The Ocala banner., 1922-03-31
THE PRESENT NOT so BAD AS
PAINTED

Notwithstanding all that is said in
denunciation and condemnation of
the present time, the lax in morals;
the wave of crime; the impeachment
of the moving pictures: the jazz mu-
sic; the modern dance; woman s
dress and other imprecations and
maledictions sounded from pulpit,
press and platform. we still maintain.
and feel sure of our ground, that we
are living in the golden era of the
centuries-viewed from any direction,
there is no other age comparable to
it,
There never was an age in which
there were so much benevolence
shown; so many gifts to public and
private charities.
There was never before so much
tolerance of thought and good fellow
ship shown among the different reli-
gious denominations, one toward all
the others, and full and free express
sion of ones political opinions
There was never before such vast
sums appropriated for education; for
the eradication of disease; for the
care and sanitation of those in prison
bonds and for the betterment of hu-
manity in so many uplifting ways.
The pages of the past are stained
with fierce and bitter religious wars
and it has not been so very long since
one had to maintain his political opin-
ions at the point of sword and pistol.
Not so any longer.
In our time we have seen dueling
put under the ban of public opinion;
we have seen slavery, after an exis-
tence of thousands of years, abolished !;
we have seen the doors of the "open
saloon" which has broken the hearts
of so many mothers, forever closed );
we have seen women lifted to her place
beside her male companion where she
will be in a position to exercise more
potentially her influence, like sweet
benediction, for the betterment of the
world
When a young man we lived in the
big city of New York for more than
a year and words are inadequate to
express the Wickedness existing at
that time as compared with the wick
edness existing now.
Harry Hills, a very saturnalia of
lust and debauchery, was in full
swing; Greenwich street, the Bowery,
and the Five Points, were moral
leper spots and many of the hotels
were houses of prostitution enjoying
police protection.
The New York "Miscellaney' and
other salacious and lecherous publ
cations and revolving picture cards
were openly hawked on the streets
and sent through the mails.
Exhibitions of the nude in the most
debasing forms, were shown at places
where it was understood they had
police protection.
That was the state of morals in our
great Metropolis a half century ago,
and New York was not by herself.
The same state of morals existed in
Boston. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Wash
ington and all the principal cities of
the country.
The women's dresses swept the
ground. gathering all the filth of the
street.
Then came the "Grecian bend" the
hustle" and other disfiguring styles
SO unlike the sanitary and sensible
dress of the present time.
AS splendidly different as the times
are now from half a century ago,
better times are yet ahead of us.
Women's influence is going to be
felt in our politics.
They are going to vote for officials
who will rigidly and impartially en-
force our laws.
Those of US who were accustomed
to the "side-board and decanter" and
the open saloon" will soon be gath
cred to our fathers and those who
are to take our places. not having to
contend with those influences, will not