Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-04-22

IN all the nlSJOlg VI IhS past
!" are snarling pessimists on
y ,,de who dispute the assump-
"a |! Tbey are heard on the rost-
10 tbe public press, and, l spec
: rsSret to say, in the pulpit
,,nS the fearful degeneracy of
b .~s nresent age. The social, politi-
"a moral crimes of every civ
,1os are now spread before us
~ breakfast table, and II Is not
.Islne that the tboughtless
aor into the conclusion that we
.,ssdily degenerating In every
that ennobles manhood and
.snbood. with all the COM
~ that we hear from the pulpit
|, the tardiness of religious ad-
..ment at no former period OF
81 Al,tory of our country was rellg-
more reyerenced than 1t 10 to-
Wa are told by the pessimistic
!. that we. are rapidly depart
,rom the high moral and rellg-
standards of the Fathers of che
q .uhlic. bat such statements ex-
want OF intelligent knowledge
4 .npreciation OF the true condi-
of the past and present.
IL man could be elected to the
..Idency of the United States to-
f< Who entertained the religious
!, Of Thomas Jefferson and Ben
e, n franklin. There was only a
+. d of difference between their re-
81 ons views and those of Paine,
Il vas the blatant agnostic of that
ss Ingergoll was of a later day.
n srson was not an atheist, but
4. accepted revealed religion. He
man OF strong convictions uui
. ,yed In God. and always exhibit
he highest measure OF reverence
me supreme being. In discus
of the evils OF slavery, he used
4 trIte expression, "I tremble
N remember that God Is just y
'|Aough his religious views were
lled in his several desperate po-
AL campaigns. and they were
. .rtcally undisputed, there Is moth
{, indicate that he lost any Inn
f |ant number OF votes In his three
ests for the Presidency because
h religious convictions. Today a
idate for the Presidency with
+ von's religious convictions
/. Ia be overwhelmingly defeated.
~ Christian pulpit of the land
/. M become political rostrum
+ obpose the ambition OF such n
|4tlate Alexander Hamilton, the
<Inrial cabinet officer OF Washing
was publicly accused OF the
4 oetItu,lon OF his Office 10 the prof
" himself and others. The charge
made plausible because OF bis
ged relations with an advenlu-
To ylndicate HIS Official in
tlity, he publicly confessed the so.
crime without impairing his fit
iof ofictGl trust OF the highest
iaeter. A cabinet officer thus ac-
Ni and thus convicted OF social
be by his own confession could
nov remain In such public trust
y a day.
of we're social conditions OF the
lefJ OF tho Republic any better
Fl their political conditions. In
ltephia. when Washington was
t as President, many OF the Inn
hat social afairs at that time
by the elite OF the city could he
u Justly described as drunken
such as wOuld not be tol~rat-
7 the present age. and IL was the
ral dissipation and lavish abuse
opltality by the disloyal social
Pc OF Philadelphia that made
Hedlct Arnold a traitor. Our pes
rs prate OF the admitted degcn-
Aag social abuses of the million
and muItimillionaries of today.
Justly e5 they may be criticized,
nave not approached the social
s and Generalization of the
OF the Fathers of the Republic.
IL OF our people are close stu
OF our political history of the
and they are ignorant Of the
that the most intense political
.odlee and resentments. and the
an'erupulouc political msth-
we're adopted In the political
le's OF the early days of the Re
Pc Washington is spoken of by
= the model soldier and ideal
'aeal, but he was a pronounced
.lah. The civil service laws OF
4 would not have been enter
= ior a moment by the Father
Is Country.
leIe was no contest In the first
residential elections, when
I 4'nslon received the unanimous
vi the country and Adams re-
me second vote. making him
4 Sldent, but when Jefferson
Au-ms ent red the contest for
sugeession 10 Washington, the
sss' OF the contest greatly ex-
4 Il !, @ ,he bitterness of any modern
!, -l,ia. struggle; aud the con-
y lNoOi when Jefferson and
I.s were crrayed as opposing
.1.gs ior the second time, was
4 1he most defamatory cam
4 A ne history OF the rcpub-
ne hE political newspapers OF
~ were vastly mole violently
4 III man are the political jour
~. .'oay There Is not now a
,t newspaper IN the United
a would announce the re-
oi President with the
"'''-m that the Philaiel-
Il !, M annoInced the retire