Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-23
DR.. RUSSELL II. CONWELl
On Our Reawakeninu Conscience

THE time is coming very soon-in fact,
the tide has already begun to turn
when the conscience and moral fiber of the
country will again reassert itself, in the
opinion of DR.. Russell II. Conwell, pastor
of the Baptist Temple, president OF Temple
University, author and lecturer.
According to DR.. Conwell, the war caused
a moral let down in practically every walk
of life and in all parts of the world. In the
United States, in particular, DIR. Conwell
declares that recent trips which he hos taken
have shown him the evil which the war left
in its wake.
During the war;" says DR.. Conwell. ut
was not only justifabe but necessary that
lying and deception be practiced to deteat
the purposes of the enemy. The whole ma
ton was trained to take advantage OF Ger
many, and, at the time, this was only right
and proper.
"Unfortunately, however, the deception
practiced in wartime and the doing of things
then which at normal times had been con-
sidered criminal caused many individuals to
lose sight of the real right and wrong in
questions affecting everyday life.
"As a result. everywhere that person
turned he found evidence of forgotten con-
sciences and a general weakening of the
moral values. The conductors on the trains,
the walters in the restaurants, all of them
seemed suddenly imbued with the idea of
giving as little courtesy and service as pos
sible.
Deception Was Everywhere
"In the markets the dealers placed few
good apples or tomatoes on top of their
piles and filed in with inferior products.
Tailors put out cloth cheapened in some
places in its manufacture The farmers
didn't supply provisions to the public with
out first thinking If, by holding the same,
they could not secure an unfairly high price.
'"The laborers quit work n few minutes
before their allotted eight hours and came
to work in the morning half or quarter
hour late. The former sense of honor in
factories which had resulted in hundreds of
workmen in a single foundry preferring good
work and less pay to poor work and more
pay was gone: TheSe seemed no longer such
a thing as pride in ones work.
"Oficials at railroad stations and other
pubic service institutions were ruder and
less sympathetic with persons bewildered or
in distress.
The purchase of stock for house building
resulted in the procuring OF poor quality,
much doctored, and at price far above
that which would be reasonable. In the
older days. before the war, if person con-
tracted to build a house or a hall or q
church. he took great pride in his work and
finished it complete and satisfactory in every
detail even if he lost money on the trans
action.
1.-THE spirit of herosm. self sacrifice and
martyrdom in the ministry of the past ap-
peared to ebb out. Questions of salary edu-
cation and having a soft snap became the
prime consideration. The religious life in
the churches became much more superficial
and the creeds of the various denominations
were much less binding on the conscience of
the worshipers. Observance of the Sabbath
became an almost forgotten thing. Divorce
laws were much more loosely applied and
the enforcement Of law in general was very
much weaker than it had been few years
before.
Change for Better Coming
"The very best of men were weakened in
conscientious behavior by the changed moral
atmosphere around them. While giving to
missions and hospitals to the poor and
charitable enterprises was greatly increased,
It seemed impclled more by a matter of
pride than anything else.
''The war was the one fundamental cause
of the whole situation, People saw the for
tunes made by profiteers at the expense of
the government, and asked themselves the
question, What is the use of being honest?'
'T'hat Is the ugly side of the picture
The other Is much more pleasant. I can see
on every side the first indications of a
change for the better. i have seen laborers
who admit that they are not earning the