be
the case. There will continue
to be throughout our generation
and far beyond its utmost limits
among men, the highest stand
ard Of truth and honor, justice
and righteousness, the noblest
the most splendid and heroic ex
emplars of all that is grand anC
divine and glorious in human ma