The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-02-20
IS THE WORLD
Continued nom page nineJ

! we have good reasons for encourage
ment. Just imagine an old Roman or
/ Grecian general saying what Grant
said to Lee,-"I will instruct my pa
rolling officers hat all the enlisted
! men of your cavalry and artillery who
| own their horses are to retain them.
| They will need them for the spring
! blowing and other farm work. This
! type of conduct is the direct product
of a Christian civilization. Again, com
pare the present civic conditions
! found in France, Portugal, Italy,
Turkey, Cuba, Porto Rico, Hawaii,
! China and the Philippines with the
conditions prevailing in the same
places a century ago and we see just
cause for saying that the world is
| growing better
The world is growing better from an
ethical standpoint. Lustful crimes
freely INDUCED in by many of the old
Romans would not be tolerated today
| by any civilized nation on earth. Duel
ing, once regarded as a matter OF
! honor. is now frOwned upon by all de
cent society and is classed with MUIR
der. Gambling was once the pastime
of gentlemen and was not the slight
est barrier to the best society, but now
gamblers carry on their nefarious
business behind bolted doors and in
fear of the police. Social degenerates
who once mingled with good society
now find societys door slammed IN
their very faces. Polygamy which was
T.. once winked at is now universally
: condemned by civilized peoples. One
hundred years ago the lottery was re
garded as benevolence. Many
churches and schools were built by II
In the year 1895 the general court o
Rhode Island authorized a lottery fo
the advancement of religion and The
u building of churcA. In Providence
in the year 1900, an Episcopal churcl
- held lottery of which the grant
prize was $4,000. Even Harvard Col
lege built a library from the proceed
of lottery tickets The authorities il
the great city of London at one TIM
were selling lottery tickets for twent
n, different objects. But now lotterie
are generally prohibited by stern law
Prize fighting once had free course bu
now this brutal sport is d barred fror
nearly every civilized state and nation
Racetrack gambling was once conslC
cred legitimate but in recent years
hs has been prohibited hearty every
where. The ethical teachings OF on
es days are far in advance of the olde
. days. Socrates made sport of the so
row of a mother who lost her bah
Plato taught that it would be vel
]. desirable plan for every city to sele
some hilltop and there construct pc
for the exposure of weak and u
healthy children, and who declared thi
y physicians ought not to prescribe IL
~ the incurablv sick. Aristotle adyoca
20 ed the enactment of laws to comp
parents to drown unhealthy childre
Seneca taught that all unhealthy chi
uICu oLlOuiu We oNtoA NtNNNu - NAAA
healthy ones. Compare such teachint
with the exalted teachings concernir
" the true place of the child in Il
world of today and you will sure
uN say the world is growing better.
Then tremendous strides have bee
IN. made in the ethical uplift of literatur
The literature of the Victorian era
IK far more chaste, pure ard elevatil
than the literature of one, two
three centuries ago Someone h
,XO well id,-"Even twentieth centu
= Shakespeare would not dare wri
g some of the things the sixteenth Gel
o ury Shakespeare did" The ethiC
8 conceptions in the fiction Of our d
are more lofty and wholesome than
= any former period of history.
-0A There has also been a marked
-, form in drinking habits and custom
A century ago liquor flowed at brit
marriages, funerals and the dedicati
of public buildings and churches. Bu
ness transactions we're concluded W
III drinks 1t was an OHenCe dSdll
good breeding not to treat Gale
. Ministers drank before entering
. pulpit The liquor business was CO
. paratively respectable and liquor de
ers were admitted into the best Sc
p ETY.. But a great change has tai
place The people have seen gr
light The liquor business has Il
ceased to be respectable Those
gagged in it are ostracized by the b
'An society and the only reason why Il
stay in the business is because of
> filthy dollars they accumulate, o.
liquor was given many beauuf
rhetorical names but in these days
lere' have come to see clearly that at
best it is liquid fire and distiI
damnation For many years
~ l;,fot,I to,,ro1 N tho DOlit