New-York tribune., 1910-02-27
BEY7ER NOW THAN THEN.

The expression of opinion which IS at
tributed to DR. Borden Parker Bovine.
that the saints OF q hundred years ago
would rank pretty low to-day, suggests
an extended and profitable field of retiec-
ton. not only to those of a pronouncedly
''IdHddtDr fempOriS Gcti' disposition, but
also to all who are inclined TO take dis
couraged view Of present efforts for
social improvement and for the el1mlna-
ton of evil from civic life. DR.. Bovine
did not frame his thought in precisely
the phrase which we have quoted from
reporter but that was the purport of his
thesis. which lie supported with wealth
o. authoritative citation. 1t is notorious
that before the days Of Lyman Beechef
hard drinking by profeSsed Christians
and by Christian ministers was so COM
mon as TO excite no comment. We could
point to an intensely orthodox church in
q suburb of this city the pasor of which
was officially authorized 10 conduct
barroom in the parsonage, TO increase
hfS slender income by the profits OF
PUN selling. OF course the building OF
Union College with funds obtained
through a lottery was commonplace
of those days, and the example was fol
lowed by churches as we'll as by schools.
DR. Rowue was speaking on Washing
toms Birthday and il M ba that at
the same moment many speakers were
eytollinc Washington as the pOsSeSsor
and exempIar Of public virtue greater
than we commonly perceive il our own
day. vet we believe that he was exactly
right when he said that politicians of
wears ago were far more INSCRIPTIONS
than those of the present time. We must
not forget that Washington himself was
made ne object of yilifcation and denun-
citation probably as bitter. brutal and
malignant as that which has been d.
rected al any of his successors lie diu
not deserve il, Of course. but the TACT
that it was poured upon him is an apt
reminder that political passions were 81
least As base and Inscriptions then as
now. We should greatly doubt if in these
days there would be tolerated for
moment the wretched intrlgues whlch
marked the conduct Of the President
Cabinet in some early days-for exam
ple in NoDroe's adminiStratiOn-and we
should expect such transactions as some
Of those of our government with Spain.
If repeated now. to be regarded With all
but universal reprobation.
Against this view Of the ease i Will
nof serve 10 cite the occasional. even The
numerous revelations of official unilq-
uifv which nowadays are made mat
proves not that there is more misdOing
now than formerly. bat rather that tnere
is "A higher and more eyactinS standard
OF integrity and that lapseS are now
exposed and punished which formerly
would have passed unnoticed. Men are
now forced 10 retire from public life in
disgrace. and are even heavily punished
under the criminal code for practices
which a generation ago would not only
have been uncondemned but actually
would have been commended as the as
SlIrpd haIImarkS of successful leader
shin. Doubtless there were in past gen
erations saints as pure and statesmen
IL virtuous as any whom we now see or
NAV ever expect 10 see. But doubtless
also Or. Bovine is correct in holding
that the general averages. in churches
and in politics. were decidedly lower
than they are to-day, and that on the
whole the world is now better than it
ever was before.