Decorah public opinion., 1913-12-03
COURSE OF EVENTS.
The Crowd Goes With the Noise
Maker Just As the Boat Swings
With the Current.

The source of events as they fol-
low and have followed one another
since the making of history, are just
ly described in the following para
graphs taken from a recent issue of
Leslie's Weekly
"Precedents govern the world be-
cause history repeats itself. So a
good example lives, but it is not al
ways followed as it should be. A
bad example is forever a reminder
to the thoughtful, but not always a
warning to the needless. The good
stand out in stronger light by con-
trast when bad predominant, but it
is the bad example that is most cas-
/ lily followed.
The crowd goes with the noise
maker, just as the boat swings with
the current. In the early days of the
Republic, when officials were chosen
by their fellow tOwnsmen, at town
meetings, solely because of fitness
and capacity, a single breath of sus-
tpicion was sufficient to scandalize a
community and defeat candidate.
Graft was unknown, honesty was the
watchword, and economy and effici-
epcy the public spirit.
In these days of municipal mis-
rule, grating, dishonesty and black
mail are so common that the multi
tude laughs at them. Only the
thoughtful grieve. They all do it,"
Iis the cry, and all continue to do it.
So municipal government becomes a
shame and disgrace. So much for
bad example.
The modesty of women has been
the theme of the poet from the time
when Solomon sung. Severity of
dress and simplicity of demeanor
marked the Puritan women. Beauti-
Iful in face, attractive in form, char
ming in figure, brilliant in intellect,
the American woman lends herself
Especially to the alluring adorn-
ments of her sex. She has not been
always Quaker and Puritan.
In our earlier days, American wo-
men in the social circles of the
South and North knew that dress
lembellished their charms, and they
knew how to dress. Today the fash
ions of the French demi-monde. The
immodest styles of the chorus girls
are the patterns for the swagger set.
IModesty takes back seat and the
white slave traffic flourishes. So much
for bad example.
Old-fashioned things are giving
way. We are living in the Twenti-
eth century. 1t Is a new age. We
do not only have new men, but new
women and children. 1t is now SER
iously suggested by an eminent wri-
ter that we are to have a new sex
sort of combination of man and
woman. What an example.
The old-fashioned things are in
the discard. Books by brilliant au-
thors, the favOrites in the libraries
nifty years ago, are little read. The
racing automobile, the noisy base
ball field, and the leisurely pursuit
OF the golf balls on the links mark
the Sabbath as festival of recrea.
tion. Is it good example?
The lecture hall is deserted. Col.
leges are crowded with young men
eager to emerge with new ideals OF
new world and consuming desire
to upset things. They are proving
the old adage that "a little learning
is a dangerous thing" Shall they sci
our examples?
Away with the old philosophers
the old4fashioned school of economy
plain living and the simple life!
Away with ascetic code of morals
Banish the hymn book! Sing the col
lege songs-'Rah, Rah! Rah." Fol
low the leader!
The church decays, the Sunday
school is abolished, the Sabbath /:
no longer day of rest. 1t is the
age of novelty. Move on.
Thus the world moves and the
hand that moves the movies is the
hand that moves tho world