The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-01
NEVER DID NEW YEAR OPEN
WITH FAIRER OUTLOOK.

auspices SO fair and pleasant for the
people Of the United States that thu
babitual crOakers are silent, the pro-
chefs of evil are not in evidence
end there is not one discOrdant note
in the grand symphony in which are
blended the hopes and ideals and
aspirations of great and prosper
GUS nation for the year just born.
|. is a fact not questioned that we
are a prosperous people in every
State in the Union, and even those
determined to see hard times ahead
can give no reason for the gloomy
faith they hold to. Our prosperity
is rooted deep in economic culmina
tons and adjustments beyond the
reach OF laundering partisan poll
tics; and, while in commerce and
manufacturing and other material
agencies II is and always must be
ebb and flow, action and reaction, as
IN the tides of the ocean and other
phenomena under the dominion of
natural law, it is flood tide with us
now. with the end not yet in sight,
and we may be thankful accordingly
The crops OF the past year were
recOrd-breakers with fair prices for
all products OF the soil; from one
end of the land to the other, with
rare exceptions due to exceptional
causes, factories of every kind are
running full time; railroads are so
prosperous they are planning large
improvements for the new year; q
prodigious amount of building Is In
progress all over the country, show
Ing new structures going up in ev-
cry city, town and hamlet in Amer
lea; trade is so good that mercantile
failures for 1912 were fewer in
number than for years past; labor is
everywhere employed at good wages
on rising scale in many of the
great industries-and what tramps
we have are volunteers in the service
who seek no higher calling.
All the subordinate and auxiliary
activities to these main factors in
our wealth and well-being are pros
pering; the bitterness of sectional
politics has passed forever, and we
have emerged into a new era with a
more truly national spirit and a bet
ter understanding among ourselves
than this republic has ever known
before.
And along with all this material
prosperity and development there
has been an extraordinary mora,
awakening and nationwide organ
ixing of the best elements of the
American people to fight the forces
Of sin and evil and solve the prob
lens consequent upon the mighty
piling up of wealth and it's resulting
vice, immortality and extravaganza
The conscience Of the nation was
never SO alive and 30 alert az now
Never before were SO many good men
and women, representing every com.
munity, large and small, in Amer.
tea, 80 active and 30 we'll ORGANIZED
to promote good causes and fight evil
social tendencies; and because nj
their work there is less Of faun.;n,
vice and flagrant immortality. more
Observance Of the decencies and nro.
prieties Of life. more sanitation
both physical and moral, than eve,
before in our history.
The press is argus-eyed to reveal
the ulcers on society and the veal
spots In our civilization, and hardl,
week passes that We do not rea,
OF conventions and associations. rep
.resenting the best thought and high
est character OF the nation. meetin,
Ia various parts OF the country Il
formulate plans and devise remedie,
to heal those ulcers and strengthen
these weak spots in our national ant
social structure Our courts. on,
Legislatures and our Congress ar,
all permea,ed by this high, stron,
spirit OF redemptio and reform. and
while crime and sin and sorrow ar,
ell around US, il is only the blind
m'n refotiny to see, who denie.
these 'lings and fails to recognize
tie foreet " regeneration every.
Wher' a. "prk as never before fol
The ppif' - humanity.
1t'sb sss the ne. hopeful con.