The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-22
AMERICAN IDEALS
 ARE IMPROVING Objectionable Practices Once Condoned Now Con-
 demned.
TRUE OF ENGLAND, roo
Root Paints Bright Picture in Last of Dodge
 Lectures.

In his address at Lampson hall last night Secretary Root said that hope fitness was one of the plainest duties of citizenship. Going further, he said the objectionable railroad practices which are so widely condemned are not new practices, but only show that the American people are growing stricter in their notions of civic Righteousness. Thirty years ago." he said, the gov- ernment freely allowed the giving of rebates that industry might be encour- aged. Many questionable things done in government in the early days of our history would not be tolerated now"
 The lecture of last night was held in Lampson hall. It was the last in the 1907 Dodge series and was well attend- ed. Following the lecture President and Mrs. Hadley entertained Secretary Root and a few influential members of the faculty at an informal dinner held at their home on Whitney avenue.
 Secretary Roots Address.
 The major part of Secretary Roots final lecture follows:
 In the whole field of popular govern ment I am convinced that one of the plainest duties of citizenship is hope- fulness, and that pessimism is crin- inal weakness.
 If one is to judge the world and the conduct of men by comparison with standard of ideal perfection, of course everything will be found wrong. If the question we ask is whether the world, or any community in 1t, is good or bad, right or wrong, we must recognize a painful degree of error and selfishness, and injustice and cruelty, and indifference and ignorance.
 The true question, however, is not what the world is, but what Its tend encies are, Is it moving towards bet ter things, or worse? Is the level ris- ling. or falling? Mark the condition and character of civilized peoples in successive centuries or generations and sec whether liberty and i.astfsH and righteousness have been gaining, or losing
 It is impossible to read an account of the life of the people of any civiliz- ed country in any past century with out finding an amazing degree of cruelty, of oppression, of immortality of corruption, and of class privilege regardless of common right, which has now been substantially don@ away with.
 In our own country we may take for comparison the shameful breach of tho terms of Burgoyne's surrender, the refusal of the states to give effect to the provisions of the treaty of peace with England for the protection of the loyalists; the impotence of the Contih- ental congress. which Charles Lee de- scribe6 as "a stable of stupid cattle that stumbled at every step; the jealousies, the pettiness, and the nar- row prejudice that hampered and ala most ruined the work of Washington; the incapacity of administration to which, and not to poverty, was due the distress at Valley Forge. where the footsteps of our poor soldiers could be traced by the blood on the snow, not because there were no shoes and stockings, but because shoes and stockings were not delivered where they were needed.
 The humiliating experiences of the second war with England revealed in efficiency and incompetency of federal administration that would be ludi- crous if it were not lamentable. |