The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-02-25

contempt for law and the present revolt against
the spirit of authority make this age eminently
zone Of sham and counterfeit" He rejected the
easy theory that these symptoms of grave NAL
ady are merely reaction of the World war. Ear
from causing the moral sickness of the age, says
the solicitor general the World war was in itself,
perhaps but one Of its many symptoms. Some OF
the contributory of the worlds disorder are
reluctance to obey laws regarded as unreasonable
or vexatious, the laws delays and laxity In ad-
ministration which have bred a spirit OF contempt
and the rampant individualism which began In the
Eighteenth century, with its excessive emphasis
on the rights Of man and small stress on mans
duties In proof Of his contention, Mr.. Beck in
stances the records Of the criminal courts and
police dockets; violations Of the sumptuary laws,
.xtich In the case of the prohibition statute have
resulted in fines aggregating an estimate OF more
than $3OOOO0.0OO; and ian increase in nine years
Of nearly 400 per cent in the comparatively mar
row sphere Of the federal criminal jurisdiction"
"In the greater sphere Of social life we find
the same revolt against the institutions which
have the sanction Of the past" says Mr. Beck.
"Laws which mark the decent restraints OF print,
speech and dress have In recent decades been IN
creasingly disregarded. The very foundations OF
the great and primitive institutions Of mankind
like the family the church and the state-have
been shaken Nature itself is defied. Thus, the
fundamental difference Of sex is disregarded py
social and political movements which ignore the
permapent differentiation Of social function Or
dained by God himself"
i Five plaques are affecting humanity. said the
none last year in a public utterance before the
College OF Cardinals The first, Mr.. Beck recalls.
a the unprecedented challenge to authority sec
ond. hatred between nan and man. third aD-
normal aversion to work: fourth. the excessive
thirst for pleasure; ifth gross materialism wncn
denies the reality of the spiritual In human NE.
All these charges, says the lawyer, are proseu ~
recent experience
II r. however to a widespread change In social
conditions rather than to any change OF mans es-
genital nature that the solicitor general attributes
the maady Of our time. 1t seems to MIN tnat
sthe morale OF industrial civilization mas Deen
shattered. Work for works sake, as the most
glorious privilege Of human faculties, has gone,
hoth ms an ideal and as potent spirit. The con-
cention Of work as degrading servitude to be
done with reluctance and grudging inemciency.
seems to be the ideal Of millions OF men OF all
classes and In all countries
,rhe great enigma, then. which this situation
,,rcronnds to us and which, like the riddle OF
tha Snhinx we will solve or be DESTROYED, is this
.T1as the increase In the potential OF human pow
AZ through thermodynamics, been accomplished py
corresponding Increase in the potential OF human
character" Then Mr. Beck goes on to say:
"A mass morality has been substituted TOT IN
.,.,,,a morality. and group morality generally in
tsrsifcs the vices more than the virtues OF man
what WAS true Of Germany was true-althougl
4, lasser ferree-of all civilized nations In al
= them. the individual had been submerged Il
erorn formations and the effect upon the cnarac
Tar a. man has not been beneficial
.sThere are many paliiatives for the evis wnle'
nave discussed To rekindle in men the love
wor, for works sake and the spirit Of disclpilne
witch the lost sense Of human solidarity once IN
.r,rad would do much to solve the problem 10
work Is the greatest moral force IN the Wofle
II No 81 this generation can only recognize ina
the evil exists then the situation IS NOT past lei
edy. ra~,, :
81 have fnith In the inextinguishable SPARK
the Divine which is in the human soul ana Wnlc
onr complex mechanical civilization mas no. Z,
tinRuished OF this, the World war was = &c.
4 proof. All the horrible resources Of mesn 9.
ics and chemistry were utilized 20 cuerc1 :.
human soul and all proved inenecfuaL
"A everyone knows. law-abiding citizens y
numher Of big American cities have Oeen uilse
81 conditions to organize law-enforcemen. w
.nittees-a fact which would seem TO corrooo1a
Mr. Beck. Denver Is the latest city 70 1eei tne =
ceasity Of such an organization. The inolctIne'
AGAINST the city administration IS mildly
81 Mrs Mabel Stearns Noble, executive secre'a'
sof the Woman's Cooperative league VINO pu's
thus: !,