The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1908-04-24
The Morals of the Present Century.
Are They Improvinx7

Can we say from moral standpoint
that we, the people of gloriously free
republic, won and sustained in its early
infancy by the honor, and even the
blood, of our forefathers, are seeking
to maintain its Puritan Purity" as
we should? Along some lines we are
doubtless holding our own very
creditably; in others, / fear, We are
sadly depressing.
Are we not, for one thing, slowly
but surely developing into nation of
gamblers? How often we notice in our
newspapers: "Mrs. A. gave a most
delightful entertainment. Games were
played, progressive euchre, etc. Mrs.
b. was winner of lovely bon bon dish
(or lovely cut glass bowl. It was
greatly enjoyed, and those present hope
to attend on many more such delight
full occasions.
On the same evening, down behind a
screen in the back room of a saloon, a
crowd of young men gather to play
cards, too. The young son of a good,
church going, but society loving moth
er, plays for and wins $4,000, O., hor-
rofs! How that mother weeps! How
many moral lectures fall upon that
boy's $ ears! How she holds up to him
the terrible sin of gambling! So far,
so good. But suppose that mother was
winner of the cut glass bowl, and that
boy points it out and says: Mother,
you have won that bowl with cards, and
here in your own parlor | learned to
use them" How shall that mother
answer him? We mus. not humor the
evil in any respect if we would destroy
it. ! have never seen full deck Of
playing cards, and | wish my children
at my age could be able to say the
same.
Now, another thing which may seem
only innocent pasttime to many parents
is how the small boys are playing for
keeps" in the marble game. Parents
and teachers, for the sake of the NOR
ais of coming generations, combine
your influence to put down this evil.
AS you would crush the egg of a ven
omous serpent, seek to destroy this
evil now, for it is simply embryo gam
bling. 1t is the serpent's egg which
will surely develop with full-grown
venom, into all the heinous evils of
gambling.
We can hear of some school bows, too
who take hand in the low w-class gam
bling called crap shooting" for a
pasttlme. Boys, Tor the sake of your
honor as boy, worthy to take your
place in future days, at the head of
this glorious republic, don't go down
among the negroes and play a game Of
which they would be ashamed should
they be found out!
Although there is vastly moving
crusade against the evil of evils, strong
drink. yet it is by no means driven out.
1t is beng dealt some stunning blows
by our noble Christian men and women,
yet like the hydra-headed monster it is,
1t survives. Phoenix like, it would
seem to rise with new life from its own
ashes. We yet see the men of our CEN
tury being dragged down into the low
depreciation to which strong drink can
carry them. How our hearts ache to
see the reeilng, uncertain step and hear
the silly speech, and catch the toul
scent OF the loathsome DESTROYER on
his breath! Sometimes, even the church
is polluted and the scent of whiskey
comes from among those who wait in
Gods house. Parents, surely we are
not instilling the deep principles of
VI uCIi liitO CLC ullIluS dIlU SOULS OI our
children as we should.
What value does teacher place on
the word of child in our schools? How
many excuses are hurried, tired moth
ers compelled to write for their chill
dren when the child's own explanation
ought, as general thing, to be suffi-
cient. This lack of truth is bringing
lack of confidence between teacher and
pupil. This lack of confidence is ruin
ing our children just as surely as there
! is heaven above Us. The caiii VINO
would or does tell the truth is discour-
aged, because he feels that his word
has no value. Although he may tell
the whole truth about misdemeanor,
and declare his innocence. yet he is
punished just as the culprit who has
committed the deed. Something is
wrong, woefully wrong! Are we to
grow into nation who will ask like
Plato, What is truth?'
Let us endeavor to uproos the SEEM
ingly smaller evils, for in the small
evils of this world lurk more subtle
and deadly influence than the largel
things, which any one may see.
! With love for the children of our
country and great desire for their we'll
doing IN all future years, | subsclloe
myself
j. BELLE MABRY.
In Memoriam.