Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-10
Worry About the World
Public Morality Has Broken Doscn
According to Prophets Of Gloom
(From f.. w. Howe's Monthly

Sixteen OF the most eminent men in England
have signed and widely distributed remarkable
document. NO lover of mankind or OF prog
ress," it reads, mo student OF morals, OF
economics, regard the present trend OF at
fairs without feelings OF great anxiety. Civza-
ton itself seems to be on the wane, and every
thing that makes life really worth living in proc
ess of extinction. Never was greater need OF all
those qualities which make the race human, and
never did they appear to be less manifest 1t is
becoming increasingly evident that the world has
taken wrong turn, which, if persisted in, may
lead to the destruction of civilization. Right
thinking men and women of all classes are filled
with anxiety, not only because OF existing con-
ditions, but on account of the still more distress
ing situation likely to develop in the early future
"a situation which they feel so powerlcss to pre-
vent A renewed sense OF right is needed. In
these circumstances appeal to the right think
ing OF all nations and classes and invite their
cooperation in the work of applying the true
remedies"
Elsewhere in the document it is stated that
private morality" has broken down. This isn't
true; it is public morality that has broken down;
and public morality has broken down not be-
cause the people are less worthy and cautious
than they have been, but because propagandists
soldiers, preachers, politicians, secretaries of
commercial clubs, editors and literary men gen.
eraly-have gone crazy. For many years ire
sponsible boomers have engaged in booming
portunity to put their doctrine into effect That
is the trouble: the real people are as worthy, as
conservative, as moral as they ever were: Aneri-
leans demonstrated that they were at the last
national election.
The enormous majority for Mr. Harding i'm
presses me as very creditabie performance; it
indicated so profundy that the people are all
right. 1t happened that every foe we have rea-
son to fear combined in supporting Mr.. Will
sons policy, and the unanrnty with which the
voters condemned it will always remain an i'm
pressive performance to me-: / know no other
thing in American history equally credtable. 1t
is the best evidence I know that the people are
all right. | do not say this because | am a
republican, or Mr. Cox democrat. 1t happened
that Mr.. Cox's party represented the booming,
the sentimentality, the extravaganza which had
become dangerous, and that the republican can
didate represented conservatism, and o1d-fash-
ioned common sense Mr.. Cox in effect lost
almost every creditable community; in this state
ment do not include the southern states, which
have race problem, and an old tradition Of
being Inundated by the republicans.
Outside OF these every state lined up for con-
servatism. old-fashioned common sense and right.
The verdict was more than verdict against the
League OF Nations; it was slap in the face for
every dangerous dsturber. whether the mis-
chevous disposition came from whisky, big talk,
big writing, idleness, propaganda war or ex-
travagance. 1t is TRUE Mr. Harding and His as
sociates are not acting in full measure, on the in
struetions given them plainly and almost unani-
mously, but It was referendum, and the answer
was extremely creditable.
am not alone in the opinion that Everything
that makes life really worth living is in process
of extinction" sixteen of the most prominent
men OF England think so. and have said so in
public statement, Ard if this amentable state
OF affairs comes about in the United States, it
will be in plain defiance of very decided pop
ular opinion. The old principles of right are
still strong. If we wreck the country with false
notions; with extravaganza, ideaiism senti-
mentasn, propaganda, it will be because the
people do not assert the common sense they be-
lleve in The boomers have made liberty more
dangerous than tull measure OF it can possibly
help us: we have engaged in extravaganza more
costly than dishonesty; we have ruined the value
OF honest money with fiat money; we have over
loaded Christianity, progress, democracy pa
triotism, sentiment, education; and all these,
worthy though they be within reason, have com
bined to curse u.s.