The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-04-05
AS Others See 1t
THE PRESENT NOT so BAD AS PAINTED
(Ocala. Banner.)


COcaa Banner)
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 music; the modern
dance; womans dress and other imprecations and
maedictions sounded from pulpit, press and plat
form. 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 was
so much benevolence shown; so many gifts to
public and private charities
There was never before much tolerance OF
thought and good fellowship shown among the
different religious denominations, one toward all
the Others and full and free expression of ones
political opinions
There was never before such vast sums appro-
prated for education; for the eradication of dis
ease; for the care and sanitation Of those in
prison bonds and for the betterment of human.
ty in 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 opinions 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; have seen slavery, af
| ter existence of thousands of years, abolished;
we have seen the doors of the open saloon,
which has broken the hearts of so many moth
ers, forever closed; we have seen women lifted
to her place beside her male companion where
she will be in position to exercise more poten-
TALLY her influence, like a sweet benediction for
the betterment of the world.
When a young man we lived in the big city
of New York for more than year and words are
inadequate to express the wickedness existing al
that time as compared with the wckedness ex
| listing now.
| Harry Hills, very saturnaa Of lust and de-
bauchery, 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 sala
cous and lecherous publications and revolving
! picture cards were openly hawked on the streets
and sent through the mails.
Exhibitions of the nude in the most debasine
| forms, were shown at places where it under
stood they had police protection.
That was the state OF morals in cur great Me.
| tropolis a half century ago, and New York was
not by herself.
The same state of morals existed in Boston
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and all the
principal cities Of the country
The women's dresses swept the ground, gath
ering all the filth of the street
Then came the "Grecan bend" the hustle
and other disfguring styles unlike the sanitary
and sensible dress of the present time.
As spiendidly different the times are now
from half century ago, better times are YET
! ahead of u.s.
Women's influence is going to be felt in oul
politics.
They are going to vote for officials who viii
rigidly and impartiay enforce our laws.
/ Those of us who were accustomed to the side
beard and. decanter' and the open saloon" will
soon be gathered to our fathers" and those who
are to take our places, not having to contend
with thc1e Influences, will not have contracted
the drink habit and our nation will be controlled
by sober and intellectual people whose influence
will gradually expand and cover the whole worlt
as the waters cover the sea.