The Glenwood post., 1909-02-27
were
Different Them

"We have heard with our ears, o
God, our fathers have told us what |
work Thou didst in their days, in the
times of old. Psalms 44:I.
With 'fThings We're Different
Then,' as his subject, and the above
text upon which he based his address,
Rev. Greer A. Foote last Sunday ev
ening at the First Presbyterian church
reminded his hearers of the habit TO
decry the present day conditions and
refer to the past with pride.
He showed that it has ever been
the custom for people, and especially
old people, to tell the younger genera
tions that conditions We're better when
''we were young. But Rev. Foote
took issue with all such claims.
Referring to George Washington, in
whose honor the address was given, Rev.
Foote placed the first president at the
head of all great Americans. He said:
" Every great man is measured by the
effect he has on the future He hell
that when Washington placed this
country on a solid foundation he did
more for the country than any one
else. The pastor then compared pres
ent conditions with those of the past
and clearly proved that instead of be-
ing worse, present conditions are bet
Ter and that the tendency is to contin-
ue to become better as years pass. He
referred to the claims of those who re.
fer to the past as being better than
the present and said they claim there
was no moral corruption, no disregard
for spiritual things, men We're honest
and there was no need of banks, the
people went to church and kept out of
courts, murders were fewer and there
were fewer divorces. The speaker de
MED the truth of these claims. and
gave as his reasons: First, 50 Man 3
memory elings to those things that con
Germ him most, and people compete
the present conditions with the
Things that they remember best that
occurred years ago. -
Referring to the newspapers of to
day, Rev. Foote spoke of the many
sensational stories printed, but said
that ''the people want them and
'thus people will compare what they
read with what few things they re-
member To prove that there is . a
tendency to raise the standard of con-
ditions, the speaker referred to Boss
Tweed, of New York, as "the wors.
CRATER and corruptionist this country
ever knew, " and said cities of today
are making great strides toward better
government.
AS the second reason for disputing
the claims of present-day people that
'things We're different then,' he
said:
"There is no fair light by which
present conditions may be compared
with the pas.. History only records
those things that are important, or
that seem to be important. We cannot
see things at close range, for we can
not distinguish between the good and
the bad, for we do not know what
things or events will prove the most
| important to the future. -
Referring to those who howl about
present day frenzied finance, he call
! ed their attention to the rush for
California in 1919 as a sample of fren.
zied finance in the past. Speaking of
the claims that there were martyrs in
the past he said we never hear any
thing of the others who were not mar.
tyrs, for history has no use for such
men "and will blot him ont unless he
be another Benedict Arnold. - The
speaker held that conditions are bet
Ger now and said "the public is more
moral than ever before. the newspa.
pers are quick to detect and expose
evils; money is safer in banks today
| than ever before, for the bankers are
| forced to be more careful; insurance
companies arc safer, and the govern
ment Of cities is improving, croakers
to. the contrary. :" He said: "The gov
/ ernment will not be taken out of the
hands of the people, for they will not
stand for it, and will not tolerate ty
ranny. -. He said the best way to hon
or Wellington was to show that tho
principles he died for have made this
country better and our times better
IL ba