The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1909-10-21

w maui W ILLS question:, Us the noWIy-maQe
world of today better world than that of
fifty years ago."
In applied science-the subsection of steam,
electricity and gas to the services of mankind
wonders have been worked. Our methods
OF producing wealth and of exchanging COM
modltleS; our system of education, of finance
OF Journalism, OF State and national admin
lstrat1On have been revolutionized In such
branches of art as photography in our con-
quest over the entire material world, we have
transformed the whole thing; but the question
yet remains is it a cleaner, purer, brighter,
happier world than that in which our fathers
and mothers dwelt?
1t seems to be fact that large percent
age OF the people have departed from the old
religious faith. It seems to me that this is
lndisputably true; but does the man who loses
his faith In Christianity become a better man
on that account! Is the scofing son or grand
son of the New England Puritan a higher,
nobler type than was his pious forefathers?
is the preachers son, who is an infde, more
useful citizen than his devout father was?
Is the daughter, who laughs at the faith of
her mother, going to become better wife or
better mother than were her own religious
parents!
Again, are we an honester, more temperate
people than were the Americans of fifty years
nlicance of the fifty or sixty thousand di-
vorces that are being granted by the courts
annually? What weight is to be given to the
fact that President Roosevelt appointed
commission to investigate existing conditions
III the homes OF the people of the cities, and
that this report officially made after pains
taking investigation, revealed such an aDDal-
ing state of affairs that the government de
cided it would be advisable to suppress the
publication? This is no reference to some
sensational magazine article which may be
sneered aside by those III authority-this is
an alluslOn to recent fact which ought to
have created profound impression through
out the United States. Virtually, the United
States government by the suppressing of that
official report declared to the world that the
conditions now existing in the homes of this
Christian people are so shocking that they
should not be made known to the world
Again. what is the real meaning of the as
founding size of our yearly drink bill? and
what is implied by the infinite variety and in
genuity of the devices invented to keep us
from stealing from one another? Every time
you 60 into store you are bound to be re-
minded of the fact that the proprietor places
no confidence in the employee, and the en-
ployee none III the proprietor. In the cash
drawer, In the system Of collecting fares on
streetcars and railway trains, in the check
and counter-check at the hotels, in the elab-
crate system of the banks and other corpora
tions in the expensive safe-vaults provided
against the burglar, the robber and the sneak
thief-in fact, in every direction that our eyes
take in the business world we are bound to
see that commerce goes upon the idea that
every man will steal if he gets the oppor-
tunity The whole ingenious, elaborate and
constantly changing system of putting away